Go Fact Yourself – Episode 179 Summary

Guests: Cooper Barnes & Larissa FastHorse
Host: J. Keith van Straaten, Co-host: Helen Hong
Date: September 5, 2025
Location: Carl Sagan and Ann Dreian Theater, Center for Inquiry West, Los Angeles

Episode Overview

In this lively episode of Go Fact Yourself, comedian/actor Cooper Barnes and celebrated playwright Larissa FastHorse face off in a battle of trivia—on topics they genuinely claim to love. As always, they’re joined by host J. Keith van Straaten and co-host Helen Hong. The show features the trademark mix of pop culture, sharp wit, and surprise expert drop-ins—plus truly memorable moments around comic book nostalgia, 1980s animated movies, Broadway, and evolving cultural conversations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Meet the Contestants & Opening Banter

[02:31]

Cooper Barnes:
- Actor/producer, best known from Nickelodeon’s “Henry Danger” & “Danger Force.”
- Big comic book/superhero fan: “It was a dream come true for a while [to play a kids’ superhero]... Then you realize I’m getting, like, bashed in the head with a breakaway chair or something every episode.” [03:09]
- Discusses the dubious joys of spandex costumes and being an on-screen role model for kids.
Larissa FastHorse:
- MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient, Native American playwright (notably “The Thanksgiving Play”).
- Shares the strangeness of being labeled a genius and what it’s like carrying a famous arts fellowship.
- Talks about her ballet career (spandex bond with Cooper) and being Broadway’s first Native American woman playwright.
- On the weight of the “genius” title: “It’s a strange thing that you get… while you still have time to screw it up.” [04:22]
Opening Fun: Helen Hong confesses a dark but comic fascination with survivalist cannibalism (“Alive,” the Donner Party, “The Terror”)—setting a playful, irreverent tone [01:28].

2. What’s the Difference?

[05:53] A trivia round distinguishing terms.

Topic 1: Fair vs. Carnival
- Cooper: “A carnival, you have to have carnies—the people that smell like cabbage who usually have something wrong with their teeth.” [06:08]
- Larissa (with 4-H experience): Fairs are agricultural/trade-based; carnivals are specifically about games and rides. [06:41]
- Host verdict: Both partially right. Fairs = annual/trade event. Carnivals = traveling amusement. 1 point each.
Topic 2: Fair vs. Just
- Larissa: “Fair is everyone gets equal things... Just is when people get what they need for access.” [08:57]
- Cooper jokes: “Fair is a public event... and carnival has rides.” [09:33]
- Judges: “Fair” = balanced, equal for all; “Just” = by the rules/law. Larissa gets half a point.

Notable Quote

“It is the slipperiest surface once slime is on [the stage]... they tell you, ‘Don’t move. Really. Because you will slip and you will crack your head open.’”
—Cooper Barnes on Kids Choice Awards slime [13:23]

3. In-Depth Interviews

Cooper Barnes

[11:23]

On the lasting popularity of Nickelodeon’s “Dangerverse.”
The awkwardness of former child fans turning into adult fans—sometimes meeting him at the gym.
Acting in kids’ shows means feeling responsible for the younger cast.
Slime stories & “the inside story” of avoiding major injuries.

Larissa FastHorse

[14:12]

Reflects on her milestone as the first Native American woman Broadway playwright.
On the tight-knit, surprisingly small Broadway community.
Fun fact: Playwrights on Broadway must carry Sharpies.
- “One of the Peaches gave me a Sharpie… said, you need this. You have to have one of these. And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is so crazy. I’m a playwright!’” [15:17]
Origin of her surname: From “He who Steals Horses Fast and Gets Away with It” (shortened to FastHorse). [15:53]
Consulting on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: Bringing authentic Native voices, creating the first permanent Wampanoag float, and removing pilgrim imagery from Tom Turkey and the parade. [17:02]

Trivia Spotlight: Cooper Barnes on “Transformers: The Movie” (1986)

[21:29]

