Podcasts about lilz

Les Miserables is a film adaptation of the period musical of the same name. Released in 2012, it followed the exploits of Jean Valjean, an escaped convict going to great lengths to find personal redemption at the height of the French Revolution. The film version, directed by Tom Hooper, sought to emulate the epic scope of the stage musical, and featured grandiloquent and verbose set pieces and crowded chorus numbers, with an ensemble cast led by Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, and numerous others. The film was a major box office hit, won many Academy Awards (Including a noteworthy Supporting Actress win for Hathaway), and set a new standard for movie musicals featuring live performances by the actors as opposed to backing tracks...in spite of largely receiving middling reviews upon its release.On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott welcome back Maggie Noel (Friend of the pod and late of the Rock Candy podcast) to help them through a viewing of Les Miserables. Join them as they slog their way through an obscene amount of extreme close-ups, marvel at just how British 19th century France is in the action, and make a lot of the same jokes everyone's already made about Russell Crowe's singing voice.(It's not good.)...with Lilz and Scott!

Better Man is a 2024 musical biopic depicting the life of English singer-songwriter and former Take That member Robbie Williams. It was written, directed, and produced by Michael Gracey (On the heels of his success with noted piece of treacly crap The Greatest Showman), and features the central conceit of replacing the film version of Robbie with that of an anthromorphic CGI chimpanzee. Robbie Williams himself stars as the narrator and singing voice of the film version of Williams, portrayed via motion capture and acted by stage actor Jonno Davies. Steve Pemberton, Kate Mulvany, Alison Steadman, and Damon Herriman also star, and the soundtrack features a collection of Robbie Williams hits set to theatrical set pieces.On a new (Wait, really?!) episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott take in a viewing of Better Man, and literally record the episode immediately after the screening from a car in the parking lot of a Showcase Cinemas. Join them as they cast a hypothetical Pearl Jam biopic, enjoy a delicious meal of spaghetti flingers and NASCAR fries, are thoroughly bewildered by the sight of a giant ape-man doing cocaine and other ilicit deeds....with Lilz and Scott!

Yentl is a 1983 film directed and starring screen actor and Broadway mainstay Barbra Streisand. Based on the Isaac Bashevis Singer short story Yentl The Yashiva Boy, Yentl the film follows the story of an Ashkenazi Jewish woman in Poland in 1904 who decides to disguise herself as a man so that she can receive an education in Talmudic law. Various misunderstandings follow as the titular Yentl attempts to keep her ruse afloat, and gets wrapped up in romances both unrequited and reluctant. The film also featured a supporting cast of Mandy Patinkin, Amy Irving, Nehemiah Persoff, and Miriam Margolyes, among various others.On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott take in a viewing of Yentl with all-star guest David Allen Prescott, who is incredibly upset to both find a Barbra film that doesn't hold up, and never fully embraces its own latent queerness. Join them as Scott gives the behind-the-scenes scoop on just how much Barbra Streisand whiffed the subject matter, Lilz puts her foot down against the music of Stevland Hardaway Morris, and David debuts a raunchy and unwelcome new personae....with Lilz and Scott!

