#4619 Hat Trick

Summary

TBTL #4619 “Hat Trick” – December 15, 2025

Main Theme and Purpose

In this episode of TBTL: Too Beautiful To Live, hosts Luke Burbank and Andrew Walsh gather for a Monday edition filled with their trademark blend of social observations, pop culture detours, and personal anecdotes. The show is split between tributes to the late Rob Reiner, whose films had a profound impact on both hosts, and signature TBTL banter about everyday absurdities—from lost hats and nervous football fandom to the etiquette (and awkwardness) of “shoes-off” households.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Remembering Rob Reiner (53:19–69:44)

• Rob Reiner’s Passing & Legacy
  Luke and Andrew open the “Top Story” by reflecting on the death of director Rob Reiner at 78, as well as his wife. Luke expresses surprise at being so emotionally affected by Reiner’s passing.

  • “I don't know if there's a director who has been involved in more different film projects that have had a bigger impact on me.” — Luke (02:43)
  • Luke shares how certain Reiner films form the backbone of his cultural memory and even daily thought: The Princess Bride, Spinal Tap, and When Harry Met Sally (54:26).
  • They discuss the origins of When Harry Met Sally, Reiner’s friendship with Nora Ephron, and how meeting his future wife on set changed the script's ending to a more hopeful note.
    • “He changed the ending of When Harry Met Sally… because of his love for her.” — Luke (56:44)
  • Andrew notes the string of Reiner’s early films as almost peerless (“no fat in between… it's just incredible” (70:27)), with seven genre-defining hits in succession.

• Emotional Impact of Films & Legacy

  • Luke describes being unexpectedly choked up trying to quote the “as you wish” scene from The Princess Bride to his parents (03:21, 59:07).
  • They reflect on Reiner’s political and social legacy, particularly his advocacy for marriage equality and early childhood education (57:45).
  • The hosts lament recent political tastelessness, contrasting Reiner’s grace with certain public figures’ responses to his death (61:09).

• Rob Reiner vs Other Directors
  They contrast Reiner's under-recognized versatility and humility with more “prestige”-oriented auteurs like Scorsese or Spielberg.

  • “I don't think you get the sense from Rob Reiner that he was obsessed with his own prestige… he wasn't trying to make one style of movie.” — Luke (73:08)

Notable Quotes

• Luke: “I probably don't go a day without thinking of at least one of those movies or a line from one of those [Reiner movies].” (54:26)
• Andrew: “That's the only one I have no context for. But it goes: This Is Spinal Tap, The Sure Thing, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, A Few Good Men… There's not even… no fat in between… just incredible.” (70:27)

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2. Football Nerves, Family Gatherings & Self-Observation (08:10–15:28)

• Luke recounts a family gathering intended as a mellow holiday party that devolved into an intense Seahawks watch party. His attempt to capture a triumphant family reaction on video yields candid footage of himself nervously pacing, nail-biting, and hair-stroking:

  • “What I observed, Andrew, was a full on maniac named Luke Burbank who was chewing down on his nails like a cartoon beaver on a log.” (10:53)
  • The relief of the Seahawks’ win was mostly about preserving the mood at the family event.
  • Self-reflection is spurred by seeing his own anxious habits captured on camera.

• Andrew’s “Community Moment”
  Andrew describes listening to the game in his car and having a moment of camaraderie with the driver behind him—both pumping their fists when the Seahawks kicked the winning field goal (24:38).

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3. The Tale of the Flying Hat (18:01–25:32)

• Andrew recounts a peculiar Seattle adventure involving a bicyclist in a “Hustle Hustle Win” hat that flies off in traffic:
  • Despite the biker having a slightly annoying “I don’t care” attitude, Andrew retrieves the hat and pursues its owner, resulting in a comic, awkward roadside handoff.
    • “He seemed very happy to have the hat, and he was very. And now we're getting married.” — Andrew (22:31)
  • Conversation lightly touches on whether there are hats one simply wouldn’t return (e.g., MAGA hats).

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4. Shoes-Off Households & Stand-Up Comedy Etiquette (26:25–34:58)

• House Rules & Social Awkwardness
  Luke discusses the tricky etiquette of “shoes-off” zones in his own home, triggered by new, easily-soiled carpet on his stairs.