Superfan status confirmed: “I saw it yesterday. Actually, in all fairness, I saw it today.” [21:50]
Expert Guest: Dr. Anne Bryant, composer of the iconic Transformers TV theme.
Quiz Highlights:
- Orson Welles was the voice of Unicron in his final film role. [22:41]
- The reason for the film’s PG rating: inclusion of a surprise swear word (rare for '80s animation). [23:43]
- Frank Welker (legendary voice actor) did not voice the character Blurr (that was John Moschitta, the Micro Machines guy). [25:06]
- The “universal greeting”: “Ba weep grana weep ninny bon.” [26:22]
- The UK version’s ending: “Optimus Prime will return.” [27:46]
Music Cluster Fact Challenge:
- Band that performed opening theme: Lion.
- Number of “Transformers” sung: 10. (Cooper guessed 6.)
- Ann Bryant composed the melody first on piano, not electric guitar.

Expert Segment: Dr. Anne Bryant

[30:32]

Recalls the “baby was born with no labor” inspiration for the Transformers theme. [33:01]
Unique facts: The theme’s five-note phrase (“More than meets the eye”) is a never-before-used melodic cell, according to musicologists. [34:02]
On writing for cartoons: “I hear music in my head. It’s going on now. I mean, it’s a disease. But it’s a really good one.” [31:54]
Warm moment:
- “Doctor, I’m so grateful to you for what you created. It made my childhood and my whole life so much richer. So thank you.”
  —Cooper Barnes to Dr. Bryant [38:32]

Trivia Spotlight: Larissa FastHorse on “Peter Pan” (Play & 1954 Musical)

[41:16]

Admits she spent years avoiding the original, due to its portrayal of Native Americans. Tasked to rewrite it, she unearthed its lasting positive themes—aiming to “lift up the good and leave the rest behind.” [41:16]
Quiz Highlights:
- Tinkerbell is the “sometimes blinking light” fairy and unofficial Disney mascot. [42:42]
- Directions to Neverland: “Second star to the right and straight on ‘til morning.” [43:22]
- Boris Karloff (Frankenstein) once played Captain Hook. [44:11]
- Which body part is NOT in a Peter Pan song? (“Ears”—trickily, mustache is included!) [45:03]
- The Darling family nurse Nana is a Newfoundland by breed (not sheepdog or schnauzer). [46:08]
Expert Guest: Cathy Rigby McCoy, Tony-nominated gymnast/actor best known for playing Peter Pan in 3,000+ performances.
- Fun fact: As a reward for making the 1968 Olympic team, her father let her have a capuchin monkey. [48:56]
- Cathy describes the lengthy evolution in how Tiger Lily and “Ugga Wug” are portrayed: “[We] took out 99.9% of the lyrics and just made it a dance drum number.” [51:01]
- Fun & hair-raising: Her flying solo over the audience in curtain call required careful choreography—and sometimes yelling, “Sit down!” to avoid crashing into tall theatergoers. [56:23]
- Even more mind-blowing: There is an image of Cathy, as a gymnast, encoded on the Voyager spacecraft’s Golden Record, currently traversing interstellar space. [53:51]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Cooper Barnes, on spandex:
“Spandex is unforgiving. And it. It doesn’t care. It doesn’t care if you ate that extra piece of pizza. Doesn’t care if you didn’t get enough sleep and couldn’t work out that day. Spandex don’t care.” [03:50]
Larissa FastHorse, on signing autographs as a playwright:
“Playwrights actually have to carry a Sharpie and sign things, which happens nowhere else in the world.” [15:12]
Helen Hong, marveling at Cathy Rigby's stage flying:
“Didn’t realize how fast they were flinging you around the stage… I swear to God, you were going 40 miles an hour.” [52:46]
Cathy Rigby (on her theater flying training):
“To get a good flight out over the audience, you have to have a point on your wire that goes kind of far out... Sometimes people would stand up and they’d have the tallest person right in the middle. So I’d have to go, ‘Sit down!’” [56:18, 56:23]
Larissa FastHorse, on adapting Peter Pan:
“So often in this culture, what we do is we just cancel things. I was like, no, there’s so much good in it. Like, how do you take the good out of it and lift that up and leave some of the other things behind?” [41:55]

