Baby Geniuses

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Zach Sherwin / Sean Keane Jul 24, 2017

Show notes

Hello babies!

First things first: Go buy a Chunch shirt and go see Emily on tour this summer! lisahanawalt.threadless.com and emilyheller.tumblr.com respectively. On today’s episode, Lisa has a frustrating online purchase experience. Also on today’s episode, Emily has a frustrating customer service experience. On Chunch Chat, Martha has been doing some garden tours and showing off Banchunch. Emily gives Lisa a Chunch themed gift. On Wiki of the Week, we read the Wikipedia page for “Curse of the Colonel,” which refers to an urban legend regarding a reputed curse placed on the Japanese Kansai-based Hanshin Tigers baseball team by deceased KFC founder and mascot Colonel Harland Sanders. We welcome Zach Sherwin, who has a fun KFC connection. On Expert Hour, we are joined by professional paid protestor Winston James.

Emily Heller Lisa Hanawalt Zach Sherwin Sean Keane

Andrew Ti / Jon Daly Jul 10, 2017

Show notes

Hello babies!

Summer is in full effect! Emily overdid it at Disney’s California Adventure and threw up, which ranks as the third most interesting thing to do at Disney's California Adventure. Lisa has a hot take on Josh Gadd and Ed Sheeran. Can they really be as bad as we want them to be? Also on the episode, we discuss the rules of karaoke and which fictional characters (specifically animated) were the most horny-inducing. On Chunch Chat, Lisa made some Banchunch shirts! Go buy one at lisahanawalt.threadless.com . On Wiki of the Week, we read the Wikipedia page for “Lapland New Forest,” which was a Christmas-themed park that existed for a brief period in December 2008, near Ringwood, Hampshire, UK. The park really captures the disappointment that a lot of people feel during the holidays. We welcome Andrew Ti, who spends a lot of time arguing with creationists and racists online. On Expert Hour, we are joined by television superstar and author Kelsey Grammer.

Emily Heller Lisa Hanawalt Andrew Ti Jon Daly

Jen D'Angelo / Erin Whitehead Jun 26, 2017

Show notes

Hello babies!

And a special hello to all you fans of Frasier out there! There are at least three references to our favorite show. See if you can find them all, or if I missed any! THIS EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS: Emily visited The Thing, an Arizona roadside attraction. If you don’t want to know what The Thing is, please fast forward. On Chunch Chat, we not only celebrate the return of Banchunch, but his victory in the Pleasure Class at the Bedford Riding Lanes Association BRLA! We’re just happy to hear that he’s alive. On Wiki of the Week, we read the Wikipedia page for “Balloonfest ’86,” a 1986 event in which the United Way of Cleveland in Ohio set a world record by releasing almost one and a half million balloons. People died. We welcome Jen D’Angelo, who has great taste in media. She is a huge fan of the film “Rat Race” (2001) and TV’s “Friends.” On Expert Hour, we are joined by recent high school grad and movie buff Meghan Murphy, who has great taste in movies and unfortunate taste in older men.

Emily Heller Lisa Hanawalt Jen D'Angelo Erin Whitehead

Alison Leiby / Kristen Studard Jun 12, 2017

Show notes

Hello babies!

On today’s episode, Emily and Lisa answer YOUR questions! That is, if you are one of the people who asked us a question via Twitter the day we recorded this episode. If you aren’t, maybe you can pretend that one of the questions they answer is your own. Use your imagination! On Chunch Chat, there is no new Chunch news. Don’t worry, it’s always darkest before the dawn. On Wiki of the Week, we read the Wikipedia page for “Fartons,” confectionery sweets typical of the Valencian town of Alboraya, Spain. If anyone knows where to get some fartons in the LA area, let us know. They look incredible. We welcome Alison Leiby, who knows a bunch about crows. They are super smart, and super scary. She also talks about an experimental surgery that saved her life. On Expert Hour, we are joined by hyperprolific songwriter Barbara Dingman.

Emily Heller Lisa Hanawalt Alison Leiby Kristen Studard

Megan Gailey / Dan Klein May 29, 2017

Show notes

Hello babies!

Emily has a fantasy about telling a skater off and shares a new piece of fan art inspired jewelry. Lisa is disgusted and intrigued by a stranger/new friend. On Chunch Chat, we are now months into a Chunch drought. We have some fun consolation Martha news. On Wiki of the Week, we read the WIkipedia Page for “Virgin Boy Egg,” a delicacy from Dongyang, China. These eggs are boiled in- you guessed it - boy urine! We welcome Megan Gailey, who is a lifetime fan of the Indianapolis Colts. On Expert Hour, we are joined by Ricky Martin, a freelance self driving car programmer with great practical experience.

Emily Heller

Lisa Hanawalt

Megan Gailey

Dan Klein

Amy Aniobi / Allen Strickland Williams May 15, 2017

Show notes

Hello babies!