  • “Maybe the upstairs is shoes off. Maybe that's the plan. So I'm here… even as I'm low key, kind of hoping part of my house is shoes off.” — Luke (28:16)

• Sebastian Maniscalco Bit
  Andrew plays a classic bit from comedian Sebastian Maniscalco lampooning the awkward ritual of grown-up guests removing their shoes:

  • “Now I got to remove my shoes in front of two people I just met. Try and hold a conversation. It's strange…” — Maniscalco via Andrew (31:30)
  • The conversation broadens into how forced sock exposure feels weirdly intimate or embarrassing in adult social situations, and how shoes can be vital to a carefully chosen outfit (34:29).

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5. Professional Tools & Radio Banter (06:26–08:10)

• Andrew reveals his excitement about finally receiving a professional microphone stand. The pair riff nostalgically on radio headphones (“Show me a pair of these Sony headphones and I will show you the sticker that has never been removed…” — Luke (07:05)), and on the trivial rituals and tactile details of their own broadcasting histories.

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6. TikTok Fame, Monetization, and “Some Guy Mark” (35:20–39:44)

• The duo digress into musings about internet micro-celebrities, pondering whether comedians like “some guy Mark” (famed on TikTok and Instagram) aspire to traditional “bigger breaks,” or if social media is the new endgame for comedy fame (37:24).
  • “That shows you how sort of how outdated my mindset is… I don't think that's what people are aspiring for anymore.” — Luke (37:24)

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7. Age, Appearances & Barbershop Banter (43:01–47:44)

• Luke recounts his awkward Great Clips experience, fielding the classic “star power” assessment from a hairdresser struggling for a Star Wars joke (“Isn't that Luke Skywalker’s mother’s name?”), and a gentle ribbing on the inexorable passage of time (“Your advanced age? What are you, mid-50s?” (46:38)).

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8. Candle Mishaps & Pet Heroics (76:47–83:03)

• V-Mail: Cat on Fire!
  • Tiffany (listener) tells a harrowing story about her cat Anna Karenina accidentally igniting her tail on a candle and the chaotic rescue that followed—echoing Andrew’s recent on-air panic with his own cat Bingo (75:10; vmail at 76:47).
    • “It was an absolute nightmare. She shredded my arm completely, which is understandable because I was very aggressive with her. I was very scared. And she had some pretty severe burns on her tail.” — Tiffany (78:17)
  • The story serves as a PSA for pet safety around candles and, lightly, for babies as well (82:22).

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9. Miscellaneous Banter, Local Color, and Visual Bits

• Mike Stand Excitement: Andrew’s professional studio setup stirs envy (“I feel like I'm a little underdressed.” — Luke (06:26))
• Seattle Neighborhoods in 3D: Andrew offers granular navigation details of his Roosevelt Ave adventure, local donut/weed shop shoutouts, and a sidequest to return a lost ball cap.
• Merch & Slogans: The fun in mocking aspirational slogans on clothing: “The aspiration that many of us feature on our clothing is not met with the lives we're living” — Luke (25:40)
• Weather Updates: Vivid descriptions of stormy Northwest weather and hot tub cover mishaps.
• Endearing Family Chatter: Luke’s family, "white elephant" holiday games, and finding the true capacity of his house.

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Memorable Moments & Quotes (With Timestamps)