Important Timestamps

Comic Book Nostalgia/Transformers: 19:08–39:10
Dr. Anne Bryant Interview: 30:32–39:06
Larissa FastHorse on Peter Pan: 41:16–57:13
Cathy Rigby Interview: 47:35–57:13
Peter Pan Flying Stories: ~53:00–56:44
Fun with Monkeys/Gymnastics Side-discussion: 48:56–49:05

Game and Results

Cooper Barnes’ specialist topic: “Transformers: The Movie (1986)”—dominated the trivia, impressing hosts and guest expert.
Larissa FastHorse’s specialist topic: “Peter Pan”—performed admirably; appreciated for thoughtful critique and humor.
Grand Prize Winner: Cooper Barnes (10 pts).
Notable runner-up: Larissa FastHorse (7.5 pts).

Final Thoughts / Episode Tone

This episode crackled with playful nerd energy and showbiz camaraderie, as both guests brought their passions—and delightful quirks—front and center. Cooper’s encyclopedic Transformers knowledge met its match with a surprise expert. Larissa shared personal insights into reimagining Broadway’s classics for a more inclusive age. Appearances by Anne Bryant and Cathy Rigby provided unique behind-the-scenes glimpses into American pop culture history.

Quote for the Ages:

“Judy Garland told you to take a compliment… Well, take this one. I’m so grateful to you for what you created. It made my childhood and my whole life so much richer. So thank you.”
— Cooper Barnes to Dr. Anne Bryant [38:32]

Episode Links and Recommendations

Cooper Barnes: NBC’s “St. Denis Medical”, RaptorCon Evansville, and meet him for “Transformers” serenades.
Larissa FastHorse: Upcoming solo show at Seattle Rep; new plays at Public and Yale Rep.
Helen Hong: Socials @funnyhelenhong
J. Keith van Straaten: Trivia event hosting via bigquizthing.com, storytelling events at Rogue Machine Theater LA.

For future live shows, merch, or podcast info: gofactyourpod.com
Maximum Fun Network: maximumfun.org

A fun, fast, and heartfelt episode, bringing together cartoons, classics, and contemporary creativity—with big laughs and big smarts.

Go Fact Yourself – Episode 179 Summary

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Meet the Contestants & Opening Banter

[02:31]

Cooper Barnes:
- Actor/producer, best known from Nickelodeon’s “Henry Danger” & “Danger Force.”
- Big comic book/superhero fan: “It was a dream come true for a while [to play a kids’ superhero]... Then you realize I’m getting, like, bashed in the head with a breakaway chair or something every episode.” [03:09]
- Discusses the dubious joys of spandex costumes and being an on-screen role model for kids.
Larissa FastHorse:
- MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient, Native American playwright (notably “The Thanksgiving Play”).
- Shares the strangeness of being labeled a genius and what it’s like carrying a famous arts fellowship.
- Talks about her ballet career (spandex bond with Cooper) and being Broadway’s first Native American woman playwright.
- On the weight of the “genius” title: “It’s a strange thing that you get… while you still have time to screw it up.” [04:22]
Opening Fun: Helen Hong confesses a dark but comic fascination with survivalist cannibalism (“Alive,” the Donner Party, “The Terror”)—setting a playful, irreverent tone [01:28].

2. What’s the Difference?

[05:53] A trivia round distinguishing terms.

Topic 1: Fair vs. Carnival
- Cooper: “A carnival, you have to have carnies—the people that smell like cabbage who usually have something wrong with their teeth.” [06:08]
- Larissa (with 4-H experience): Fairs are agricultural/trade-based; carnivals are specifically about games and rides. [06:41]
- Host verdict: Both partially right. Fairs = annual/trade event. Carnivals = traveling amusement. 1 point each.
Topic 2: Fair vs. Just
- Larissa: “Fair is everyone gets equal things... Just is when people get what they need for access.” [08:57]
- Cooper jokes: “Fair is a public event... and carnival has rides.” [09:33]
- Judges: “Fair” = balanced, equal for all; “Just” = by the rules/law. Larissa gets half a point.