Emily is on tour, if you live somewhere in the US check if she’s coming to your town soon! Maybe she’ll even autograph a zine for you? Lisa is on hiatus from work so she has taken up weaving. On Chunch Chat, there is still no new Chunch news. We are suffering from the throes of Chunch withdrawal and no basket house or peafowl will feed our need. On Wiki of the Week, we read the Wikipedia page for “Office Assistant,” better known as the infamous Clippy from Microsoft Office. We welcome Amy Aniobi, who shares the beautiful story of her parents’ semi-arranged marriage. I promise it is very sweet and will remind you how love is something you have to work at. On Expert Hour, we are joined by Dirke Foote, a resident of Florida.

Emily Heller Lisa Hanawalt Amy Aniobi Allen Strickland Williams

Jen Statsky / D'Arcy Carden May 01, 2017

Show notes

G’day, babies!

Emily is back from Australia, and she is very disappointed by a missed connection with a koala. Lisa teaches us about “the danger triangle,” which is an area on your face and not a large part of the Atlantic ocean, as I’d assumed. On Chunch Chat, we are itching for a Chunch fix, as Martha has been fowl-focused as of late. On Wiki of the Week, we read the Wikipedia page for “Dirty Blues,” which “encompasses forms of blues music that deal with socially taboo subjects, including sexual acts and/or references to drug use of some kind.” If you thought Lil Wayne’s music was vulgar, you should check out what Lil Johnson was singing in the 1930’s. We welcome Jen Statsky to discuss trypophobia, the fear of small holes. Don’t Google it if you think you might suffer from it. Pretty creepy images await if you do. On Expert Hour, we are joined by Bey Stevens, an early childhood educator who happens to be in her late childhood.

Moshe Kasher / James Austin Johnson Apr 17, 2017

Show notes

Hello babies!

Lisa is back from India and is relieved to be back home in calm and empty, relatively traffic-free Los Angeles. Emily’s grandmother recently passed and she recalls some nice stories. On Chunch Chat, we get a drone’s eye view of Martha’s property. Check out the roofs on those basket houses! On Wiki of the Week, we read the WIkipedia page for “Zozobra,” a giant marionette effigy that is built and burned during the annual Fiestas de Santa Fe in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Very proto-Burning Man! We welcome Moshe Kasher (who’s new show premiers on Comedy Central tomorrow night!), to teach us about Burning Man, which he has attended eighteen times. On Expert Hour, we are joined by LIBSTIC representative Spooner Oldham, who clears up some commonly held misconceptions about Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Emily Heller

Lisa Hanawalt

Moshe Kasher

James Austin Johnson

Siobhan Thompson / Josh Fadem Apr 03, 2017

Show notes

Hello babies!

Special greetings to our babies down under! Emily is performing at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival this week. She will be telling jokes with that American accent she is known for.

This is the first episode we’ve recorded since having our conversation about ADHD recently, and we touch on how our feelings have and haven’t changed since. On Chunch Chat, there is no new Ban Chunch news, but we do learn about Martha Stewart’s new pussy willow grove. We are amused by Martha’s silvery gray catkins. We also learn about her “basket house,” a house that was built to store her basket collection. On WIki of the Week, we read the Wikipedia page for “Highgate Vampire,” a media sensation surrounding reports of supposed supernatural activity at Highgate Cemetery in London in the 1970’s. We welcome Siobhan Thompson, who joins us to teach us about Boudica, queen of a first century AD Celtic tribe who defended against the occupying forces of the Romans. On Expert Hour, we are joined by Werner Herzog, who has recently become an expert in 90’s alternative rock lyrics.

Emily Heller

Lisa Hanawalt

Siobhan Thompson

Josh Fadem

Jackie Kashian / Paul Welsh Mar 20, 2017

Show notes

Hello babies!

It’s MaxFunDrive 2017- go to Maximumfun.org and help support the Babies and all your other favorite shows! Check out the Baby Geniuses themed gifts! I want a Baby Geniuses butt pin really badly!!

We’re traveling a lot this month which has us wondering - how do you pronounce this dang place? Do you make an effort to do as the locals do? When in Rome, say Roma? Or does “Paris” rhyme with “heiress” to you? Emily finally got around to seeing A Dog’s Purpose. On the subject of gut wrenchingly bad movies, we respond to feedback we received about our La La Land opinions. On Chunch Chat, Martha adds some colorfully named fowl to the coop. On Wiki of the Week, we read the Wikipedia page for “Concealed Shoes,” or shoes that are hidden inside buildings while they are being constructed. We welcome Jackie Kashian, who is not ashamed to tell us about her love of Romance Novels. On Expert Hour, dessert medium Roy Lips joins us to share how he uses sweets to connect us with the deceased.

Emily Heller Lisa Hanawalt Jackie Kashian Paul Welsh

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