Podcast Summary: And That's Why We Drink

Episode E454: "Graveyard Kids and Barney Scandals"

Hosts: Christine Schiefer & Em Schulz
Release Date: October 19, 2025

Overview

In this lively pre-Halloween episode, Christine and Em blend banter, nostalgia, and signature spooky vibes while exploring the intersection of childhood memories and the paranormal. The episode's highlights include Em's infamous "Barney scandal," a deep dive into activities and games one can do in graveyards, and the mysterious case of the Brock candy heiress' disappearance. The camaraderie and comic timing between the hosts, their reflections on family, and the inventive Halloween energy make this episode stand out as a delightful, thematic listen.

1. Opening Banter & Millennial Spaces [02:51–11:12]

• Christine and Em discuss their podcast recording setups and accidentally discover their walls are painted the same millennial shade of dark green.
  • [07:24] Em: “I can just hear Gen Z calling us the most obvious millennials.”
  • [08:07] Christine plugs Claire Paints, noting the color is called "Current Mood" and was popular among millennials in 2020.
• Christine admits to overthinking her space and taking pride in her decorative choices, while Em dreams of a colorful, retro-futuristic, Dr. Seuss-inspired décor.
• Discussion on setting up a studio feel and matching their screens for YouTube's sake, revealing their dynamic as self-deprecating, creative, and deeply in tune with millennial trends.

2. Party Planning Chaos & Em’s Barney Scandal [11:12–29:48]

• Christine shares the stress and absurdity of planning a kid's birthday party (Gabby’s Dollhouse theme, Dino Ranch mix-up), complete with anecdotes about her mother-in-law's helpfulness.
  • [13:22] Em: "Well, I've told you about the Barney fiasco of '95..."
• Em launches into the legendary 'Barney scandal':
  • As a child, Em was so obsessed with Barney that they refused to respond to their own name, called their mother "Baby Bop," and forced everyone into their Barney narrative. [14:38]
  • For Em's 3rd birthday in San Francisco, their mother arranged for "Barney" to attend. Em grew up bragging about having the “real Barney,” only to discover as a teen that it was an imposter in a saggy costume. Em’s mom kept up the ruse until high school graduation, even hiring a new, much-worse Barney costume to make up for it. [19:03, 22:01]
  • Notable quote: [14:48] Em: “I thought I was Barney. It wasn’t a silly little thing. It became a mental disorder.”
  • “I refuse to go by my own name... I did not call my mom 'mom.' She was Baby Bop.” [14:52]
• Christine compares her more restrained birthday parties, shares her own parent struggles and kid expectations (theme mixups), and appreciates the delightful absurdity of Em's Barney story.
• Lively exchange about the pressures of millennial parenting and generational birthday party one-upping.

3. Why Do They Drink? Life Updates [29:45–33:14]

• Christine drinks “Mini DPepp” ahead of the kid party.
  • [29:45] Em: “What do you drink a D. Pepe and why?”
  • Christine: “Because I’m hosting a party of children tomorrow… Gabby’s Dollhouse party with a few Dino Ranch characters sprinkled throughout.”
• Em shares their exhaustion after back-to-back red-eye flights and celebratory updates on their dog Hankie finally behaving at home alone.
  • [32:40] Em: “Yesterday was the first day we didn’t hide anything... four hours, and nothing had been touched!”

4. Paranormal Cold Open: Welcome to Crabby Grove [33:14–37:15]

• Christine delivers a tongue-in-cheek ghost story ad spot about haunted orchards (“Crabby Grove”) and supernatural cider, complete with spectral farmhands, as a segue into the episode’s Halloween theme.
  • [35:55] Christine: “The ghostly farmers approach, holding a glowing bottle... with the label Angry Orchard.”
  • Em weaves in dyke/farmer jokes and spooky-flavored youth nostalgia.

5. Main Topics

A. "Graveyard Games & Activities" with Christine & Em [39:10–84:35]

Christine’s Halloween Wish: Graveyard games and activities to play in a cemetery—leaning into her childhood as a “graveyard kid.”

[Intro to "Graveyard Kids"]

• [39:16] Christine: “Games and graveyards... Graveyard games.”
• [40:05] Em: “I just always call you Wednesday Addams. But you really did grow up in a graveyard.”

[Childhood Graveyard Memories]

• Christine recalls growing up beside a graveyard, using it as a film set for home movies, and describes playing hide-and-seek, Ouija boards, and having moody rain-listening sessions as a "Wednesday Addams"-type kid. [40:05–41:46]
• Christine relates a recent incident where both she and daughter Leona were inexplicably drawn to the same child’s grave, sharing a moving story about repairs and a possible synchronicity. [48:22–51:25]

[Graveyard Games Explained & Expanded]

• Discussion of "Ghost in the Graveyard," alternate games, and “graveyard” as the silent game. [44:06–47:29]
• Christine and Em riff on:
  • Doing scavenger hunts (find the oldest grave, strangest name, couples buried together).
  • Playing Ouija boards (Em: “You know how I feel about Ouija boards…”)
  • Grave rubbings (with a warning to protect old stones).
  • Picnics in cemeteries, connecting to their historical role as community parks. [57:43–59:32]
  • Geocaching and "find the treasure."
  • Respectful activities: trash pickup, bee hotels, pollinator stations, painted rocks, wind chimes, learning flower and symbol meanings.
  • Making up dances, performances for the graves, and creative "kid" activities (bingo, scavenger hunts, art projects).
  • "Horoscopes for the dead": Reading graves for birthdays, compatibility, and running with the “true crime/psychic” TV trope as a possible TikTok collab. [79:48–87:21]
  • Notable quote: [44:02] Em: “I would have called you [graveyard kid]. Especially if we went to the same high school."
• Christine notes the social context, rules of respect, and family grief/closure dimensions.

