TV Guidance Counselor

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TV Guidance Counselor Episode 351: Misti Dawn Apr 29, 2019

Show notes

April 19-25, 1997

Today Ken welcomes make up artist, cosplayer and podcaster Misti Dawn to the show.

Ken and Misti discuss Glendale, Hollywood's creepy underbelly, red light districts, the combat zone, JFK losing his mind, Kentucky, not wanting to leave the house, angry letters, being in Good Will Hunting, Catholic Schools, staring at a dead body as punishment, a cultural removal from the physics of death, Return of the Living Dead, growing up in a video store, Mormons, crushing on Jim Carrey, Once Bitten, the early days of the internet opening the world to you, Video Power, Johnny Arcade vs. Stivvy Poninski, Mel Gibson, having your first Halloween costume be before you were born, cosplay, Comic Conventions, Vamp, DTLA, Grace Jones, hating Dr. Phil, Jenny McCartney, Baywatch, big hair, Popeye, Xena, Lucy Lawless, Robert Altman's Gun, TV Version jackets, Linnea Quigly's Barbie Doll piece, Night of the Demons, pet psychics, sleeping to crime reenactments, Unsolved Mysteries, Ghoulies, movie tag lines, Angry Beavers, Nicktoons, visiting the Halloween shooting locations, magic shows, David Copperfield, ghosts, Misti calming Ken's issues with the new "It", representation in media, Castle Ghosts of England, Weekend at Bernie's, The Frighteners, Tales from the Crypt, Billy Zane, Quantum Leap, Full Moon Pictures, The Rocky Horror fan club, JTT, Hellraiser, Flash Drive Head, Waxwork, Valley Girl, being confused by the Marquis de Sade, smelling David Bowie, NIN, Blue Velvet, Loveline, the magic being gone, loving Danny DeVito, Leprechaun making you sad, Wishmaster, Netherworld, New Orleans, Halloween in Salem, pizza, and being committed to the Walking Dead despite everything.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 350: Tom Arnold Apr 20, 2019

Show notes

Today Ken welcomes actor/comedian/involuntary investigational journalist Tom Arnold to the show.

Ken and Tom discuss Hirshfeld's of yourself, The Honeymooners, Jackie Gleason, getting paid $1 million to not be in the Honeymooners, The June Taylor Dancers, how sexy Florence Henderson was, autograph shows, peeing next to "Sophia Loren", growing up without a Mother, Loni Anderson, The Partridge Family, David Cassidy, Bill Cosby, the Me Too Era, Roseanne, context and intent, The Break, the horrors of Steve Bannon, supporting trans gender people, always learning, trying to be a good person, trying not to hurt people, why regrets can make you a better person, Barney Miller, playing poker with Alex Trebek, life lessons from Hal Linden, Judd Apatow asking for a raise, Norman Lear, Jane Fonda, being harassed by the Secret Service, being in physical fear, Iowa, small towns, the encouragement of teachers, WPIX, Festus from Gunsmoke, wanting to be on TV just once, working on a kill floor, meeting Andy Kaufman, loose meat sandwiches, Happy Joe's Pizza, how kids are the worst, fighting, blue collar shows, gallows humor, Joss Whedon, Spago, punching paparazzi, writing for yourself, True Lies, being for and against, Ken's beautiful Superman head, not ending on a suicide, meeting Gregory Peck, and finding an excuse not to drink that Frank Sinatra will buy.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 349: Dr. Rebecca Housel Apr 15, 2019

Show notes

December 20 - 26, 2003

This week Ken welcomes Pop Culture Professor Dr. Rebecca Housel to the show.