• On Rob Reiner’s Influence:
  “I probably don't go a day without thinking of at least one of those movies or a line from one of those.” — Luke (54:26)
• On Being Surprised by Your Own Habits:
  “What I observed, Andrew, was a full on maniac named Luke Burbank who was chewing down on his nails like a cartoon beaver on a log.” — Luke (10:53)
• On Lost Hat Drama:
  “Now I've got this guy's hat, which is interesting because it's something like. It's a black hat, and that says in black embossed thread something like, hustle, hustle, win, or something. I'm like, boy, this is just such a non hustle, win situation.” — Andrew (19:57)
• On Shoes-Off Households:
  “My shoes come off once a night. That's it.” — Maniscalco via Andrew (30:49)
• On “It’s All About the Socks”:
  “The foot part of the socks… that feels personal. That's for me at home, with, you know, with my special person.” — Luke (33:12)
• On Candle Safety and Cats:
  “Anna was standing on the coffee table with her tail on fire from the candle. But she didn't realize that her tail was on fire because it hadn’t reached her skin yet.” — Tiffany (listener) (77:20)
• On Outdated Mindsets:
  “That shows you how sort of how outdated my mindset is… I don't think that's what people are aspiring for anymore.” — Luke (37:24)
• Rob Reiner’s Pace-setting Directorial Run:
  “‘This Is Spinal Tap, The Sure Thing, Stand By Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, A Few Good Men.’... there's not even, it's not like, oh, this is a collection of great films… just incredible.” — Andrew (70:27)
• On Political Decency:
  “I did not think that I could still be shocked by the behavior of that guy. I really thought… nothing would surprise me from that guy, but. But that actually surprised me.” — Luke (61:09)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening Banter & Pop Culture Quotes: 00:00–01:23
• Rob Reiner Tribute, Impact & Legacy: 02:40–03:54, resumes at 53:19–69:44
• Football Watch Party & Family Stress: 08:10–15:28
• Andrew’s Neighborhood Hat Adventure: 18:01–25:32
• Shoes-Off Houses & Sebastian Maniscalco Bit: 26:25–34:58
• Professional Headphones, Mic Stands, and Studio Talk: 06:26–08:10
• TikTok Monetization & 'Some Guy Mark': 35:20–39:44
• Aging, Barbershop Small Talk: 43:01–47:44
• Listener V-Mail: Candle and Cat Fire Story: 76:47–83:03

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Conclusion

This episode exemplifies the TBTL blend: it is both a loving eulogy for an underappreciated artistic giant and a showcase for comedic detail about the mundane (shoes, hats, holiday parties, and cats on fire). The show’s heart shines through in tributes to Reiner’s work and ethos, all filtered through Luke and Andrew’s self-deprecating, warmly goofy lens.

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Power Out:
“You fool. You fell victim to one of the classic blunders. The most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia. But only slightly less well known is this: never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line. Power out.” (83:48)

Transcript

[Luke Burbank]

If you can see. Yeah, the numbers all go to 11.

[Andrew Walsh]

Look, does that mean it's louder? Is it any louder? Well, it's one louder, isn't it?

[Luke Burbank]

It's not 10.

[Andrew Walsh]

You see, most, most blokes you're gonna.

[Luke Burbank]

Be playing at 10. You're on 10 on your guitar.

[Andrew Walsh]

Where can you go from there?

[Luke Burbank]

Where? I don't know where exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you.

[Andrew Walsh]

Know what we do?

[Luke Burbank]

Put it up to 11. 11, exactly.

[Andrew Walsh]

One louder. Why don't you just make 10 louder.

[Luke Burbank]

And make 10 be the top number and make that a little louder. These count to 11.

[Andrew Walsh]

TBTL.

[Tiffany]

I'd like the chef salad, please, with the oil and vinegar on the side.

[Luke Burbank]

And the apple pie Alamoto.

[Tiffany]

But I'd like the pie heated and.

[Luke Burbank]

I don't want the ice cream on.

[Tiffany]

Top, I want it on the side. And I'd like strawberry instead of vanilla if you have it. If not, then no ice cream, just whipped cream. But only if it's real. If it's out of a can, then nothing.

[Andrew Walsh]

Where am I? The bit of despair. Don't even think. Don't even think about trying to escape. Did you ever run into a musical group, works out of Kansas City, calls themselves Four Jacks in a Jill.

[Luke Burbank]

They've been at a Ramadan there for about 18 months.

[Andrew Walsh]

If you're ever in Kansas City and.

[Luke Burbank]

You want to hear some good music.

[Andrew Walsh]

You might want to drop by. I can't compete with you physically and you're no match for my brain.

[Luke Burbank]

I'll have what she's having. All right. Hello, good morning and welcome everybody. Welcome everyone to a Monday edition of tbtl, the show that just might be too beautiful to live.

[Andrew Walsh]

I thought they smelled bad on the outside.

[Luke Burbank]

My name is Luke Burbank. I'm your host.

[Andrew Walsh]

You're about to see some serious voices.

[Luke Burbank]

Coming to you from the Madrona Hill studio perched high above the mighty Columbia where it is a dark, stormy, ah, rainy, windy day.

[Andrew Walsh]

Don't stay in my house if you're dark sided.