Notable Quote

3. In-Depth Interviews

Cooper Barnes

[11:23]

On the lasting popularity of Nickelodeon’s “Dangerverse.”
The awkwardness of former child fans turning into adult fans—sometimes meeting him at the gym.
Acting in kids’ shows means feeling responsible for the younger cast.
Slime stories & “the inside story” of avoiding major injuries.

Larissa FastHorse

[14:12]

Reflects on her milestone as the first Native American woman Broadway playwright.
On the tight-knit, surprisingly small Broadway community.
Fun fact: Playwrights on Broadway must carry Sharpies.
- “One of the Peaches gave me a Sharpie… said, you need this. You have to have one of these. And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is so crazy. I’m a playwright!’” [15:17]
Origin of her surname: From “He who Steals Horses Fast and Gets Away with It” (shortened to FastHorse). [15:53]
Consulting on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: Bringing authentic Native voices, creating the first permanent Wampanoag float, and removing pilgrim imagery from Tom Turkey and the parade. [17:02]

Trivia Spotlight: Cooper Barnes on “Transformers: The Movie” (1986)

[21:29]

Superfan status confirmed: “I saw it yesterday. Actually, in all fairness, I saw it today.” [21:50]
Expert Guest: Dr. Anne Bryant, composer of the iconic Transformers TV theme.
Quiz Highlights:
- Orson Welles was the voice of Unicron in his final film role. [22:41]
- The reason for the film’s PG rating: inclusion of a surprise swear word (rare for '80s animation). [23:43]
- Frank Welker (legendary voice actor) did not voice the character Blurr (that was John Moschitta, the Micro Machines guy). [25:06]
- The “universal greeting”: “Ba weep grana weep ninny bon.” [26:22]
- The UK version’s ending: “Optimus Prime will return.” [27:46]
Music Cluster Fact Challenge:
- Band that performed opening theme: Lion.
- Number of “Transformers” sung: 10. (Cooper guessed 6.)
- Ann Bryant composed the melody first on piano, not electric guitar.

Expert Segment: Dr. Anne Bryant

[30:32]

Recalls the “baby was born with no labor” inspiration for the Transformers theme. [33:01]
Unique facts: The theme’s five-note phrase (“More than meets the eye”) is a never-before-used melodic cell, according to musicologists. [34:02]
On writing for cartoons: “I hear music in my head. It’s going on now. I mean, it’s a disease. But it’s a really good one.” [31:54]
Warm moment:
- “Doctor, I’m so grateful to you for what you created. It made my childhood and my whole life so much richer. So thank you.”
  —Cooper Barnes to Dr. Bryant [38:32]

Trivia Spotlight: Larissa FastHorse on “Peter Pan” (Play & 1954 Musical)

[41:16]

Admits she spent years avoiding the original, due to its portrayal of Native Americans. Tasked to rewrite it, she unearthed its lasting positive themes—aiming to “lift up the good and leave the rest behind.” [41:16]
Quiz Highlights:
- Tinkerbell is the “sometimes blinking light” fairy and unofficial Disney mascot. [42:42]
- Directions to Neverland: “Second star to the right and straight on ‘til morning.” [43:22]
- Boris Karloff (Frankenstein) once played Captain Hook. [44:11]
- Which body part is NOT in a Peter Pan song? (“Ears”—trickily, mustache is included!) [45:03]
- The Darling family nurse Nana is a Newfoundland by breed (not sheepdog or schnauzer). [46:08]
Expert Guest: Cathy Rigby McCoy, Tony-nominated gymnast/actor best known for playing Peter Pan in 3,000+ performances.
- Fun fact: As a reward for making the 1968 Olympic team, her father let her have a capuchin monkey. [48:56]
- Cathy describes the lengthy evolution in how Tiger Lily and “Ugga Wug” are portrayed: “[We] took out 99.9% of the lyrics and just made it a dance drum number.” [51:01]
- Fun & hair-raising: Her flying solo over the audience in curtain call required careful choreography—and sometimes yelling, “Sit down!” to avoid crashing into tall theatergoers. [56:23]
- Even more mind-blowing: There is an image of Cathy, as a gymnast, encoded on the Voyager spacecraft’s Golden Record, currently traversing interstellar space. [53:51]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Cooper Barnes, on spandex:
“Spandex is unforgiving. And it. It doesn’t care. It doesn’t care if you ate that extra piece of pizza. Doesn’t care if you didn’t get enough sleep and couldn’t work out that day. Spandex don’t care.” [03:50]
Larissa FastHorse, on signing autographs as a playwright:
“Playwrights actually have to carry a Sharpie and sign things, which happens nowhere else in the world.” [15:12]
Helen Hong, marveling at Cathy Rigby's stage flying:
“Didn’t realize how fast they were flinging you around the stage… I swear to God, you were going 40 miles an hour.” [52:46]
Cathy Rigby (on her theater flying training):
“To get a good flight out over the audience, you have to have a point on your wire that goes kind of far out... Sometimes people would stand up and they’d have the tallest person right in the middle. So I’d have to go, ‘Sit down!’” [56:18, 56:23]
Larissa FastHorse, on adapting Peter Pan:
“So often in this culture, what we do is we just cancel things. I was like, no, there’s so much good in it. Like, how do you take the good out of it and lift that up and leave some of the other things behind?” [41:55]