When Jesse Bradley discovered he was going to be a father to a daughter after having three sons, he knew this would bring a unique set of delights and challenges. Jesse emphasizes each child as a unique gift, advocating a tailored approach in fostering connections that affirm a daughter's persona, building confidence amidst the ever-present peer pressures. **The Power of Presence and Words** One-on-one interactions form the core of Jesse's parenting strategy, offering a safe space for his daughter to share her thoughts and feelings. He recognizes the formative power of a parent's words and presence, which serve as a bedrock for a child's development, especially before bed—a time both sacred and profound in the Bradley household. **Positive Reinforcement** In our podcast episode, Jesse shares personal experiences of affirming his daughter's worth and building her confidence, with a reminder to parents about the potency of positive reinforcement. His intentional interactions include daily prayer and reading sessions, maintaining an equitable balance between tenderness and honesty. **Grappling with Challenges** Jesse opens up about his insecurities in not understanding his daughter's world, from hair care to jewelry. He advises parents to lean into these differences and learn from their children, rather than maintaining a distance. Adjusting parenting methods to match the child's pace is also key, as Jesse demonstrates by embracing his daughter's composed approach to life. **Cultivating Hope** On the critical notion of hope, Jesse advocates for relational, habitual, and thoughtful practices to instill a strong sense of optimism in children. These practices are deeply relational, requiring attentiveness and intentional affirmations from parents. **Wisdom for Fathers** Jesse's advice encompasses being 'tough and tender,' encouraging dads to support their children's pursuits without trying to control them. He suggests a reflective approach to one's natural tendencies and emphasizes the significance of an honest and humble approach in parent-child relationships. In our introspective conversation, Jesse Bradley's insights serve as a reminder that fatherhood is a continuous journey marked by growth, learning, and unconditional love. His experiences and guiding principles stand as a beacon for dads navigating the waters of raising daughters in a world filled with emotional and spiritual complexities.   TRANSCRIPT Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:05]: Welcome to dads with daughters. In this show, we spotlight dads, resources, and more to help you be the best dad you can be. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:15]: Welcome back to Dads with Daughters where we bring you guests to be active participants in your daughters' lives, raising them to be strong independent women. Really excited to have you back again this week. As always, every week, you and I are on a journey together. I've told you this before, and I'll tell you it again. You know, I'm a father of 2. My kids are in their teenage years and in college. Your kids are gonna be at different places, but we all are on that journey together as we raise our daughters to be those strong, independent women that we want for them to be successful and to find that path for themselves. It's not always going to be easy. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:53]: The journey is not always going to be a straight line, But it is something that we all go through. And it is so important that we are able to have these conversations and that you can learn and grow from the conversations and the people that we have here every week. I love being able to bring you different people, be people with different perspectives, different fathers, mothers, other people with resources that can help you on this journey, that can help you to make that journey just a little bit easier because you do not have to do this alone. I've said that before and I'll say it again. Fatherhood does not have to be a solo experience. Sometimes it may feel that way. Sometimes you may feel like it should be that way, but it doesn't have to be that way, and it shouldn't be that way. There are so many dads that are out there right next to you, your next door neighbors, the people around you. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:45]: And by reaching out, by talking, by sharing, by being a little vulnerable Yes, I said the v word, vulnerable. You can definitely do so much to be able to help yourself to be that dad that you wanna be. Today, we've got another great guest with us. Jesse Bradley is with us today, and Jesse is a speaker. He's an author. He is the lead pastor of of Grace Community Church, and we're gonna be talking to him about being a father of 4, as well as the, some of the things that he does on a daily basis and working with dads, but also working with just people in general. And I'm really excited to be able to have him here and talk about his own experience. Jesse, thanks so much for being here today. Jesse Bradley [00:02:26]: Christopher, it's an honor to join you. I've been looking forward to this. Thanks for all you do to encourage and to equip dads and really parents because we need help. We really do. I'm not joining you as a guest as someone who has all the answers or has it together. We're lifelong learners and parenting is truly an adventure. But we can encourage each other, I think through stories, through things that are working in one home are probably gonna work well in another home. And thank you for connecting dads too. Jesse Bradley [00:02:55]: Because like you said, the temptation I think is to drift, to be isolated. And with isolation, that's never the isolated. And with isolation, that's never the best spot to be. And we wanna come together and you've created community. So thanks for all you do. You've been very dedicated and devoted, and we appreciate it. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:03:10]: Well, I really appreciate you saying that. Now first and foremost, one of the things I love doing is I wanna turn the clock back in time. And I know you've got 4 kids, you've got one daughter, 3 sons, and your daughter's 13 now. So I wanna go back, let's say 14 years. I wanna go back to the very beginning when you found out that you were going to be a dad to a daughter. What was going through your head? Jesse Bradley [00:03:29]: Well, you know, that's an interesting story because we had had 2 boys. We'd also had 3 miscarriages. So we had really been on a roller coaster ride, and that helped us realize that every child is a gift. I believe that with all my heart. Every child is unique, wonderfully made, and truly a gift. Now with our 3rd child, when we showed up to find out, is it going to be a boy or a girl? The assistant who had the view of the picture, the first words out of her mouth were, oh, boy. And that's not probably what you wanna say when it's gonna be a girl because literally she looked at the picture and said, oh, boy. And my mind went to, well, here comes boy number 3. Jesse Bradley [00:04:11]: And then a few seconds later, she said, you're gonna have a girl. And I was like, wait, what? So it was a gender reveal that went one direction, faked us out, head fake, and then we came back and a girl. I knew this was gonna be a really different experience than the boys. Of course, there's a lot of commonalities, but I also knew this would balance our home a little more. With 3 boys right now and a girl, we were intentional to get a girl dog. Just, you know, trying to balance out the home a little bit. But I was excited. My wife had a name in mind, and it just seemed to come together well. Jesse Bradley [00:04:48]: And such a blessing. I'm so grateful for Lily. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:04:51]: Now each child is unique. You've got 4 kids, and you have to take that time, spend that time to connect on an individual level. When you have 4 kids and you have a daughter, you have 3 sons, what are you doing to make those unique bonds with your kids and especially the bond that you want to have with your daughter? Jesse Bradley [00:05:11]: That's a great question. It's easy to always be in a group, and you really need that one on one time. I like the phrase be intentional because a lot of times your child might not come to you and share everything they need, and they're hoping that you're going to pursue them. And that time for me that's been consistent is before bed. I feel like there's something about that last hour where people are a little more open, honest, share feelings, let their guard down, and that's been consistent for us and we do a couple different things during that time, but sometimes it's playful. We started playing catch with one of her stuffed animals that's round. And then we started keeping score. And eventually, what's our record? And we made it up to a couple hundred, but that was just kind of a fun thing we started doing. Jesse Bradley [00:06:00]: And I thought, okay, my daughter isn't into sports like I was, and that's okay. In fact, she's the exact opposite. I wanted to do sports with teams, scores, balls. She doesn't want anything to do with stress, competition. Like, she would prefer to just go for a run, enjoy a run, or a hike, or something, swimming. She would just swim for hours. She doesn't wanna race, but she would just be in the water for hours. She likes to swim, learn how to swim. Jesse Bradley [00:06:28]: So we're very opposite when it comes to sports. And this is just one of those playful things we did and started to she has a lot of stuffed animals, and I don't even know how we started. But, she learned to catch through that. And that was one thing we did. But more than that, during those times together, I listened to her how she's doing. I try to speak a lot of words of affirmation because especially middle school and even slightly before that, there's a lot of pressure. There's a lot of peer pressure. Sometimes kids tear each other down. Jesse Bradley [00:07:00]: Are you cool enough? How do you look? Do you fit in? And they're bombarded. And sometimes by the end of the day, they can just feel like I don't measure up and you know who I am is just not gonna work. And I try to come in with that voice of affirmation. And let me tell you, children need the affirmation. If you have a critical spirit and you're just always finding the areas that, you know, you don't think they're doing well and you lead with that and you overemphasize that, it tears them down on the inside. Yes. We do need to hold them accountable on some areas and bring out the best in some areas, but a lot of it is the affirmation. And I can just see there's a security with dad's voice. Jesse Bradley [00:07:42]: When I see things, and I'm not saying things just to flatter. I'm not saying things that are half true. Like, sincerely, what I see in her, it's so wonderful. And I put words on it. I don't just have that thought, but I put words on it. It builds up a security for her. And I think what it does is give her confidence that she doesn't have to chase after everything that her peers are chasing after. And she really is one of our children who has seen through the games and seen through some of the, you know, emptiness of just trying to be cool. Jesse Bradley [00:08:18]: And there's been a security and a confidence that she's had. And I I think that the affirmation of parents on her character, on her effort, on her creativity, on her kindness, on her intelligence, like, just all the wide range, you know, her face. One of the things we do before bedtime is is just a short time of prayer, or we like to read. Now we've read read a lot of different stories, but we also read, like, the Bible, and we wanna build her up. And when I think about parenting in that time, and I know I'm focusing on that time before bed, but that's been daily for as long as I can remember. Since she was just an infant, it's every night we're there in that time. And sometimes it's my wife and I. Sometimes it's just me. Jesse Bradley [00:09:06]: Sometimes it's just my wife and the longer one. Both parents are there, but it's just one will stay longer. But that is intentional with every kid. And 1 on 1, that's where they really they don't have to look around and say, okay. Are my siblings listening? What are they gonna think of me? They just pour out their heart. And when they feel safe, create that safe environment where they can talk to you about anything. And if you start that early on, then when the teenage years come, that's already part of the culture and the conversation. They're just gonna keep coming with that. Jesse Bradley [00:09:37]: And when they do, that's a gift. When they share their heart with you, that's a gift. And by being there to listen, sometimes it's not so much what I say, although the affirmation's important. It's just creating that safe place and listening. And as she starts to share about what she's thinking and feeling, just listening to understand, asking questions, drawing her out, She's a little more introverted than we have 2 extroverts, 2 introverts. And the extroverts just start to talk. And with those extroverts, you know exactly where they are. But the introverts, you have to kinda stop, ask them a question, give them time to think, ask them another question. Jesse Bradley [00:10:13]: I'm an extrovert, so that's not as natural as it should be. I think it's important to be quick to listen, slow to speak. I'm often the opposite. I'm quick to speak, slow to listen. So I've got to turn it down, ask questions, be silent, and then ask more questions. I've heard it said, you ask how someone feels. Say, how do you feel? And then you say, well, how do you feel about that? And then you say, well, what are your thoughts on that? You might have to ask a couple times to go deep. But once you create that trust, and all relationships come down to trust. Jesse Bradley [00:10:43]: And with your kids, do they really trust you? And when the trust is there, they open up and they share. And when they do that, that's a gift. And how you respond is important. And I love it that, you know, my daughter has said, I feel like I can, you know, talk about anything. That doesn't mean that she doesn't sometimes try to keep things secret or, like, we have a perfect relationship, but there's a trust that's deep and she shares deeply. One of the most precious gifts she gave me is a little coupon and she said, dad, this coupon is for infinite number of times coming into my room. And I mean, even this week, I got that years ago. It's at my desk. Jesse Bradley [00:11:25]: You know, this coupon's good for infinite visits to my room. Anytime, any and I come into her room and I'll say, well, Lilz, I just came in today because, well, you gave me that coupon for infinite visits. So I'm coming in for a visit and it's kind of playful at this point, but it's so sweet. It's so dear. And but we like to joke around and she has the way the heat is distributed in our house, it's not equal. And she has the warmest room in the house. And in the winter months, you know, in Seattle where there's a lot of rain and so forth, and I just come in there. I'm like, Lils. Jesse Bradley [00:12:01]: And she'll kind of say, do you just come in because I'm a warm room or do you wanna talk to me? You know, we we just play around with that kind of stuff, but we keep it light, we keep it fun, but then we also go deep. It's a both and. And I think a both and is really good. When you can laugh, you can cry, you can share your hurts, you can share what you're excited about, you can pray. Like, the wide range, that is rich. And I know for me, and I'll let you talk a little bit because I just got into these sweet times with my daughter. But when I think about being a dad, yes, there's protection. Yes, there's provision. Jesse Bradley [00:12:39]: Yes, there's the physical activity we do. And there's a lot of different components. But for me, what's close to my heart is the emotional connection and also the spiritual connection. And I think when I consider the fullness of fatherhood, like, how am I involved in all the different parts of her life to build her up, to encourage her? And I think a lot of times, it's when that emotional or spiritual connection happens that we feel the closest. And I like to go there. And that probably ties in, because parenting, I think, really starts when you're a kid, and it's your experiences with your parents, and that shapes you. And you either see things you wanna imitate or you see things that weren't there and you really wanna bring. And I think, for me, it's all connected. Jesse Bradley [00:13:28]: And I love the opportunity to have those times with my daughter. We almost always leave grateful. We leave appreciating each other. We leave those times just feeling joyful. Like, there's a smile, there's a laugh, and it's sweet. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:13:44]: I appreciate you sharing that. Now I know that in talking to a lot of different dads, there are sometimes some fear that comes with having a daughter, raising a daughter, and every person's fear is a little bit different. What would you say has been your biggest fear in raising a daughter? Jesse Bradley [00:14:01]: That's a great question. I would say a couple of aspects. 1 you're right is that I know what it's like to be a boy. I don't know what it's like to be a girl. And when you have a child that's the opposite gender, for example, her hair. I don't know how I don't even have any hair right now. But, like, how do I help her with her hair as a kid? You know? And it's like, oh, dad. That's too hard on my hair, the the snarls and trying to get that worked out. Jesse Bradley [00:14:28]: And how do I talk about jewelry? How do I talk about painting your nails? How do I talk about things that I just wasn't into and I didn't do? And so she's already different in terms of gender, and then she's different in terms of she loves to read. She will go through book after book after book after book. When I was a kid, I felt like reading was very slow. I knew it was good, but that was challenging. She loves to read. She loves to draw. I joked with her that you passed me up at about age 5. You know, she could draw a better picture than I could as an adult. Jesse Bradley [00:15:06]: She's so talented as an artist and her creativity. And I was terrible at drawing. I still am terrible. So when you start adding all these different things up, it can touch on the insecurities that I have as a dad. Or can I really be a great dad if her talents are different, her interest is different, her gender is different, like, all these things are different? How am I going to support her well? These are not my areas of expertise, right? Like, if she wants to talk about a, b and c, I can do that. But she's into a lot of things that I don't know much about. So here's I think a key is don't stay distant in those areas. It's okay that I'm much lower than her, or I don't know much. Jesse Bradley [00:15:52]: Like, when she liked Pokemon as a kid, or she you know, it's like, I don't know anything about Pokemon. Like, Warrior Cats, I don't know anything about that series. But so just, I own it that I don't know anything. Okay. Lils, teach me a little bit about this. And then we turned it into a fun game because with warrior cats, it's like, oh, they all have 2 word names. And so I would say, Lilz, like, would this be a good word? Like thunderpaw, you know, or something like that. And it it just got to be playful. Jesse Bradley [00:16:24]: So that's that's one is realizing that we have a lot of differences, but don't let those differences become a distance where I'm not entering in. And it's okay to come in with a lot of questions and learning and just be playful with it. I think the other thing for me that I found internally is that I naturally wanna protect her a little more. Now sometimes that's good, probably sometimes it's not as good. But with, like, let's say boys start to have an interest in her, I wanna protect her. Like, that's my daughter. Like, something's awakened in me that even more than the boy is, not that it should be, but, you know, she can stand on her own. She's strong, but I feel an extra, that's my daughter. Jesse Bradley [00:17:08]: I'm gonna protect her. And, you know, any boys that come around or any threats or someone's picking on her, like, I feel like I'm gonna enter right in on that. So, those are, you know, some differences I probably noticed. But with the first two boys, they are up lots of energy. Like they want to do things. They want to go, go, go. And I had to get them to a park early in the morning and it felt like a park a day, you know, at elementary school. Like we we've got to get the energy out quickly. Jesse Bradley [00:17:36]: And her pace was a little different. She moves slower. She likes to sleep in. She wants to talk. She wants to start maybe more relationally, whereas the boys are looking for something physical and just picking up on these differences. I they weren't, like, planned ahead of time, but it was like, okay, this is gonna be a different rhythm with her. And it almost felt easier in some ways, because I don't know how to describe it exactly, but I just felt like we were being together. We were just being, and that was really, really good. Jesse Bradley [00:18:08]: Whereas maybe the boys, it was a little more on like, so what are we gonna do? What are we doing? And she could just sit in that being for longer. And that was another thing I picked up on early on. So those are some initial thoughts, but you're right. It was different. And, of course, it's not just gender, but, you know, different kids have different interests and passions and pace and all of that. But, yes, it was different. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:18:31]: Now, I know that you have a new book called The Power of 2nd Sight, How to Live with Indestructible Hope. And I know that hope is something that you talked to a lot of people about, not only within your church but just in speaking and and working with people. And sometimes with kids, under helping them understand hope, helping them understand what that means and how that impacts their lives may not be always tangible. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:19:01]: So talk to me about hope. And how are you working with your own kids? How are you working with other people to help them to better work with their kids, to understand the power of having hope and how to help their kids to kind of hone that hope within their life. Jesse Bradley [00:19:21]: Yes. Thank you for bringing up the topic of hope. It's really vital. Hope is essential. Hope is that confident and joyful trust in someone or something. When people have hope they feel alive, they're motivated. And what we see now, I looked at a recent study at UCLA that there's a 5th of high school students that are thinking about suicide. I I mean, we live in a time, especially the last few years since the pandemic, where there are so many people that are feeling hopeless. Jesse Bradley [00:19:49]: I remember the Census Bureau said 48% of Americans feel hopeless, less, and our kids are struggling with that. It's a generation with a lot of technology, but not always a lot of connection. And how do we come alongside kids and build up hope? Hope, it's linked to a lot of different things. I like to say hope is available to everyone. This is not just vague hope or hope that randomly comes and goes, but hope is relational. It's tied to your quality of your relationships. I think that's what parents, friends, God, I think that relational aspect's important. Also, hope is habitual. Jesse Bradley [00:20:29]: There's habits you can cultivate. So when we get together before bedtime, that's a hope time together. Right? When we have certain things we do together that are positive and their habits ingrained, they're worked into our schedules intentionally. Those bring hope. So hope can increase, hope can decrease. And you can tell when someone has hope. You can see it in their eyes. Some people are alive, and there's almost a fire in their eyes, and some people are glazed over in despair. Jesse Bradley [00:20:57]: And we need to come alongside kids and help them discover hope. And I think that can happen, in it starts with a parent and I think it relates to our our thoughts. I say the power of the second thought is that you can replace the negative first thought. Because we have thousands of first thoughts every day. And how do you replace it with an intentional second thought? Let's say you're parenting and the kids are pushing your buttons, and you're getting really frustrated. You might feel like, oh, I don't wanna be around these kids. And you have these thoughts about your kids that are not good. Right? And what can you do? Intention replace it with a second thought. Jesse Bradley [00:21:37]: Where we started today, my child is a gift. My child is so important to me. Or when you start to distance from your kid, you need to have that second thought. Like, the most important thing is my child needs to feel connected. And you go back to that connection and you reconnect. My child's more important than my phone. My child's more important than my job. My child's more important than my own hobby right now. Jesse Bradley [00:22:01]: And those intentional thoughts, they redirect us and we remember our priorities. We get the right perspective and we have hope and then hope starts to flow out of those thoughts. Well, a child has a lot of thoughts and during the day. And there's gonna be a lot of thoughts running through their mind. And those negative thoughts when they recognize those and start to replace those. And as a parent, you provide thoughts that are true and you build up your child. I think parenting is very conversational. There are intentional times. Jesse Bradley [00:22:35]: Like, I love the time my daughter and I went to the daddy daughter dance. You know, we celebrate that with a picture. And, you know, she's drawn a picture from the actual picture. We've gone to New York City together and including her in those longer extended times where it's just my daughter and I. Those are amazing. During those times, I want to be saying things that bring hope to her. And when she starts to hear those, then she'll start to believe those more. She'll start to own those and realize those. Jesse Bradley [00:23:04]: And when I talk about how special she is, every child's different. For my daughter, words of affirmation are very important. And when I start to bring those, now she has those and she's hearing that. And that's gonna help her what she believes and what she believes about herself, what she believes about her talents, and all those things are connected to hope. Affirmation, I think, is one of the ways that I can bring hope to my daughter. And when that foundation is strong, when she knows that God loves her, mom loves her, dad loves her, she knows these are her talents. She knows, that she is special in these ways. When all those things start to come together, there is a foundation of hope that is solid. Jesse Bradley [00:23:56]: And it's like that house on the rock and not the sand. And that's what kids need today. Can they do it all themselves? That's a tall order. But who has more influence than parents? I like to look at it this way. There's a lot of things I do that a 100 other people can do. If I'm not pastor Grace Community Church, there'll be a 100 resumes in tomorrow. During the day, there are all kinds of things. There's only one person that can be Lily's dad. Jesse Bradley [00:24:26]: Only one. And if you're the only one that can play any given role in life, right, I'm the only one that can be Laurie's husband. I'm the only one that can be Joel's dad. Like, if you're the only one that can, that tells you, like, this role is incredibly significant. And I don't think anyone shapes hope more in a child's mind and heart than the parent. And yes, the parent has an incredible privilege, an incredible opportunity to build up hope. And we do that, you know, in a number of ways. But notice your child because this is relational. Jesse Bradley [00:25:05]: It's not a formula. Yes. I think there's some best practices. I think the words you say, their soul, the affirmations you give, the connection you have, the way you listen, recognizing their strengths, all those things build hope. And that voice of a parent, I remember our very first child, and his name's Joel. When he was born, he was fussing and came out screaming and fussing, and the doctors could not get him to settle down. And then I walked over to where he was, and I just said, Joel, it's okay. And just like that, everything calmed down. Jesse Bradley [00:25:43]: He was fine going forward. And I realized in that moment the power of a parent's voice. So my encouragement to dads is just check your tone, check your words, check your affirmations, and realize that you're a hope leader. You're the one that's gonna lead your child to more hope and that you bring that in that role right there. It's a spot where no one else can fill. No one else has the same influence and be intentional. And it's worth really maybe reading for some. The Power of Second Thought is a book I wrote, but there's so many good resources. Jesse Bradley [00:26:19]: And I've got some other ones on jessebradley.org that talk about how to interact with children and build that hope. But my encouragement to you is start with your listening and start with your words. Start with your time. And when you invest the time, it's quality time, you choose your words that bring hope and you listen. And that combination right there, when a child feels heard and loved, and they have truth statements that they can hold on to that are solid, that's a hope foundation. It's so much more than a feeling, and you can help your child have a solid foundation of hope. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:26:54]: Now going beyond helping your child to find to have that solid foundation of hope, many times in a father's life, a man's life, there will be things that will rock that foundation, that will challenge them in many ways and may shatter the hope that they have, the hope that they have as a father, the hope that they have as a as a man. And what do you say to those people, The people that are listening and that are losing hope for themselves about what they're seeing in their own family, that what they're seeing in the relationships that they have, let's say, with their daughter. What are you saying to them to be able to either regain that hope or move back toward a pathway to be able to have hope in their life? Jesse Bradley [00:27:41]: So great insight, Christopher, because how we're doing is directly related to how we parent, and all of us, every day, every year, hopefully, we're growing, We're learning. We're healing. There's restoration. Personally, I think of 2 times during my life that were significant. 1 is going off to Dartmouth College and having success on the outside, but emptiness on the inside. And I'll tell you, you know, I was in an Ivy League school getting good grades, had a lot of friends. We won the Ivy League title for soccer, and I couldn't figure out what's happening on the inside. Why do I feel so empty? And I like to say there's the outside story. Jesse Bradley [00:28:17]: There's the inside story. People see the outside story like on social media. You post some pictures, they see you at work, they have a a sense of who you are. But the inside story, people might not know what's really going on. Now your child might have a sense of it. But for me, at that time with that emptiness, I took a class. It was introduction to world religions. I read the Bible for the first time. Jesse Bradley [00:28:38]: I started to learn about this is relationship, not religion. I was an atheist. In my family, Baskin Robbins, 31 flavors. We love each other. We're very close. A lot of different views and beliefs, and we have great conversations. But for me, I reached a point where I went from thinking there's no God out there to there's a personal God who loves me. And that is like an anchor for the soul. Jesse Bradley [00:29:00]: And all of a sudden I, on the inside, felt this joy I'd never felt. I felt like I'm not alone. Anxiety went down. Like, there were just so many shifts that happened through that. So faith is one thing for everyone to really consider. And, of course, as a parent, you might be thinking, what do you want to pass along to your children? They're gonna make their own decisions. But how do you want to introduce them to the spiritual life or to faith or talking about God? That's an important consideration as a parent, and you might think back to your own childhood. Again, maybe some things you saw and didn't like in church and you wanted them to stay away from those or some things were really valuable and foundational for you that you wanna pass along. Jesse Bradley [00:29:43]: And that can be a great gift for a child. Also for me, I played professional soccer and then there was tragedy. In Africa, I took a prescribed medication to prevent malaria, built up toxic levels in my system. I was fighting for my life for a year, and it took 10 years to fully recover. And during those dark moments, sometimes the greatest experiences can come out of those painful times. And for me, one of the shifts that I needed to make is that I had a performance based identity. And I was always thinking, what can I do better? How do I do it better? And my sense of worth and value was linked to my performance. And that wasn't challenged until I physically couldn't do anything. Jesse Bradley [00:30:24]: And at that point, I had to make a shift because if you're performance based identity, you're going to be on a roller coaster ride of pride and shame, inflated, deflated, And ultimately, you're gonna pass it on to your kids. And yes, it was positive in terms of my athletics and my academics. But when my parents got divorced at age 7, that was something that was so deep and painful and I couldn't control that I looked at life and thought, well, what can I do? And how can I do it better? And I didn't really enter in emotionally or grieve, but instead I tried to achieve. And you can't achieve everything in life. You can't if your identity is linked to achievement, it's a cruel trap. And I never realized that until my twenties. And that shift right there freed me to a grace based identity, and I'm already loved. And that was one that was so profound and hit on so many levels. Jesse Bradley [00:31:16]: And I highlight these things to say we're growing. And as an adult, I continue to grow. There's shifts I make with gratitude, where I'm intentional. I call it a gritty gratitude, giving thanks when you don't feel like it. You know, that's a habit. But it's an important one. I was someone who fought emotions, didn't wanna enter in. I thought grieving. Jesse Bradley [00:31:38]: Who wants to do that? That's not fun. And and I tried to avoid that. And maybe it's grown up in Midwest. Maybe it's my family. Maybe it's me personally. But I had to learn how to go there. And I'll tell you, maybe that's if you're listening to it and you're a dad, maybe that's something that is still new to you. But how important is that as a dad to identify how I'm feeling, to be able to talk about it, share it, work through it, receive healing and that process right there. Jesse Bradley [00:32:08]: See, if my focus or my approach to emotions is that you just keep them all away and you stuff them and you put them in the trunk. Well, then what am I gonna bring to my daughter when she has emotions? Like, am I gonna coach her to say, no, you can't feel those. And and I'm gonna try to solve all the time right away. And I'm gonna try to compartmentalize. And I'm gonna try to stuff it. It's like, no, that's gonna backfire. So I had to figure out how to work through my own emotions and not be in denial. And that might sound simple as a concept, but I'm telling you practically, I didn't know in prayer how to give my burdens to God. Jesse Bradley [00:32:49]: I didn't know how to let people in. I had a view of God that He's only interested in things that are going well. He doesn't want to come into my, you know, doubts or my despair. And when I started to let people in and and receive that love, and when I started to work through my emotions, it brought a level of health personally for me, but then also changed my parenting because now I can help my kids with the emotional side of life. And we call it big feelings. We all have big feelings. So what are you gonna do when you feel angry? How are you gonna handle it? I can't take my kids to where I don't go personally. So if I don't know how to work through anger, then how am I gonna guide my kids? If I don't know how to work through grief and sadness, how am I gonna guide my kids? And I think that combination of that transparency, when I'm transparent, vulnerable, like you said, with my kids, and they can see that, you know, in an age appropriate way, And then I can share how that affects me, but then how I respond and what's true about that, but then also how I walk through that. Jesse Bradley [00:33:56]: When I can do that with my kids, now that's gonna set them up for success, and they're gonna have that coaching in a way through their own emotions. And so as a parent, don't stop growing and then help your kids to walk through the intense challenges emotionally, spiritually and relationally. That to me, that section right there in life where it's emotional, it's relational, it's spiritual, that intersection, a lot of parents don't go there. And I can't tell you how valuable it is to go there. And I didn't have that a lot of times as a kid, but that's maybe create a passion for me as a parent. That's what I wanna help my kids navigate. That space right there. And so that's a longer answer, but I'm so glad you really touched on it because if we think parenting is just answers for a program, we've missed it. Jesse Bradley [00:34:53]: We are human beings and we are intellectual, emotional, relational, spiritual. And the more of that fullness that comes in personally as you grow and then you connect with your kids and you share that together, that's the richness of life right there and the richness of parenting. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:35:11]: Now we always finish our interviews with what I like to call our fatherhood 5, where we ask you 5 more questions to delve deeper into you as a dad. Are you ready? Jesse Bradley [00:35:18]: Right on. Let's go. Christopher, I like the way you do this. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:35:21]: In one word, what is fatherhood? Jesse Bradley [00:35:23]: It's love because I don't think there's anything greater in this world. I don't think there's a close second. It's love. And what they need more than anything is your love. Yes. Love does include truth. Love has setting good limits and boundaries and accountability and all that. But deep down, does your child know that they are loved and how loved they are? There's something about kids that pick up on that. Jesse Bradley [00:35:46]: And if they feel second rate, they just know where love's coming from. And that's the most important thing you can bring, authentic love. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:35:54]: Now when was the time that you finally felt like you succeeded at being a father to a daughter? Jesse Bradley [00:35:59]: Wow. I guess in some ways I feel like this is a marathon. And so it's too early to celebrate because I'm going to be her dad all my days. And I don't think being a parent stops at age 18. I mean, for some kids, they certainly want more and need more beyond that. But what does success look like? How do I measure that? That's a great question. And that's a deep question. I've said before in this conversation that she enjoys spending time with me. Jesse Bradley [00:36:29]: She feels a deep connection with me. She also can talk about anything with me. Those are maybe milestones. Those are things to celebrate. And I've heard it said this way. Here's the road trip test. Would you like to get in the car and take a road trip across the country and then come back with someone? And I would say this, I think both my daughter and myself, if we said, should we do a road trip across the country together? We both said, like, yeah, let's do it. And that enjoyment of each other, I can just see that look in her eyes. Jesse Bradley [00:37:05]: It's just like that endearing tone. She's like, Oh, dad. We I do dad jokes and it's a fine line between dad jokes and dud jokes. But just that in her voice, that tenderness, that look in her eye, that fun we have together, and we both just really enjoy each other. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:37:21]: Now, if I was to talk to your kids, how would they describe you as a dad? Jesse Bradley [00:37:26]: Well, that's a great question too. We should almost include them and bring them in for that one. It might embarrass me. There's a phrase, yum, you're embarrassing me, and that's playful. But it's like, if I ever embarrassed them, they can just say yum and we don't have to give you a long discussion. You know, it's just yum. So they might have some funny ones with me. My daughter likes to poke fun. Jesse Bradley [00:37:47]: Like, I like Greek yogurt, and she thinks it's the worst smell in the world. So, you know, so you might say dad likes Greek yogurt. So point to some of the idiosyncrasies. I'm bald, so I probably wear, you know, a hat more often and to stay warm. But I think my daughter would say that I'm passionate about Jesus. That the ultimate compliment, I'm thinking back of the ultimate compliment is is she would say, dad, I wanna marry someone just like you. You know? Dad, I wanna find someone just like you. And so I think she feels like I'm a good conversationalist. Jesse Bradley [00:38:20]: There's the overall how I treat people and my faith and that I'm the same person, whether I'm at home and no one's around or, you know, I'm out in public. I think those are the things she might highlight. But goofball. I'm probably a goofball more at home than I am professionally. So she enjoys that side of it. And, yeah. When she's thinking I wanna date or marry someone that's like you, dad. It's like, what better, you know? Could could you celebrate than that? So, sports, playful, goofy, fun to talk to, loves people, that kind of stuff. Jesse Bradley [00:38:56]: That's probably what she'd say. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:38:57]: Now who inspires you to be a better dad? Jesse Bradley [00:39:00]: Overall, I think it starts with me. I say God, my heavenly father, and then, like, how does he treat me? And that really becomes the basis of how I treat other people. Like, God's forgiving. God's patient. God's kind. And I I know there's mentors, and I've had a lot of them. Seen it. My one guy, Doug, it was like I remember thinking, okay, watch him interact with his kids. Jesse Bradley [00:39:25]: Like, he loves them so incredibly much. It was Saturdays were pancake Saturdays with dad. And, you know, he was just one of those guys that without even trying it, it wasn't like, oh, I'm gonna mentor you here. But I saw how demanding his work was. And then I saw what he's like at home. And the people that inspire me most are the ones that are doing it behind the scenes when no one's looking, they're doing it. No, one's covering their story. They're doing it and they're heroes. Jesse Bradley [00:39:53]: And they're doing it consistent. They're doing it on a daily basis. They're doing it in a sacrificial way. They're doing it in a genuine way, and they know how important parenting is. They know how important their kids are. And I'm constantly challenged by that because my work is demanding, and I gotta be careful not to bring leftovers home. And it's like I've given all my best at work, and now I'm just, well, dad doesn't have much left. That's easy for me to fall into that trap. Jesse Bradley [00:40:18]: But it's the dads that I've gotten a glimpse of behind the scenes. And no one else really sees it. And it's not the spectacular. It's more, again, of the consistent. And they show up the same way, non anxious presence. They're having fun with their kids. They've created some ways to make memories together. Those are the ones, and I don't have that down. Jesse Bradley [00:40:42]: I miss out on opportunities. I'll just say that, and then I'm aware of those. So I have to really be intentional. Now Now Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:40:59]: you've given a lot of piece of advice today, a lot of things for all of us to think about as fathers and how we find hope in our worlds around us, how we instill that hope to our kids. But just in general, the experiences that you've had and things that have worked and things that you've been challenged with. As you think about dads out there, all dads that that are out there, what's one piece of advice you'd wanna give to every father? Jesse Bradley [00:41:22]: On the one hand, I would say don't try to be too controlling. And all my kids have been very different than me. And I realized early on, if I try to make them just like me or my dreams for them, my goals for them, it's just not I was up at about 2 o'clock with 1 of them talking about online business because they're so motivated to try to figure all that out. Like, I personally don't have any interest in online business. But rather than try to put a ton of limits and try to redirect or try to say this isn't as good, like, you've got to get excited about what they're excited about in the way that they're bent, their personality, their passion, their talents, like don't try to over control that. So here's, I guess, a summary. Tender and tough. Know when to be tender. Jesse Bradley [00:42:12]: Know when to be tough. And I find that the dads that are trying to be over controlling, it's like on the sidelines. It's embarrassing how they're talking to the referee, like, after the games, like, what they say to their kids. Like, I almost feel like they're living vicariously. Does the kid even enjoy that sport? It's like, no, no, no. The tough, being tough as a dad is not controlling your kids. You've gotta loosen up that grip and let them be who they're designed to be. I like to say, ultimately, my kids are not mine, they're gods, and that helps actually bring freedom that I don't have to try to call all the shots in their lives. Jesse Bradley [00:42:47]: But instead, how do I set them up for success? And then the tenderness. There's gonna be some really incredibly important times to be tender, and the kids are gonna need it. And if you're always strong and harsh with them, they're not gonna grow and develop. They're gonna resent you. So when to be tough, when to be tender, that figuring that out right there is incredibly important. And I would say just notice during the week, like there might be some times when you're way too soft and lenient. You kinda know your own bent. Right? And if you just let them have endless devices, I mean, that's easy for me sometimes hey, let's talk about physical activity. Jesse Bradley [00:43:30]: Let's talk about exercise. Let's drop hey, let's talk about physical activity. Let's talk about exercise. Let's drop that phone and let's go do it. So tender and tough, my encouragement is just to notice your patterns, which you naturally do. And there's probably some areas where you're either being tender or tough when you should be the opposite. And don't just do what comes natural. Don't just do what your parents did. Jesse Bradley [00:43:56]: You've got to make some shifts so that tender and tough are played out really well. And that, I think, is is really key. Another combination is honest and humble. Be honest and be humble with the kids. Bring love and bring truth. That combination. These are fruitful as parents. When you're honest and humble, when you bring the truth in love, when you know when to be tender, when to be tough, those are the things that I kinda come back to and just keep checking all the time. Jesse Bradley [00:44:26]: How am I doing in these areas? And that's what helps me. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:44:30]: Well, Jesse, I just wanna say thank you. Thank you for being here, for sharing your story. If people wanna find out more about you, where should they go? Jesse Bradley [00:44:36]: The website, jessebradley.org, a lot of parenting resources there. So you can check that out. They're all free. And then on social media, Jesse j Bradley, love to connect with anybody, hear how you're doing, and let's keep learning together. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:44:48]: Again, Jesse, thank you. Thank you so much for sharing your journey today, for sharing the highs, the lows, and everything in between, and I wish you all the best. Jesse Bradley [00:44:57]: Christopher, you love dads and you love daughters, and it shows. We appreciate it. You are giving so much to us. So keep up the good work. Don't slow down. And thank you for the community that you continue to build. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:45:10]: If you've enjoyed today's episode of the Dads with Daughters podcast, we invite you to check out the Fatherhood Insider. The fatherhood insider is the essential resource for any dad that wants to be the best dad that he can be. We know that no child comes with an instruction manual and most dads are figuring it out as they go along, and the fatherhood insider is full of resources and information that will up your game on fatherhood. Through our extensive course library, interactive forum, step by step roadmaps, and more, you will engage and learn with experts, but more importantly, dads like you. So check it out at fathering together.org. If you are a father of a daughter and have not yet joined the dads with daughters Facebook community, there's a link in the notes today. Dads with daughters is a program of fathering together. We look forward to having you back for another great guest next week, all geared to helping you raise strong and power daughters and be the best dad that you can be. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:46:08]: We're all in the same boat, and it's full of tiny screaming passengers. We spend the time, we give the lessons. We make the meals. We buy them presents and bring your a game. Because those kids are growing fast, the time goes by just like a the world to them. Be the best dad you can be. You're the best dad you can be.  