Ken and Rebecca discuss cheesecake, bar pizza,being an outdoor kid, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Golden Girls, entertainment dynasties, Roseanne, Wonder Woman, anti-antisemitism, Gal Godot, the weird sexual history of Wonder Woman, Donna Reed, variety shows, cutting out commercials from your life, on demand, Alice, Charlie's Angels, Bionic Woman, 50 Shades of Grey, Anne Rice, Interview with the Vampire, Twilight, Comic Con, Baby Boomers vs. Gen X, Millennials, fascination with monsters and rules, trophy culture, video games, open worlds and their disturbing nature, Fallout 4, Poltergeists, odd coincidences, selfish lack of consequences, Gary Shteyngart, cyborgs, I Am Legend, magic words, saying it outloud, male oriented thinking, business as sociopaths, accomplishment, allegory, The Twilight Zone, honesty in art, David Cronenberg, spirit animals, having a boner for the Creature from the Black Lagoon, pornography, She-Devil, Smallville, Charmed, mixed families, Rome, Christmas, why there are not a ton of great Hanukkah specials, Lauren Holly, Power Rangers, James Marsters, meeting Stan Lee, Nickel Nips, poor people "juice", Say Anything, A Christmas Story, Sex in the City, 8 Crazy Night, While You Were Sleeping, Queen of the Damned, Cruel Intentions, and watching anything with Sarah Michelle Gellar.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 348: Shawn Carter Apr 08, 2019

Show notes

This week Ken welcomes Boston comedian Shawn Carter to the show.

Ken and Shawn discuss visiting Ken's house every two years, getting hugged by TV, assuming everyone is older than you, losing your hair, Shawn watching sports, getting off the Patriot's wagon, Ken's hatred of Gronk, Rockland MA, Plymouth Rock, clubbin', Skinemax Comedy, Boobs vs. Boobs after Midnight, HBO, running schoolyard gags, Mr. Walls, Mr. Enis, white suburban hip hop, Roseanne, Star Jones, ads with attitude, Michael Douglas and Val Kilmer battling man eating lions, Baywatch, Good Riddance(Time of Your Life), Limp Bizkit, college radio, getting into fights, TVGC guests Ken has turned down, Al Pacino, yelling as acting, Nicholas Cage, confusing Suddenly Susan and Veronica's Closet, people Ken has on his "to punch" list, PR firms, Mad About You, Diner, Joe Rogan, Newsradio, Body Builders, Home Improvement, Fraiser, strip clubs, bachelor parties, divorce, Wishbone, Dharma and Greg, Ken not looking like Thomas Gibson, Townies, Drew Carey, NBC, video games, working at Market Basket supermarket, Friday Night sadness, the KenCade, X-Files, Millennium, Summer School, Joe Torrie Curveballs Along the Way, The Bruins, Boston Comedy Softball, John Larroquette, why Ken will never be asked to perform in the Montreal Just for Laughs festival, the first re-runs of the year, and Ken's desire to see actual Dolphins play football.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 347: Ben Seidman Apr 01, 2019

Show notes

June 20 -26, 2004

Today Ken welcomes magician, comedian and master pickpocket Ben Seidman to the show.

Ken and Ben discuss dogs, weird relationships with TV, learning magic, what TV Guide has in common with Playboy, Ken's time in the UK, growing up in Milwaukee, Mid-west eyes, Butter Burgers, being an only child, central time, being an indoor kid, Prince, how practice makes friendless, martial arts, Making Believe, Krystyn Lambert, Boston bullies, Myq Kaplan, David Blaine, David Williamson, Penn & Teller, The Pendragons, Ricky Jay, David Copperfield, magic on TV, math, prank shows, developing original content, Charmed, being engaged, Paula Dean getting hit in the face with a frozen ham, Fabio's bird killing face, meat slap, Eggs and Well Being, French Bread Fencing, Survivor, Colleen Haskell, Fear Factor, twins, the 2004 Salem's Lot, The Sandlot, TV movies, The Prestige vs. The Illusionist, Doug Henning, Totally Hidden Extreme Magic, Scare Tactics, Ken's hatred of Pulp Fiction, Guy Pierce's Ultimate Guide to Tigers, This Old House, Scrubs, Graham Norton, Jacob's Ladder, Seinfeld, Joan of Arcadia, Comedy Central Presents, Mario Caontone, selling out, actors in commercials, Ken's old man complaints, Penn & Teller's Magical Mystery Tour, expecting better from Charlie Sheen and limp vasectomy themes.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 346: Fee Waybill Mar 24, 2019

Show notes

This week Ken welcomes Tubes' frontman Fee Waybill to the show.