[Luke Burbank]

We had an incident this morning where the wind blew the COVID off of the hot tub and deposited it two neighbors over to wander through my neighbor's yards trying to find the COVID to the hot tub situation. It's now got a cinder block, a very attractive cinder block sitting on top of it to try to keep it down to see if we can keep the wind from doing its thing. Luckily, things are not as windy here inside the Madrona Hill studio as we bring you episode 4619 in a collector series. Let the fun begin. We will remember the career and life of Rob Reiner today.

[Andrew Walsh]

Isn't he the best?

[Luke Burbank]

I, you know, wasn't really thinking, I guess, of Rob Reiner a whole lot over the past months off the top of my head. But as I've been considering his life and career this morning, as a lot of people have, I don't know if there's a director who has been involved in more different film projects that have had a bigger impact on me. Talking about Princess Bride Marriage is what brings us together today. Talking about, you know, of course, When Harry Met Sally, Spinal Tap, as you heard at the intro to the show, Misery was a movie he directed.

[Andrew Walsh]

This isn't what happened last week. Have you all got amnesia?

[Luke Burbank]

I was walking around not thinking about how important Rob Reiner was to my actual life until today. And I want to talk about that a little bit. And I want to also mention that as I was discussing this with my parents, because, of course, my parents were also here this morning because I guess they live with me. And I was just trying to talk about some of the scenes from, like, the Princess Bride. And I couldn't stop getting choked up not crying.

[Andrew Walsh]

It's just been raining. On my face.

[Luke Burbank]

So I've actually got the TBTL crying music ready if I need to just pop this in or something. I can, if it comes down to that. Anyway, we're gonna talk about Rob Reiner today and we're gonna talk to this guy. Longest running cobra of the show. Maybe best known for his depictions of the tall ships. I know what he wants to talk about. His fancy new microphone stand. You gotta eat that microphone. He's Andrew Walsh and he's joining me right now. Looking good, my friend.

[Andrew Walsh]

Thank you. You also might need some sneeze music. This is the first time I fighting a sneeze at the very beginning of the show. So my apologies if I think the.

[Luke Burbank]

Crying music will also work as sneezing.

[Andrew Walsh]

Really? So great. It'll. It'll kind of confuse the listeners, though. They won't know.

[Luke Burbank]

You don't want them to think you're crying when really all you're doing is sneezing.

[Andrew Walsh]

Right, Exactly. I was excited. I even wrote in the newsletter on Friday because I was waiting for my new mic stand to show up on on Friday afternoon. And I had this weird thing. I had this Note from F. FedEx. You know you can track your packages these days, Luke, because the Internet. Yeah. And I'm on the FedEx page specific to my order. And it had been maybe I ordered it a week and a half earlier. You know, it's the holidays, things are getting here slowly. This was not an Amazon purchase where it arrives before you buy it or anything like that. So I'm watching the FedEx page on Friday, very excited. I'm like, it's gonna get here any moment now. Any moment now. But the FedEx page was doing something silly, Luke, which was it was saying that it was going to arrive before 5pm and I'm, you know, like sitting here and it's like 4 o', clock, 4:15, 4:30. But it's also saying it's in some town or suburb called New Haven, Indiana. And yeah, it's outside, pretty far from Fort Wayne, I want to say, where you live. Right. And so it says that the last update is Fort Wayne, Indiana, or wherever New Haven is. I think it's somewhere in that area. But it also says it's going to be here in a half hour. And I'm like, one of these things is not right. Yeah. And then eventually it said, you know what? It's not going to get there today. We don't know. FedEx basically said, we don't know when it's going to get there. It's still in our system, but we don't know what's going on with this anymore. And I was like, well, that's a real bummer. And then I kind of forgot about it. Then Yesterday evening, around 5:30 at night, I'm coming home. I pull into my little driveway area and I see a box sitting there waiting for me. Luke. So my Sunday night was installing this bad boy and now I feel like a professional broadcaster.

[Luke Burbank]

It looks great and honestly, it puts some pressure on me to really up my game. You look so. You look like you're now in a professional radio studio with that. Because that is the setup. The thing you're using is what is in almost all of the professional radio studios that I remember that I've worked in. And now I feel like I'm a little underdressed.

[Andrew Walsh]

We both have the classic headphones, though.

[Luke Burbank]

We both feel like a corn dog at a heart at a hot dog party.