Hearts Beat Loud is an independent comedy-drama starring Nick Offerman, Kiersey Clemons, Toni Collette, Ted Danson, and others released in 2018 across limited screenings. It followed Offerman as the owner of a failing record store, who hits upon minor viral success when he records a jam session with his daughter, a singer just about to attend medical school, and ends up in several major Spotify playlists. The film was directed by Brett Haley with a soundtrack by Keegan DeWitt of Wild Club, and touched upon themes of loss, familial expectations, and old age, resonating heavily with critics, who lauded the film as one of the best of the year.On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott welcome back Rock Candy's Maggie Noel to the program, as they put on their persnickety Brooklyn hipster hats to review Hearts Beat Loud, and its' Postal Service-esque indie pop soundtrack. Join them as the three annoy Scott with another unwelcome recurring bit, pay proper homage to Mitski (Seriously, she rules), find paralells between dance sequences and guitar pedal noodling, and find it generally hard to make jokes during the episodes where the movies are really genuinely good....with Lilz and Scott!

Earth Girls Are Easy is a 1988 science fiction comedy film directed by famed music video director Julien Temple, and written by comedian/singer Julie Brown. Based off of a song previously released by Brown, the action follows a trio of space aliens landing upon Earth, and finding themselves under the care of a lovelorn manicurist in California. The film follows the group's efforts to blend in with the rest of humanity and eventually fix their crashed spaceship. It featured acting roles from Geena Davis, Jeff Goldblum, Charles Rocket, Michael McKean, Julie Brown herself, and early performances from Jim Carrey and Damon Wayans, while also featuring music by legendary disco musician Nile Rodgers. Though not a major commercial success, the film has developed a devoted cult following over the years.On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott welcome back all-star guest Ashley Rogers to the program for a screening of Earth Girls Are Easy. (Which we're only kinda sure counts as a musical in the first place?) Join them as Scott expounds upon the film's connection of golden age movie musicals, Ashley draws paralells between the film and the works of Bertol Brecht, and Lilz is thoroughly confused by whatever Angelyne's whole deal was....with Lilz and Scott!