Ken and Fee discuss tax free New Hampshire, moving from Omaha to Arizona, horses, small town theaters, Westerns, Frances the Talking Mule, serials, Commando Cody, The Lone Ranger, Cisco Kid, James Garner Maverick, The Rifleman, Chuck Connors, Branded, Wanted Dead or Alive, Steve McQueen, SCTV, the Serious Moonlight Tour with David Bowie, Canada, Edmonton, Wayne Gretzky, Big Bucks Bob, John Candy, The Fishing Musician, sushi, Ladies and Gentlemen the Fabulous Stains, real coke dealers, The Sex Pistols, Diane Lane, improv, San Francisco, living in a ghost town, being a real cowboy, playing logs, The Red White and Blues Band, Steve Miller's equipment, Wallace and Ladmo, playing vegetables, Tom Snyder, turning down SNL, Alice Cooper, playing in the UK, golf lessons, theme songs, Have Gun Will Travel, singing mentors in High School, musicals, having long hair, meeting Rod Stewart, gameshows, and the ins and outs of polo.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 345: Erin MaGuire Mar 18, 2019

Show notes

This week Ken welcomes BACK to the show (after appearing on a live edition at last year's Women in Comedy festival) comedian Erin Maguire.

Ken and Erin discuss Ken's odd carnival prizes, East Coast anxiety, Psychic Storefronts, Arlington mobs, lottery studio, accents, nicknames, The Winter Hill Gang, SATs, five and dime stores, Boston's WHDH kid's show "Ready to Go", New Kids on the Block, Heathcliff, The Three Stooges, Roof Kids, Scott Grimes, two gingers, Night Life, Joey McIntire, Spenser Gifts, The Meadow Glen Mall, airbrushed sweatshirts, Wild Cards, Orange Julius, citrus cankers, Papa Gino's, dangerous childhood birthday parties, carving stations, ODing on Horse Radish, make up mirrors, California Games, the KenCade, surfing, Kathy Griffin's haircut, Matthew Broderick, Bay Coven, Halloween, Space Camp, aliases, day drinking, bars, no Irish food, The Storyteller, Jim Henson, Pam Dobber, Newhart, Maddie Grimes, Moonlighting, The 'burbs, Cheers, Night Court, the best episode of Highway to Heaven, Stoogemania, Ken's African Grey, the Curly Shuffle, anxiety, exercise, cultural movements, latex, tribute acts, Zima, dropping Jolly Ranchers, Disney Monster Hits, circuses, Emma Samms' unfolding flower, and how Ken's dog Larry is a NARC for kisses.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 344: Storm Large Mar 10, 2019

Show notes

This week Ken welcomes fellow former Boston Punk Rock kid, the fantastic musician, writer and all around entertainer Storm Large.