[Andrew Walsh]

And what are the old Sony head.

[Luke Burbank]

Did you leave? And of course you saw the sticker on.

[Andrew Walsh]

I've never been in a studio that doesn't use these Sony headphones.

[Luke Burbank]

And this is the move. Show me a pair of these Sony headphones and I will show you the sticker that has never been removed from them.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, wait, you did remove on this Side but you. That's funny.

[Luke Burbank]

First of all, sticker that says professional. That's always on these things.

[Andrew Walsh]

Not true.

[Luke Burbank]

Some reason. Oh, you took yours off.

[Andrew Walsh]

I always take it off, in fact.

[Luke Burbank]

And then you hit it with a little. You hit it with a little goof off or something to get the glue.

[Andrew Walsh]

Off of there if need be. I was going to say, I see that you peeled one of yours off, but the real sin there is you left goo on underneath it. I can't believe that.

[Luke Burbank]

Andrew, I'm a nervous wreck and I can tell you about this. Not to jump ahead in the plot, but you know, there was that football game yesterday, the Seahawks played the Colts and of course the guy, Philip Rivers, very old, he was playing and my whole family. What's that?

[Andrew Walsh]

I just for folks who weren't following, the old guy was playing against us on the other against us.

[Luke Burbank]

And as the week went on, I started seeing more commentary that was like, this is actually incredibly dangerous what is happening to Philip Rivers and very irresponsible of everybody involved. Like we're gonna need after, after Philip Rivers dies on the field, we're gonna need essentially, you know, some kind of an inquiry as to who was responsible for this happening.

[Andrew Walsh]

That was the tone rare situation where they were considering starting with the blue tent on the field. It was actually the blue tent was going to be behind center.

[Luke Burbank]

My brother in law, Josh, by the way, was the first person that I heard coin this Old Man Rivers.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh yeah, nice.

[Luke Burbank]

Pretty good spoof. It was right there. And I mean I did like your. I liked atmospheric rivers that you came up with. That was very topical. But I thought, I'm surprised we haven't been throwing Old Man Rivers around. Maybe the fact that it was sung by a black man in Carousel, maybe that complicates things. But I still. So my family was over for kind of a holiday get together, which I told everyone who wasn't into football, which is really actually a small subset of my family. It'd be basically my sister Liz and her husband and her sons. And they're not like anti football people. That's not like their personality. But they just don't like make it an event every Sunday to watch the game. But I told Liz I was like, the game's gonna be on in the background. There won't even be any sound. We're just gonna be having a holiday party. Some people may be checking in on the game occasionally.

[Andrew Walsh]

And you're picturing it. It's going to be like 35 to 3.

[Luke Burbank]

It's going to be a laugher.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

And, you know, so, because, you know, I wanted this to be a fun holiday party. I didn't want it to be a sort of obsessive football event again for the people that just don't care about that much. I'm more into having the holidays with my family than I am into watching the Seahawks, believe it or not. But when I tell you, Andrew, that we were locked in as a group, you know, there was, I don't know, 16, 17 people in the house just like obsessing over this game, hyper fixated to the point where I thought, well, if we managed to win this, it might be a funny piece of video to show my whole family. I mean, my house was packed. I think I've learned what the capacity of my little house is, and it's about 16 people.

[Andrew Walsh]

So would you say your house has a limit?

[Luke Burbank]

I would say there's a maximum number of people that can be in my house.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, okay. That's how you say that.

[Luke Burbank]

Okay. We achieved that.

[Andrew Walsh]

You achieved the max.

[Luke Burbank]

I know a guy who's achieved, achieved that. So I, I, I set up my cell phone camera on like a shelf kind of by the TV and was, and had it so it was filming us. So that when, if we had a triumphant moment of like salting the game away, if we had a big touchdown or something at, towards the end, like, you could, I thought it might be a funny video of us all being celebratory or something. And the game was, you know, we didn't, there sort of wasn't that exact moment. I mean, there was the field goal that we, I don't know how closely you watch the game.

[Andrew Walsh]

I'll tell you this. I was working, but then I got in the car just to hear that final field goal. And the radio call was so confusing to me because Rabel the announcer got so excited, but I couldn't tell if it was anger or happiness. And it was just freaking out. And so I couldn't tell if it had actually gone through or not.