Gigi is a 1958 movie musical based on a 1944 French novella, directed by Vincente Minnelli and featuring a screenplay by Alan Jay Lerner. The film starred Leslie Caron, Louis Jordan, and Maurice Chevalier, and followed the story of a bored French playboy Gaston attempting to reignite a spark in his life, and finding it in a young friend of the family, the titular Gigi. (Who appears in much less of the film than Gaston does.) The film was a major Academy Award winner in 1958, setting a record for sweeping 9 different Oscars, (A record that would be unbroken until 2003 when Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King won 11.) and though Gigi is well-regarded by cinema historians, it has since developed a sour reputation for its themes of grooming and power imbalance.On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott are in way over their heads watching Gigi with return guest Patrick S. Barry. Join the trio as they are thoroughly skeeved out by themes and attitudes that have aged like milk, and are equally amused and disgusted by the antics of Maurice Chevalier, the most French human being to have ever walked this Earth....with Lilz and Scott!

Anna & The Apocalypse is a hybrid Christmas/zombie/musical/comedy film released in 2017, directed by John McPhail, and the final screenplay posthumously released by Ryan McHenry. Set in a small town in Scotland, it follows several impending graduating students who find themselves embroiled in an unfolding zombie apocalypse on the cusp of Christmas break. The titular Anna finds herself at an emotional crossroads in her life as the events of zombie infestation unfurl around her and her friends. Heavily featuring themes of emotional growth and smalltown languishing, the film starred Ella Hunt in the titular role, as well as Mark Benton, Paul Kaye, Marli Siu, and various others, with a soundtrack provided by Scottish songwriters Roddy Hart and Tommy Reilly.On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott welcome HIAM all-star Christopher Brown back to the guest chair as they discuss zombie tropes, UK confections, and Lilz misses her goddamn cue on a recurring bit. (She had one freaking job.)...with Lilz and Scott!

The Phantom Of The Opera is a 2004 movie musical, one of of innumerable amounts based upon the novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston LeRoux, and based specifically upon Andrew Lloyd Webber's famed musical production surrounding a tortured and disfigured artist's reign of terror upon an opera house. This film version was directed by Joel Schumacher and starred Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson, Miranda Richardson, and Minnie Driver. The film was not a major commercial success nor was it well-received critically, but has gone on to develop a cult following of it's own, especially among fans of Webber's musical.On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, many years after having reviewed the sequel, Lilz and Scott finally take the time to review an actual adaptation of Phantom Of The Opera, with special return guest Susan Kim along for the ride! Join them as they're thoroughly creeped out by the age difference between Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum, dazzled by the sheer number of horses that get stolen throughout the precedings, and astonished once again by the ever increasing depths and lengths of the Rootbeerm'n's ego....with Lilz and Scott!

Scott and his Hell is a Musical co-host Lilz pop by this episode to teach Jon about Talking Heads. They all discuss this fantastic movie, get into the drama behind the scenes, and also do their best David Byrne impression. Also, fuck Chris Fartz.Writer's Bagel Basket Socials Instagram: @writersbagelbasketHell Is A Musical Socials Instagram: @hellisamusicalWhen Scary Met Stabby Instagram: @whenscarymetstabbyLilz's 365 Records Instagram: @365recordsin2023Podcast Socials -Email: butasongpod@gmail.comFacebook: @butasongpodInstagram: @butasongpodTikTok: @butasongpodTwitter: @butasongpodNext episode: Beyond the Valley of the Dolls!

A Goofy Movie is a 1995 comedy-musical from Disney Animation, based heavily on the Disney Afternoon cartoon Goof Troop, which relocated the iconic Mickey Mouse character Goofy to the suburbs to raise his single child Max. A Goofy Movie follows a misguided attempt at father-son bonding over a cross-country fishing trip, the antics which ensue, and the gradual repair of their relationship. The movie featured the voices of Bill Farmer, Jason Marsden, Jim Cummings, and Kellie Martin, and featured music written by Tevin Campbell, and while only a moderate hit upon its release, the film developed a strong cult following over the years, and is now a beloved piece of ephemera among Disney fans.On this episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott welcome the return of Kendra Beltran of Crushgasm for a viewing of A Goofy Movie. Join them for a deep-digging discussion on the logistics of a high school assembly, the disturbingly Tarantino-esque levels of foot shots, Pete's tyrannical grip upon the town of Spoonerville, and...SIGH...Pauly Shore......with Lilz and Scott!

Cats is a 2019 film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the infamous rootbeerm'n. The musical itself is based upon a 1939 collection of poetry by T.S. Eliot called Old Possum's Book Of Practical Cats. The film version was directed by Tom Hooper (His second musical feature following a controversial adaptation of Les Misérables) and featured an ensemble cast of Judi Dench, Idris Elba, Ian McKellen, Jennifer Hudson, James Corden, Rebel Wilson, and more. The film was universally reviled by critics upon its release, with specific critique directed at the abberant CGI work, and became a box office bomb, unable to recoup its $100 million budget.On this episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott witness the unbridled horror that is Cats, with Jon Reilly of the Life's But A Song podcast along for the journey. Join them through a twisted journey through the depths of human depravity and insanity. A journey filled with death cults, feline-human hybrid orgies, Taylor Swift and Jason DeRulo not doing much of anything, fictional butthole cuts, and Lilz' bottomless disdain for James Corden doing fat guy schtick....with Lilz and Scott!

Moulin Rouge! is a 2001 romantic drama musical directed by Baz Luhrmann, or as he's best known in Zero Science circles; "Bag Lunchman". The film followed the story of a young British poet, and his doomed romance with a burlesque dancer and courtesan in Paris during the 1900s. It was noteworthy for its usage of contemporary popular music in contrast to the turn-of-the-century setting, (An early example of a jukebox musical) its manic and off-the-rails style of editing, and for the intense detail paid to visual aesthetics, marking it as a piece of post-modernist cinema in the eyes of some critics. It starred Ewan McGregor, Nicole Kidman, John Leguizamo, Jim Broadbent, and Richard Roxburgh, and was a major box office hit, catapulting Lurhmann/Lunchman into mainstream success.On this episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott take in a viewing of Moulin Rouge! with special guest Hayleigh Kurland (Scott's Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiife!), and attempt to make sense of the technicolor mishmash they see before them. Join us as Scott regails the listener with stories of adjacent high school dance cringe, Hayleigh posits on Nicole Kidman's boundless happiness with divorce, and Lilz slowly loses her goddamn mind as she is dragged deeper and deeper into Bag Lunchman's jukebox musical armageddon....with Lilz and Scott!

Annie is a 1982 film adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name, which itself was based upon the comic strip Little Orphan Annie. It was directed by John Huston (Previously of The Maltese Falcon, The Man Who Would Be King, and The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre?!) and starred Albert Finney, Carol Burnett, Bernadette Peters, Tim Curry, and child actress Aileen Quinn as the titular Annie. The story followed an orphan's adventures being adopted by an eccentric billionaire, and her own journey to find her real parents. Though it was released to mixed reviews it was a box office hit and was even nominated for multiple Academy Awards.On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott are rejoined by Malorie Savran to discuss their respective experiences watching the titular musical Annie. Join them for frank discussions on tearjerkers, Tim Curry's Christopher Walken impression, talk of wealthy privilege, and the eternal horniness of Carol Burnett's character....with Lilz and Scott!