Ken and Storm discuss being North Shore, Framingham, being shocked that Massachusetts is a Democratic state, Boston's racism and segregation, bring back "fine", 90s lingo, Bad Brains, wanting somebody to sing to you from jail, going to an all boys school, sausage forests, growing up as a punk rock kid, San Francisco, drag queens beating frat boys with platform shoes, #MeToo, depictions of rape on television, Barney Miller, Welcome Back Kotter, Mr. Belvedere, AIDS, the tonal whiplash of very special episodes, Benson, the shallow unbelievable characters of real life, The Twilight Zone, The Electric Company, being star struck by Kevin Seconds and Rita Moreno, Jabberwocky, Captain Bob, Big Black's Songs About Fucking, Stolen '68 Blue Mustang's vs. Truckers, Hubba Hubba, Vinyl, why we haven't had a great scripted show about being in a band, Dreams, California Dreams, the Freaks and Geeks Black Flag episode, Hardcore Logo, X, realizing at 23 you should be in a band, meeting Henry Rollins, fanning out at celebrities, Dennis Rodman, stumble on culture, The Damned, The Young Ones, stand up comedy, late night bookers changing your comedy set, being forced to be somebody else by industry, the power of social media and DIY culture, affectation, Rock Star Supernova, Tommy Lee, Motley Crue, Dave Navaro, being a big mouth, Mark Burnett, singing the national anthem, Jenny Jones, boxing, school shootings, Brazil, Monty Python, puppet masters, faith in humanity, the importance of empathy, Toast of London, Clem Fandango, live experiences, Bill Cosby, loving Richard Pryor's comedy albums, bloopers records, Pam Grier, the privilege we experienced not being shot by cops, the great social awakening, Hail Hail Rock n Roll, David Cronenberg's The Brood, looking within, being bummed out by Taxi, how many licks it actually takes to get the center of a Tootsie Pop and becoming the Queen of Frogger.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 343: Nellie McKay Mar 04, 2019

Show notes

This week Ken welcomes singer/songwriter Nellie McKay to the show.

Ken and Nellie discuss dogs, growing up in Harlem, warming yourself by the TV when the heating is turned off, David Letterman, subversive art, Conan O'Brien, Ferguson, the cutting edge on the internet, The Jimmy Dore Show, when comedy becomes the gatekeeper of the status quo, corporate overlords, Jimmy Fallon: Comedy Eunuch, Joan Rivers, leaning into viral content, cool music on TV, COPS, not watching TV shows about New York when you are actually IN New York, Catwoman, Batman '66, Eartha Kitt, Julie Newmar's cheese, your music being used in television, representation on TV, how money can corrupt, morality and humanity in art, the Telecommunications Act of 1996, State TV, fake news, commercials, reflective TV vs. aspiration TV, Roseanne, the conflict of entertaining and informing, Malcolm X's friendship with Red Foxx, the DIY Dream come to life, the comfort of money, lottery winners, accents, culture wars, Cheers, The Friends of Eddie Coyle, sports culture, Up the Down Staircase, homelessness, poverty, the wonder of old movies, William Shatner's music career, contrived popstars, Margaret Thatcher's self loathing, and everyone's grandmother's love of TV Guide crosswords.

TV Guidance Counselor Episode 342: Guinevere Turner Feb 25, 2019

Show notes

Today Ken welcomes screenwriter, director and actor Guinevere Turner to the show.

Ken and Guinevere discuss growing up in the Lyman Family, Ryan Walsh's Astral Weeks, Mel Lyman's Lords List of movies, not being allowed to watch TV, being obsessed with Dallas, The Twilight Zone, being the keeper of the commercial clicker, The Three Stooges, M*A*S*H, refusing to acknowledge Daylight Savings, getting TV Guide, Go Fish, making a movie for lesbians, falling in love with Kermit the Frog, Charles Manson, Bettie Paige, the 90s obsession with serial killer before it went mainstream, American Psycho, watching things wrong, watching E.T. every day, Hellzapoppin, how there's no context on Twitter, being scared of scary things, My Bloody Valentine, Dragnet, The Findlay's movie "Snuff", Killing Eve, Danse Macabre, On Writing, partying with Leo and ending up with his vacation photos, hating people touching you without permission on a set, sucking so much that people think you are sick, Dick Cheney's heart, finding the humanity in a monster, why "Stone Cold" is the single greatest action movie of all time, short actors, Preaching to the Perverted, being in pain due to wardrobe, getting mistaken for Parker Posey, MTV, screenplays, and being the queen of darkness.

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