[Symbolism & Grave Knowledge]

• Em quizzes Christine on gravestone shapes and symbolism (lions, doves, roosters, dragon, etc.), leading to a humorous and educational fact-off.
• Correction of “horse code” (raised hooves on statues) via Snopes. [69:36–70:56]
• Top gravestone symbols: angel, dove, cross.

[Meta-Commentary]

• Self-aware about content length: [29:34] Christine: “We started this podcast thinking it’d be so short... And then here we go.”

B. True Crime Segment: The Disappearance of Brock Candy Heiress – Helen Brock [90:40–128:14]

Christine’s Halloween request from Em: A “candy murder.”

[The Case]

• Helen Brock: Heiress to the Brock's Candy fortune (makers of candy corn, caramels, etc.), vanished in 1977 at age 65.
  • [92:03] “They make the candy corn. And they make candy hearts, too.”
• Helen was last seen by a hotel clerk; her chauffeur, Jack Matlick, claims to have picked her up at O'Hare and spent four days together, but evidence (cleaning, unusual activities, check cashing, visits to her safe deposit box) casts suspicion.
  • [105:29] “He scrubbed down the maid's quarters… ordered a meat grinder attachment… detailed one Cadillac…”
  • Forensic analysis determined checks from “Helen” were not in her handwriting, nor Matlick’s.
• Horse Mafia Angle:
  • Helen, an animal lover, was conned out of nearly $100,000 by Richard Bailey (a con man selling bad racehorses to wealthy women).
  • Upon discovering the scam, Helen reportedly confronted Bailey and threatened exposure.
  • Journalist James Ylisela’s book (“Who Killed the Candy Lady?”) explores whether Helen uncovered a broader horse insurance fraud ring and was silenced for it.
  • One witness claimed she was killed and cremated in an Indiana steel furnace at the behest of “mafia-like” horse dealer Silas Jayne.
• No body was ever found.
  • Memorial monument in Ohio; Helen’s dogs Candy and Sugar are buried there.
• No resolution:
  • Matlick was never charged; died in 2011.
  • Bailey got 30 years for racketeering, released 2019, maintained innocence, died 2022.
• Notable quote:
  • [103:23] Christine: “Here we go. And it's like I did it on purpose, but not really. It's like you suggested it and I found it, and it was perfect.”

[Speculation]

• Podcast hosts puzzle over whether the chauffeur or the “horse mafia” is the likeliest killer, swapping theories (dubbed "Occam's Razor" vs. "Horse Code") and drawing dry humor from the noir-adjacent story beats.
  • [120:16] Em: “He just happens to walk in as the dead body is laying on the floor, and he's like, 'I want my horse money.'”

6. Notable Quotes & Moments

• [14:48] Em, on Barney obsession: “I refuse to go by my own name. I did not call my mom ‘mom.’ She was Baby Bop.”
• [44:34] Em: “I would have called you 'graveyard kid,' especially if we went to the same high school.”
• [69:36] Christine, reading from Snopes: “The hoof code mostly holds true in Gettysburg, but quickly disproved elsewhere."
• [94:58] Christine: “I just refuse to be that lid for your pot.”
• [120:16] Em: “The zebra is fully naked. Murphy’s law did not apply.”

7. Timestamps for Key Segments

• [11:12] Christine’s Party Planning & Dino Ranch vs. Gabby’s Dollhouse
• [13:22] Em’s "Barney Scandal"
• [33:14] Christine’s Ghost Story Ad Read
• [39:10] Graveyard Kids and Games
• [48:22] Christine & Leona’s Synchronicity in the Cemetery
• [53:06] Discussion: Cemetery vs. Graveyard
• [57:43] Historical Role of Cemeteries
• [69:36] Debunking “Horse Code” & Symbolism
• [90:40] The Disappearance of Helen Brock (True Crime Story)
• [120:16] Final Theorizing about the Brock case
• [128:14] Next Week’s Halloween Episode Teasers

8. Tone & Language

• Language is friendly, irreverent, nostalgic and witty.
• The hosts’ tone switches seamlessly between sincere (stories about family, parenthood, loss) and playfully satirical (mocking their own millennial quirks, “horse mafia” jokes, the folly of Barney costumes).
• Banter and pop culture references abound—from Dr. Seuss and Kelly Clarkson to TikTok trends and Law & Order phraseology.
• Sensitive to respectful treatment of cemeteries, witchcraft customs, and the victims in true crime stories.

9. Closing & Upcoming Topics

• Halloween Episode Teaser:
  • Christine tasks Em: “Haunted home” stories or ghosts living alongside the living.
  • Em assigns “Costume” as a keyword for Christine’s next true crime hunt.
• Quip about running late for a meeting.

For Listeners Who Missed It:

This episode is the perfect blend of comfort-listening and pre-Halloween mischief. You’ll hear wild family stories, genuinely creative Halloween activity ideas, millennial reflections, and a true crime mystery worthy of its own Dateline special—plus, plenty of candied wit for spooky season.