The Commitments is is a 1991 musical comedy-drama based on the story of the same name by Irish novelist Roddy Doyle. In it a collection of working-class youths in Northern Dublin come together to form a soul band amidst crippling poverty and miserable living conditions, and quickly experience the trials and tribulations of being a local band as tensions rise and egos develop. The film was directed by Alan Parker and featured acting performances by a vareity of Irish actors and musicians with little acting experience, including Robert Arkins, Glen Hansard, Angeline Ball, Colm Meaney, Bronagh Gallagher, and many more. Though the film was not a major hit in North America, it received rave reviews and would go on to be a cult favorite among audiences.On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott are graced with the return of longtime favorite Christopher Brown, still feeling bitter from the trio's previous excursion into the filmography of Alan Parker. Join them as they take in The Commitments and Scott develops theories of an extended Glen Hansard-iverse, Lilz feels like the local music side of things cuts a little too close for her comfort, and CB helps herald the return of a beloved recurring segment....with Lilz and Scott!

Lilz shares with us a story that her family went through and the effects of playing with black magic. This is part two of the story. Images here: https://truescarystory.com/buried-in-the-backyard-part-2/ Have a story? Go to TrueScaryStory.com and fill out the form! You can find the Spanish version by searching for Terror: Historias Reales on your app. The show has a creepy doll in the cover. Find Edwin on social @edwincov and over at edwin.fm Up next, check out Dark Memory! Join Scary FM's free newsletter or check out our ad-free versions and extended episodes at Scary Plus

Lilz shares with us a story that her family went through and the effects of playing with black magic. They end in tragedy. Have a story? Go to TrueScaryStory.com and fill out the form! You can find the Spanish version by searching for Terror: Historias Reales on your app. The show has a creepy doll in the cover. Find Edwin on social @edwincov and over at edwin.fm Up next, check out Dark Memory! Join Scary FM's free newsletter or check out our ad-free versions and extended episodes at Scary Plus

That Thing You Do! is a 1996 comedy film written, directed, and co-starring Tom Hanks, detailing the rise and fall of a one-hit wonder pop act from the 1960s. The cast featured Tom Everett Scott, Liv Tyler, Johnathon Schaech, and Steve Zahn among others, and included a soundtrack written largely by Hanks himself, with contributions from Adam Schlesinger of Fountains Of Wayne, and other professional songwriters. The film performed modestly at the box office while receiving rave reviews from critics, and has since gone on to be a cult classic film.On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott are joined by Al Gentile for a viewing of That Thing You Do!. Join them as Al discusses the intricacies of caramel camels, Lilz relives some troubling local music memories, and Scott idolizes Steve Zahn's character....with Lilz and Scott!

Josie & The Pussycats is a musical comedy film released in 2001, based on the Archie Comics series and Hanna-Barbera cartoon of the same name. The film starred Rachael Leigh-Cook, Rosario Dawson, Tara Reid, Alan Cumming, and Parker Posey, and was directed by Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan. The film followed the adventures of the eponymous band as they attempt to achieve and eventually navigate stardom, while a conspiracy involving subliminal messaging lurks in the backdrop. The film featured a soundtrack of original rock songs written by professional songwriters like Adam Schlesinger, Adam Duritz, and Anna Waronker, among others, and featured a vocal performance by Kay Hanley of the power pop band Letters To Cleo. Though not a hit upon its release, it has since gone on to become a cult favorite for its sharp satire of commercialism.On an all new Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott are joined by Kendra Beltran, writer for Collider, MTV Geek, and Cartoon Brew, as well as the host of the podcast Crushgasm. The three of them take in a screening of Josie & The Pussycats, debate the secret genius behind the film, shower praise upon MVP Alan Cumming, and REALLY work on their pronunciation....with Lilz and Scott!

Cyrano is a 2021 musical drama based on a musical theater adaptation of the Edmond Rostand play Cyrano De Bergerac. The film version was directed by Joe Wright, and featured Peter Dinklage in the title role, with Haley Bennett, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Ben Mendelsohn. Beyond being a musical version of the play (Featuring songs written by members of indie rock group The National) what set this adaptation apart was its incorporation of Dinklage's own dwarfism into the title character. (Where previous adaptations depicted him simply as having a large nose.)On an all new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott are joined by return guest Susan Kim for a viewing of Cyrano. Join them as Susan discusses key differences between the musical and the original Rostand play, Scott pitches an extended cinematic universe, and Lilz educates everyone on the proper plural form of Billy Corgan....with Lilz and Scott!

Matilda the Musical was a movie musical adaptation of the musical of the same name, which itself was a musical adaptation of children's book author Roald Dahl's famous story. It featured a cast of Alisha Weir, Lashana Lynch, Stephen Graham, Andrea Riseborough, and Emma Thompson, and like the original musical it was adapted from featured a soundtrack of songs by British-Australian comedian Tim Minchin. It followed a story similar to the original novel, following the adventures of the titular Matilda, a girl much smarter than her peers, as she attempts to navigate the English school system and her uncaring parents.On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott herald the return of all-star David Allen Prescott to the podcast to talk about their viewing of Matilda the Musical. Join them as they discuss a variety of topics pertinent to the film such as the soft drink Irn Bru, Peter Gabriel, hot air balloons, and Lilz keeps making an XTC reference that nobody else gets....with Lilz and Scott!

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is a musical fantasy/Christmas film directed by David E. Talbert, and released to Netflix in 2020. It featured a cast of Forest Whitaker, Keegan Michael-Key, Anika Noni Rose, Phylicia Rashad, Ricky Martin, and introducing child acress Madalen Mills. Originally planned as a stage production, it followed the adventures of a disgraced toymaker and his granddaughter's efforts to restore his former glory. The film was a major critical success, and with many offering praise for its uplifting storyline and jubilant soundtrack.On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott close out 2022 with a screening of Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey. Join them as they marvel at the curious costume design, castigate a sheer lack of Ricky Martin songs, and ponder the unfettered G-rated horniness of Lisa Davina Phillip's character....with Lilz and Scott!

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story was a 2007 musical comedy directed by Jake Kasdan, and produced by Judd Apatow, featuring John C. Reilly in his first ever starring role, along with Jenna Fischer, Tim Meadows, Kristin Wiig, Margo Martindale, Raymond J. Barry, and a slew of cameos. The film was an early parody of the musician biopic, following the trials and tribulations of Dewey Cox, a fictional performer who in universe has served as an unsung inspiration for years and years of rock and roll history. It depicts the life of Cox, his successes and failures, and his (Fictional) interactions with famed real world musicians like Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and others. Though the film was a box office bomb, it received praise from critics, and would go on to become a cult classic.On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott are rejoined by recurring guest Christopher Brown to watch one of Lilz' favorite films of all time for her 35th year on Earth. Join them for a screening of Walk Hard, and frank discussions about Johnny Tsunami, Neil Young impressions, and the grand return of the pod's award-winning, critically acclaimed segment Scott's Stories!...with Lilz & Scott!

Grease 2 was a 1982 musical romantic comedy, directed by Patricia Birch and starring Maxwell Caulfield, Michelle Pfeiffer, Adrian Zmed, and various others. It posited itself as a sequel to the hit 1978 film Grease, which itself was based on a 1971 musical of the same name. This new film followed a new cast (With a few scattered returning roles) and featured a setting taking two years after the original Grease's timeline. (Moving the action from 1959 to 1961.) Though the film maintains a modern cult following, and would prove to be a breakout film for Pfeiffer, Zmed, and actor Christopher MacDonald, it received negative reviews upon release and performed tepidly at the box office.On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott sit down with return guest David Allen Prescott for a screening of Grease 2. Join the three of them for a journey full of 1950s nostalgia, poorly-timed sequelitis, boring lead protagonists, and enough Eddie Deezen to shake a stick at....with Lilz and Scott!

Find out how simply being NICE can make an eternal impact on the world around you. Sound too sweet? Too easy? Too simplistic? A vertically challenged tax collector would beg to differ.

It's the 200th episode of Writer's Bagel Basket, and Scott is celebrating with another Music Video Extravaganza! He's joined byt Maggie and Ashleigh from Rock Candy Podcast, as well as his Hell is a Musical Co-Host Lilz Martin. They're watching everything from 80s British Alternative to music videos with animals. There's also some metal and music videos with Sleep Paralysis Demons. Check it out! Watch along with us right here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBPgTb0-p_ERjAfLkdAvOsqlpmou0-3bC Thank you to DJ QUADS FOR THE TRACK USE OF LIVING IN STEREO. Listen to Scott & Lilz's podcast Hell Is A Musical right here on the zero science network link: www.zero-science.com Follow us on twitter @wrtrbagelbskt, like us on our facebook page, and you can email the boys at writersbagelbasket@gmail.com with questions, shows or movies to watch, and fan art of the shows they're doing. Don't forget to like us on the Facebook too. Instagram is another way to find us too @writersbagelbasket, follow us it's fun!

R&B singer/songwriter Mariah Carey enjoyed a prolonged period of critical and commercial success throughout the 90s, during which she enjoyed multiple Billboard Hot 100 hits and sold millions upon millions of records. The 00s on the other hand were a brief stumbling point for the legendary performer; her involvement in the 2001 box office bomb Glitter and its subsequent soundtrack made her a polarizing and controversial figure, and coupled with the media's reaction to a public mental breakdown she had been going through, it nearly destroyed her career if not for 2005's mega-comeback The Emancipation of Mimi. Though she would recover her reputation, the failure of Glitter continued to be a yoke around her neck years later.On a new season of Jukebox Zeroes, Lilz and Patrick welcome Scott Kurland back to the podcast to talk about the soundtrack to Glitter, and Mariah Carey in general. Join them for some frank discussion about retrospective guilt, mental health awareness, reckoning with behaviors back during the 00s, and Mystikal's weird pride in soiling his under-drawers.#weresadnowLocal Music Feature: Christina Jones - Free, Completely Free

Sing 2 is a 2021 animated jukebox musical comedy from animation studio Illumination. It was directed by Garth Jennings, and featuring an ensemble cast, including Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Bono, and various others. A sequel to the original 2016 film Sing, the plot (Such as it was) featured a cast of anthromorphic animal characters attempting to put together a show in the fictional entertainment capital of the world, Redshore City. The film itself released to mixed reviews from critics, but was a box office success, which would go on to become the highest grossing animated film of 2021.On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott welcome the return of past guest Patrick S. Barry for a screening of Sing 2, while once again neglecting to view the original. Join them for a general sense of confusion and dread over the anthomorph-inhabited world Illumination created, wonder and befuddlement over Bono's barely present American accent, and for Scott to become thoroughly broken over the course of the movie....with Lilz and Scott!

