Patton Oswalt finally, finally debuts a podcast with Meredith Salenger
Plus, American Hysteria surveys the damages wrought by gender reveal parties
Aux Features Patton Oswalt
Screenshot: Apple Podcasts
American Hysteria
Gender Reveal Parties
Whether it be the Red Scare or Satanic Panic, there is nothing that we Americans enjoy more than losing our goddamn minds. American Hysteria, hosted by Chelsey Weber-Smith, chronicles and contextualizes all the various ways that the most powerful nation on earth has flipped out in its relatively short history. On this episode, Weber-Smith, who identifies as non-binary, digs into the history of gender reveal parties and their place in the modern “gender panic.” What started as a simple mommy blogger video in 2008 would soon catch on like wildfire and eventually cause several actual wildfires in the process. Weber-Smith gives a rundown of the body count as well as the property damage total that has resulted from what they view as an escalating arms race to affirm the sacredness of the gender binary. There’s also discussion of the arbitrariness of gender norms, with the host pointing out that blue, being so delicate, was once the accepted color for girls, and pink, being so loud and vibrant, was once the color for boys. It’s a compelling overview of one of this country’s latest manias with the added bonus of teaching you all about the piss prophets. [Anthony D Herrera]
Did You Get My Text? With Meredith and Patton
The Wood Nymph and the Swamp Troll
Just when you thought there couldn’t be a more adorable celebrity couple anchoring their very own podcast (for the past couple years, Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman had that honor on lock with their comfy In Bed With Nick & Megan podcast), here comes lovey-dovey marrieds Patton Oswalt and Meredith Salenger and their new audio series. The veteran comedian and his actress wife (best known for inspiring teenage boys’ ardor in ’80s movies like Dream A Little Dream) basically use this podcast as quality time, with both of them convening after a day of living together-but-separate and talking about the peculiar things they’ve texted to each other. The premiere episode has the pair bringing up texts that involve weird food combinations Postmates appears to be getting behind (I love pickles and I love peanut butter—but together?); the question of whether to forgive revered, recently departed actors for dickish behavior they may have exhibited on a set; and a woman who went viral for getting interviewed on TV from her home, where a certain sex toy sat very prominently on her bookshelf. [Craig D. Lindsey]
Frigay The 13th
Amusement Parks Are Terrifying
Part of the DREAD Podcast Network, Frigay The 13th is one of many podcasts to investigate the horror genre—but it sets itself apart by applying a queer theory lens while also contextualizing these classics within the modern world’s real-life horrors currently making headlines. Frigay’s opening sound collage combines clips from the likes of Marjorie Taylor Greene alongside classic sound bites from horror flicks (like the iconic “What are you waiting for?!” line from I Know What You Did Last Summer), priming listeners for all that the series has in store. Cohosts Andrew and Matty capably encapsulate all the most frightening and disappointing current events while offering fresh takes on a number of genre gems. This episode focuses on amusement park and carnival-set horror films like The Funhouse and Final Destination 3, and the hosts don’t shy away from discussing the horrific workplace abuses that employees at such venues actually have to endure. Complete with fun segments like “Queer Eye For The Horror Guy,” Frigay The 13th is a fun and sobering look at both real-world and cinematic horrors. [Jose Nateras]
24 Comments
Pickles and peanut butter? What are: foods a female character eats in a tv show to immediately tip you off that she is pregnant?
What happened to a good-old-fashioned off-screen vomiting?
sorry, for prestige television it has to be on-screen and it either has to be milky or chunky, bonus points if it is not into a toilet and if someone else from their place of work has to watch it.
That’s Hollywood and its unrealistic expectations again…
What are the ingredients of an amazing sandwich?
The correct answer is: Pickles and Ice Cream! Pickles and Ice Cream, ANathanofFillions… so close, but I’m afraid we’re going to have to bid you goodbye!
My dude, there is a burger place in Portland called Killer Burger and they make a Peanut Butter Pickle Bacon Burger and bruh it is to die for
I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this Mr. dr-frahnkunsteen, but you must let Mrs. dr-frankunsteen know that you are pregnant.