Important Timestamps

Comic Book Nostalgia/Transformers: 19:08–39:10
Dr. Anne Bryant Interview: 30:32–39:06
Larissa FastHorse on Peter Pan: 41:16–57:13
Cathy Rigby Interview: 47:35–57:13
Peter Pan Flying Stories: ~53:00–56:44
Fun with Monkeys/Gymnastics Side-discussion: 48:56–49:05

Game and Results

Cooper Barnes’ specialist topic: “Transformers: The Movie (1986)”—dominated the trivia, impressing hosts and guest expert.
Larissa FastHorse’s specialist topic: “Peter Pan”—performed admirably; appreciated for thoughtful critique and humor.
Grand Prize Winner: Cooper Barnes (10 pts).
Notable runner-up: Larissa FastHorse (7.5 pts).

Final Thoughts / Episode Tone

Quote for the Ages:

“Judy Garland told you to take a compliment… Well, take this one. I’m so grateful to you for what you created. It made my childhood and my whole life so much richer. So thank you.”
— Cooper Barnes to Dr. Anne Bryant [38:32]

Episode Links and Recommendations

Cooper Barnes: NBC’s “St. Denis Medical”, RaptorCon Evansville, and meet him for “Transformers” serenades.
Larissa FastHorse: Upcoming solo show at Seattle Rep; new plays at Public and Yale Rep.
Helen Hong: Socials @funnyhelenhong
J. Keith van Straaten: Trivia event hosting via bigquizthing.com, storytelling events at Rogue Machine Theater LA.

For future live shows, merch, or podcast info: gofactyourpod.com
Maximum Fun Network: maximumfun.org

A fun, fast, and heartfelt episode, bringing together cartoons, classics, and contemporary creativity—with big laughs and big smarts.

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Ep. 179: Cooper Barnes & Larissa FastHorse

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Summary

Go Fact Yourself – Episode 179 Summary

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Meet the Contestants & Opening Banter

2. What’s the Difference?

Notable Quote

3. In-Depth Interviews

Cooper Barnes

Larissa FastHorse

Trivia Spotlight: Cooper Barnes on “Transformers: The Movie” (1986)

Expert Segment: Dr. Anne Bryant

Trivia Spotlight: Larissa FastHorse on “Peter Pan” (Play & 1954 Musical)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Important Timestamps

Game and Results

Final Thoughts / Episode Tone

Episode Links and Recommendations

Summary

Go Fact Yourself – Episode 179 Summary

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Meet the Contestants & Opening Banter

2. What’s the Difference?

Notable Quote

3. In-Depth Interviews

Cooper Barnes

Larissa FastHorse

Trivia Spotlight: Cooper Barnes on “Transformers: The Movie” (1986)

Expert Segment: Dr. Anne Bryant

Trivia Spotlight: Larissa FastHorse on “Peter Pan” (Play & 1954 Musical)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Important Timestamps

Game and Results

Final Thoughts / Episode Tone

Episode Links and Recommendations