Rock Of Ages was a 2012 film adaptation of the broadway musical of the same name, directed by Adam Shankman, and starring Julianne Hough and Diego Boneta alongside an ensemble cast including Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and many more. The film, which takes place in Los Angeles during the late 1980s, follows the romantic journeys of two fresh-faced young individuals trying to make it big in rock & roll, while the inevitable closure of an institution rock club looms overhead. Upon its release, the Rock Of Ages would be snubbed by critics who considered it bland and unappealing, disowned by the creators of the original broadway musical, and bombed at the box office.On this episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott welcome back return guests Rock Candy to discuss everything that they enjoyed about Rock Of Ages. (Spoiler: Nothing.) Join them for a thorough thrashing of this paen to 80s glam metal, as Lilz invokes the spirit of Aaron Neville, Scott licks Ewan MacGregor, and Ashleigh and Maggie still love Wings....with Lilz and Scott!

On this very special(?) episode of Jukebox Zeroes, Lilz and Patrick with special return guest Aimee Hauthaway have opted to close out season 5 by listening to Sex And Violins by Rednex.You know, Rednex?The "Cotton Eye Joe" guys?Why are they doing this?Isn't that the question of the day.#AreWeNormalNow?#GoinTrunky#SeeYouNextSeasonNew England Music Feature: Christians & Lions - "Is To As Are To"

Xanadu is a musical fantasy film directed by Robert Greenwald, starring Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelly, and Michael Beck. Containing a soundtrack heavily featuring the music of the band Electric Light Orchestra, Xanadu followed the story of a struggling artist in Los Angeles, who suddenly finds himself in the company of a mysterious woman, who encourages him to open a nightclub alongside a former big band orchestra leader, and mysterious circumstances abound. Though the film was a failure commercially and critically, and even helped inspire the creation of the Golden Raspberry Awards, the film would develop a strong cult following, even inspiring a Broadway show based on the film, and several songs from the movie would become Billboard top 40 hit singles.On this episode of Hell Is A Musical, with the recent passing of Olivia Newton-John fresh in their heads, Lilz and Scott sit themselves down for an impromptu screening of Xanadu. Join them as Scott flubs Michael Beck's name, Lilz eats delicious chicken wings, and both of them do egregiously bad Australian accents.Seriously.The worst....with Lilz & Scott!

Welcome back to another new episode featuring China(chee-na) an up and coming chef in Chicago who is trying to continue to build her empire. She also is on a weight loss journey and sells health products. We also have Lilz returning to give us an update on the diaper drive she was promoting on the last episode she was on. Lilz gives us more info on her new project of helping families in need with school clothes and book bags. Both of our guests return back after the break with us for current events. We speak on topics that help us see the women side of things in regular situations. Make sure to follow us on all platforms and subscribe on our YouTube page!!! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/joe-salazar3/message

Christian Rock. A phenomenon in which the iconically American genre of music is used as a tool for evangelizing, preaching, or otherwise sharing christian religious beliefs. Though christianity had long opposed the "devil music" that was rock and roll, sometime around the late 1960s and early 1970s, former hippies who had turned to Christ discovered that they could use rock music as a means of spreading their gospel. Though many old guard christians considered it abhorrent, and conflicting to their values, christian rock gradually spread among the faithful, and even enjoyed a surge of mainstream commercial success in the 1990s via acts like Creed, Relient K, P.O.D., DC Talk, Jars of Clay, and many more.It's a phenomenon that many millennials and gen Z'ers grew up with, largely through the influence of religious parents or peers. Some embraced religion whole-heartedly through it, but for many among us...we still don't get it.With that level of ill-preparedness in mind, on this episode of Jukebox Zeroes, Lilz and Patrick welcome Ashley Rogers and Shane Smith to the pod. Both return guests had grown up with christian rock as an everpresent force in their youth, and are glad to educate Lilz and Patrick in the ways of excessively earnest guys rocking out for Jeebus. Join them for a round-table discussion of random christian rock songs and artists, to exorcise some long dormant demons of their childhood, and make fun of Doug TenNapel.Seriously, fuck that guy.#werenormalnowLocal Music Feature: The Revenants - "Why Is God A Goddamn Jerk"

The Music Man is a 1962 musical adaptation of the Meredith Wilson musical of the same name. Taking place in the early 1910s of America, it follows the national con man Harold Hill, as he slowly develops a plot to swindle the town of River City, Iowa (Based on Wilson's own hometown of Mason City) out of its money via the creation of a boys' marching band. The film version starred Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett, Paul Ford, and Hermione Gingold, and has gone down as one of the greatest musical films of all time according to critics and historians.On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott tackle the verbose Meredith Wilson musical head on, with a screening of The Music Man. Join them as they question the veracity of Harold Hill's conning abilities, the general sanity of River City itself, and the appropriateness of the virile, sexual stallion that is Buddy Hackett....with Lilz & Scott!

Fresh after the release of Pink Floyd's mega-selling concept record The Wall, Roger Waters had plans to release a companion piece record to accompany the film adaptation of the famed album. The project was to be titled Spare Bricks, and consist of songs written for The Wall that didn't make the final draft, but Waters abruptly switched directions with the arrival of the Falkland Islands conflict. Waters already was no fan of then prime minister Margaret Thatcher, but this latest development lit an even bigger anti-war fire in his belly, and he set to work on new, more political material.Pink Floyd had already been experiencing internal tensions since Waters assumed total creative control over the group, and those simmering tensions finally boiled over with the production of the record, now named The Final Cut. Upon its release, most critical outlets would offer up mixed to negative reviews, while the band's guitarist David Gilmour would state that the songs on the record weren't good enough for their own release. Not long after The Final Cut, Waters would exit the band amidst a ruinous lawsuit.On this episode of Jukebox Zeroes, Lilz and Patrick are joined by return guest Nate Nemitz to discuss The Final Cut, an album that would subsequently be the final Pink Floyd record to feature Roger Waters. Join them for a frank discussion on solo projects, the politics of the 1980s, and absolutely no comparisons to modern events whatsoever.#werenormalnowLocal Music Feature: Matt Drohan - "Thirteen"

Meet Ronnie Radke. Formerly the lead singer of the legendary metalcore act Escape The Fate, his tenure in the group was cut short after assault charges landed him in prison, and expelled from the band. Undaunted, Radke would form his own project upon leaving jail, known as Falling In Reverse, which followed a similar metalcore style as Escape had, but the central creative process was entirely Radke's. Though he would go on to attract a sizeable audience of metalcore fans with his music, he would become infamous for some truly scummy behavior, having been accused of sexual assault multiple times, consistently getting into fights with fans and critics, and more recently becoming an outspoken denouncer of cancel culture.And wouldn't you know it? In all this time, a truly detestable record came out of it too. In 2013, coming off of the success of Falling In Reverse's 2011 debut The Drug In Me Is You, Radke followed things up with Fashionably Late, a record that he declared to be the best music he'd ever written, with a heavy focus on uplifting and inspirational material. What critics and fans saw it as however, was an uncoordinated mess filled with questionable genre fusion, un-dynamic production, lyrics too misogynistic even for a stereotypically misogynistic genre as metalcore, and a disgusting amount of Radke's own inflated sense of ego.On this episode of Jukebox Zeroes, we're joined by Jacob Russell of the Let's Play crew TheStrawhatNO!, for a frank and distressing listen to Fashionably Late. In which some metalcore demons of indiscretion are exorcised, closet skeletons are unearthed, and Lilz and Patrick wonder if they've somehow stumbled onto an album worse than the Steven Seagal one.#MowTheSausagesLocal Music Feature - Lockette - "The Mess"

Bo Burnham: Inside is a 2021 Netflix special by standup/musical comedian Bo Burnham. Filmed over the course of a single year during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, the special contained several short vignettes, songs, and segments filmed and performed entirely by Burnham himself. Though advertised as a comedy special, Inside was more of an experimental character study sprinkled with elements of satire, as it depicted Burnham's slowly deteriorating mental health, and gradual sink into deep depression over the course of filming. Upon its release it received rave reviews from critics and fans, heralding it as an artistic breakthrough for Burnham, and Inside would go on to win numerous awards, including a Peabody award in 2022.On this episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott are joined by return guest Christopher Brown for a screening of Bo Burnham: Inside. Join them as they find the heart and humor in synth-pop songs about self-loathing, alienation, and contemplation of self-harm, as well as a brand new segment that Scott thoroughly loathes right out the gate. (Ding!)..with Lilz and Scott!CW: Discussion of Suicide

Hedwig & The Angry Inch began as a 1998 off-Broadway stage show, before being adapted to film in 2001, directed by and starring John Cameron Mitchell, who also wrote and starred in the original play. The movie follows Hansel Schmidt, a gay youth in communist East Germany, who escapes with a lover by undergoing a botched sex change operation, only to be abandoned upon reaching America, and turning to rock music as an outlet. The film featured a soundtrack heavily influenced by glam-punk acts like The Stooges, The New York Dolls, and more, and tackled themes of queer identity, rock culture as applied to theater, and of the philosophical concept of the divided self. While not a hit at the time, Hedwig went on to be a cult classic, and would inspire a Broadway revival of the stage version years later.On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott welcome Ashley Rogers back to the pod to dig into Hedwig & The Angry Inch. Join them for frank discussions on dualism, queer identity, and unhinged impressions of Bobcat Goldthwait....with Lilz and Scott!