Now I can finally get answers to all of my lingering Dream a Little Dream questions.
I really wish I wasn’t as put off by Patton Oswalt going so full tilt into a new marriage after his previous wife died, but it just feels not great. They were on the new Comedy bang bang today and at one point Patton referred to his daughter as “our daughter” and I was just like… dude, you just married this lady, cool it a bit.
I really wish I wasn’t as put off by Patton Oswalt going so full tilt
into a new marriage after his previous wife died, but it just feels not
great.
Who the fuck are you to judge how someone else processes grief?
at one point Patton referred to his daughter as “our daughter”
You know it’s common for step-parents to legally adopt the child, right? There’s nothing wrong with saying “our daugher.”
Yikes. Unless You are Oswalt or Salenger maybe check the void rage? It was just an opinion, maybe don’t make it whole thing? I don’t disagree with you but damn.
Agree! I was really moved by “Annihilation.” I’m glad he found new love, but tried the podcast and found it icky.
As a widow myself, I disagree wholeheartedly. My wife, and also the mother to our four young kiddos, passed away from cancer a little over two years ago and I am seeing someone. You don’t always get to pick when someone charms you out of your doldrums. Trying to fight off happiness is fucking futile. I tried. The people that are capable of changing your life often pop into your life when you least expect it. I love the wife I lost. I love my girlfriend.
There’s no right way to mourn, and since we don’t live in 1852 where widows had to wear black all the time and be sad forever, it’s perfectly normal to get into another relationship. I know lots of widows and widowers who feel deeply the loss of their spouse while also marrying someone else and feeling in love again. It doesn’t lessen their loss, but they are still allowed happiness.Also, he married this lady, so she’s his daughter’s stepmom now. Deal with it.
And I saw that CBB referred to them as “newly married” and it’s already been like 4 years which was also strange.I don’t begrudge Patton happiness. I can’t imagine what he went through. I’m so sorry for him and for Alice and losing Michelle at such a young age unexpectedly – yikes. But being married 15 months later, and wearing two wedding rings! It’s a lot to take in. I know I’m an outsider. I don’t know his life. It’s just a little ‘not great.’
You don’t get to judge how other people grieve. Everyone is different.
Dude, you just committed to a life long relationship with this woman 4 years ago, cool it a bit.
Get laid.
I’d be lying if I didn’t initially share the gut sentiment (heightened by the fact that I think McNamara and Salenger look alike, like a lot alike, so much so I have trouble telling photos of them apart sometimes). But it’s not my life, or yours, it’s his, and he seems to have it figured out. I had a boss once whose wife passed away very suddenly, brain aneurysm I believe. They’d been happily married for about 20 years, had two teenage boys, were pretty much living the dream. The whole thing shook me and I was just a bystander to the whole tragedy. About six month after she passed, he ran into an old flame. One thing led to another, and they started seeing each other. They’ve been together five years. They still live separately but spend most nights and weekends together, celebrate holidays together, vacation together, his sons know who she is and what’s up. I had a conversation about it with him once – he brought it up and I let him lead the conversation of course. He said he’d been in discussion with his grief counselor and his counselor said there are some people who are able to grieve the loss of a loved one while simultaneously developing genuine romantic feelings/love for someone else. Not everyone falls into this category, most don’t, and for a lot of folks it feels… ‘icky’… but it’s authentic and natural and ultimately not our place to judge.
I understand what you mean, but sometimes you love who you love. And it’s not like getting remarried tarnishes or erases a marriage to a deceased spouse. It’s its own thing. And given his involvement with I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, and the fact that he had a child with her, I doubt Patton Oswalt has at all forgotten Michelle McNamara–not that any of that is anyone’s business but his.
I bet he’d say losing his wife suddenly was “not great”, but if you think him getting remarried is the problem…
I bet he’d say losing his wife suddenly was “not great”, but if you think him getting remarried is the problem…
What a stupid headline.