In 2001 several revolutionary albums stood nominated for Album Of The Year at that year's Grammy Awards. Important records by Radiohead (Kid A), Eminem (The Marshall Mathers LP), and Beck (Midnite Vultures), all of which would go on to great acclaim and influence to new generations of musicians who discovered them. The conventional wisdom was that one of these three albums would take home the grand prize of the evening, but events played out very differently, and would contribute to increasingly disdainful public opinion towards the award.The Grammies already had a long and storied history of nominating "wrong" artists and albums for "Best Of The Year" awards that would earn widespread criticism among fans and critics. It happened when Jethro Tull took "Best Hard Rock/Metal Recording" by Metallica, it happened when Eric Clapton took "Best Rock Song" from Nirvana, and it happened once again when cerebral jazz-rockers and boomer institution Steely Dan took "Album Of The Year" with their 8th studio recording "Two Against Nature".On this episode of Jukebox Zeroes, songwriter and synth-wizard Steve Borek of Telelectrix joins Lilz and Patrick to discuss the controversy and listen to the yacht rock staple's 2000 record. Join us for frank discussions on timelessness, old guard thinking, and be thoroughly skeeved out by the various songs about underage girls.#wearenormalnowLocal Music Feature: The Heartsleeves - "Simple Machine"

In 1998, legendary heavy metal act Guns N' Roses would enter the studio to produce a new studio album; their first record of original material since 1991's Use Your Illusion I & II, and their first studio release ever since 1993's cover record The Spaghetti Incident?. This record, which would be dubbed Chinese Democracy, was intended for a 1999 release date.It would not see release until about 9 years later.The stories behind Chinese Democracy's numerous release date foibles are varied and many, ranging from lineup changes, legal issues, frontman Axl Rose's own obsessive sense of perfectionism, and even an incident involving the soda company Dr. Pepper. But amidst all the hype and comparisons to vaporware, it's easy to forget there's still an album to be heard. An album full of confusing fusions with industrial music and nu-metal, confusingly overblown songwriting from Rose himself, and a confusing man named Buckethead.On this episode of Jukebox Zeroes, Lilz and Patrick are joined by David Rosen of the Piecing It Together podcast to dig into Chinese Democracy; a record whose protracted production time is the stuff of legends, and is still to this day the most expensive rock record ever produced....wait, didn't we already do this one?#WeAreNormalNowLocal Music Feature: Mt. Metal - "I'll Never Forget (Heavy Metal)"

Before famed musician Steven Seagal committed his musical genius upon the world, you may be surprised to learn that he also was an actor in action films like Under Siege, Hard To Kill, Above The Law, and On Deadly Ground. You may also learn that he was formerly a Navy SEAL, a CIA agent, and an Aikido master. (You will likely know this because he's made mention of it any and all chances he gets.)It's shocking, but all true! Before the subject of reality TV show Steven Seagal: Lawman decided he had blues he needed to let free, he had a long and storied career in direct-to-home-video show business, but thank goodness he settled into music. Otherwise we might have been denied his opus, 2005's Songs From The Crystal Cave. A mish-mash of middling white guy blues, confusing spiritual themes, and some of the clumsiest takes on world fusion you may ever hear in your life.On this episode of Jukebox Zeroes, Lilz and Pat are joined by Mario Boiardi of Horsehands and The Band Dennis for a deep dive into the dojo, and a tortured listening of Songs From The Crystal Cave in its entirety.#WeAreNormalNow#LookIntoMyEyes

Into The Woods is a 2014 musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Pictures. An adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim broadway musical, the film was directed by Rob Marshall, and takes place in a world drawn from the fairy tales of the Grimm Brothers, but with a more consequential twist. It featured an ensemble cast including Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, and Johnny Depp among many others.On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott welcome special guest Byron McNeal to review Into The Woods, a well-received and commercially successful film, but one that's often been criticized for watering down Sondheim's original story. Join them as Scott faces the bane of his existence via one of the musical's famed songs, Byron relays his own stories of performing in adaptations of the stage show, and Lilz straight up goes to Hell....with Lilz and Scott!

Across The Universe was a 2007 romantic drama/jukebox musical film directed by Julie Taymor, and featured starring roles from Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, and Joe Anderson, with cameo appearances from Bono, Salma Hayek, Eddie Izzard, and Joe Cocker, among others. The movie follows a loose plot involving romance blossoming during the height of protests against the war in Vietnam, set against a musical backdrop of Beatles songs. Critics were unimpressed by Across The Universe's razor-thin plot, but offered heavy praise to its visual sequences and performances, and it would become a major commercial success.On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott welcome Malorie Savran to the podcast to attempt to make sense of Across The Universe. Join them through numerous psychedelic wonderlands of questionable point, extremely unsubtle Fab Four references shoehorned into an already unimpressive story, and watch Lilz get really REALLY sick of Beatles tributes....with Lilz and Scott!

Yesterday was a 2019 musical romantic comedy film, directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later) and written by Richard Curtis. (Love Actually, Four Weddings And A Funeral, Bridget Jones' Diary) The film stars Himesh Patel as a struggling musician who suddenly finds himself in a world where famed English pop group The Beatles never existed, and the subsequent success he finds in plagiarizing the material as his own. It also featured performances from Lily James, Joel Fry, Kate McKinnon, and pop artist Ed Sheeran in a notably self-parodying role. Against a backdrop of covers of Beatles songs, Yesterday was a commercial hit, and a modest critical success.On a new episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott welcome Boston musician Jon Sasor onto the program to review Yesterday. Join them as Scott comes to grips with alternate realities, Lilz posits the existence of a Bermuda Triangle of bus accidents, and Jon thoroughly loses his mind in the illogical deluge of the film's setting....with Lilz and Scott!

The final installment of End Times-Friend Times and we get personal with our friends from Jukebox Zeroes. We discuss two albums that influenced us, whether that be musically, aesthetically, or inspirationally. The range is big; from new wave to classic rock to electronica to mall goth to indie. Lilz and Pat add extra depth given the fact that they are actual musicians and can speak to how their albums influenced their sounds. Jokes and stories are told and we all get to know each other a bit more. Get all the best bad album reviews from Jukebox Zeroes! Want to support your favorite beer drinkin' babes? Check out our Patreon!Lookin' to rep our swag? Check out our merch store, available at TeePublic!

Bugsy Malone was a 1976 musical gangster film written and directed by Alan Parker, who would later go on to direct acclaimed films like Mississippi Burning, Midnight Express, and The Commitments. Parker presented a setting at the height of the gangland 1920s, following the titular Bugsy Malone, a con man and swindler caught up in a war between two rival gangs. The twist of the film however, came from a cast consisting entirely of young children; it featured a young Scott Baio and Jodie Foster in starring roles, and a soundtrack written and performed by Paul Williams. (Who oddly overdubbed the singing voice of most of the male characters.) The film was a baffling critical success, especially in the UK, where it is a beloved piece of cinema that won multiple BAFTA awards.On this episode of Hell Is A Musical, Lilz and Scott welcome back previous guest Christopher Brown to dissect Bugsy Malone, a thoroughly perplexing piece of film that has plagued Scott for over 30 years. Join them as they give Alan Parker the business for some thoroughly creepy behavior, remain confused over the usage of guns that shoot pies instead of bullets, and come up with a brand new can't-fail pilot project....with Lilz and Scott!

Hey Sweat Nation! Ive been MIA for about a week bein a hustlin' ass bitch, but we back! In this episode, we dive into the oddities of dating as a 26 year old divorcee in the middle of a pandemic, how to set emotional boundaries for yourself and your relationship, and *shocker*, some harsh realities and truths that auntie Lilz is here to serve ya. We can't demand what we cant give in return, we can't expect perfection when we're a work in progress, and we can't expect your dream man to be the next dude you match with on bumble, baby. Get real! I love you all Message me, email me, call me, beep me, if you wanna reach me- I want to hear your thoughts on this episode. What do we think?side note: ever wanted to launch a podcast? Have a topic you absolutely LOVE chatting about? Start the podcast, sis. Buzzsprout gets your show listed in every major podcast platform. You'll get a great looking podcast website, audio players that you can drop into other websites, detailed analytics to see how people are listening, tools to promote your episodes, and more. Follow the link below and receive a $20 amazon gift card when you sign up https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1553341

It's the most wonderful time of the year - HALLOWEEN! And we are once again doing our classic Halloween playlist, but this time, not alone. We bring in Pat and Lilz from the podcast Jukebox Zeroes for the fun. Join us for in depth conversations about great Halloween songs, aquariums, delicious thematic beers, the true meaning of Halloween, mourn the continued loss of lime skittles, and so much more! Ashleigh finally discusses her beef with Ghost and Maggie likes ska. Everyone drinks too much, but we still have on point hot takes about tunes that will really zazz up your spoopy playlist!We have merch! Check out the Rock Candy Teespring Store now!Want to support your favorite beer drinkin' babes? Check out our Patreon!Listen to all the great podcasts over on the Pantheon Network!

Welcome to our nightmare, Stoppies!It's our first episode of the 2020 MARCH BADNESS TOURNAMENT, where the lowest rated artists from the past decade duke it out to be crowned the worst of the worst. Today's showdown begins with a familiar foe, bane of the pod Eminem and the 2009 edition of his perpetual tired ass comeback routine, Relapse. Facing off against Marshall is the milquetoast mason jar wedding band Imagine Dragons and their 2014 record Smoke + Mirrors, an album distinguished only by the fact that every song featured on it has probably washed over you in a dentist's waiting room at some point. Helping us navigate this miserable matchup are fellow bad music experts Patrick and Lilz of Jukebox Zeroes, who do their best to provide objective critique while we slowly descend into madness.Who will win (or in this case, lose) - the self deprecating, over compensating musical masochism of Eminem or the literal nothingness of Imagine Dragons? All we know is that no matter who wins in March Badness, we all lose.Part of the Pantheon Podcast Network.

We've already discussed cover songs we love, but what about cover songs we hate? This week we go on a journey with our friends Pat and Lilz from Jukebox Zeroes to discuss the covers that nobody asked for, but we got anyway. From classic tunes to guilty pleasures, nothing is sacred to these pillars of hubris! Come spend the next hour and a half with us wondering why as we look into a whole lotta coulda, but not a lotta shoulda.Listen to all the great podcasts over on the Pantheon Network!