[Luke Burbank]

We won on this last second field goal, but actually there were a few seconds left. There were still 18 seconds left in the game. And it was just such a weird game that I, you know, I went from jubilation that we made this field goal to, like, being just freaked out that some kind of weird, you know, sort of exogenous event was going to happen with Philip rivers throwing a 60 yard pass or something. It didn't happen. The Seahawks ended up amazingly winning the game. But I went back to look at the video later in the night because I wanted to see if there was that sort of classic moment. And there kind of was. I didn't, it wasn't the greatest framing. The video did not have the greatest framing because it was just my cell phone. I kind of hastily put it up there. But what I observed, Andrew, was a full on maniac named Luke Burbank who was chewing down on his nails like a cartoon beaver on a log. And I now I know that I chew my nails because I don't clip them. And so I know that it happens, but I'm not conscious of doing it, if that makes any sense. And what I was watching it was, it was almost like CCTV of me pacing, biting my nails, quaffing my hair in a. Not my hair didn't need quaffing. It was a nervous tick that I was doing. I was, it was the strangest thing to observe myself in this state because even though I set the camera up, I quickly forgot the camera was on. And then the camera was on for like 10 minutes or something. So pretty soon I'm now just. I'm not, I'm not behaving as if I'm being filmed. I'm behaving the way that I guess I normally would and it's a big old ball of stress. I'm standing with my arms crossed and I'm pacing and then I'm. I'm like, you know, I don't know if you know who this guy is, but there's a guy from the barstool sports universe named Frank the Tank. And he's like a Mets fan and a Miami Dolphins fan and he gets really mad when his teams lose. But it's kind of, he's kind of lovable, but he's got this. And he may be neurodivergent in some way. He's got a little like, he wears this string around his neck with a little kind of plastic thing on a disc that he bites when he's getting really upset. And it's not for effect. It's not like his signature move. It's. He has like emotions and feelings that are so strong that he has to get them out. So he kind of grabs this thing and kind of bites on and he yells about the Dolphins and he bites on it again or yells about the Mets. I was just stopping just short of Frank the Tank. I'm chewing my nails without realizing I'm doing it. I would do this whole like loop. I would stand like this, I would chew my nails Arms crossed. And then I chew my nails, and then I take my other hand and I pat the top of my hair.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, you can do both at the same time, but you're doing a circle on your hair, but up and down.

[Luke Burbank]

Chewing bubble gum, and I'm patting my tummy. It was just this sort of unconscious loop of behaviors that I did not know that I do. And I was like, I mean, first of all, thank goodness they won because it would have been kind of a somber day around here. We were then so invested in the silly game that it would have been such a shame if, like, something that happened on this football field had, like, dampened our, like, family fun of our dinner and the white elephant thing and then some. There was some karaoke that happened after that. So, like, I was getting nervous. I was nervous about the game, but I was nervous about the game then having a negative impact on this thing that I think of as much more important, which is spending time with my family, who I love. So I was really, like, my relief at them winning the game. There is also part of the video, Andrew, where I reenter the frame doing the Gritty.

[Andrew Walsh]

So what is the kind of afternoon it was? Remember it? I. What is the Gritty? How do you describe it?

[Luke Burbank]

It was a dance that was very popular. I want to say hit the gritty is the thing the kids would say. Now. I don't think it was related to the Flyers mascot. Gritty. I don't think it was related. I think they just share a name. I think the Gritty. I'm guessing it was in a song or something, but in fact, the Minnesota Vikings quarterback yesterday, J.J. mcCarthy, hit the gritty as he ran into the end zone as he was scoring on the Cowboys yesterday. But.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, I see it is spelled differently. Gritty, the mascot is with tease. Gritty is a dance.

[Luke Burbank]

Oh, it's gritty.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah. Oh, okay. So, no, I've never seen that, but.

[Luke Burbank]

I know how to hit it when the. When the Seahawks finally salt the game away. But, yeah, it was a. It was a kind of an odd experience to. To see myself in that kind of very. I don't. It's not so much vulnerable, but just unguarded state that I didn't. Again, I was the one who set up the camera. You think I would have remembered, but I. I forgot very quickly, and then I was just being very much how I guess I am when I'm just in the world. But seeing myself, it was strange.

[Andrew Walsh]

You know, I just am remembering a moment that I had yesterday when that Ball did split the uprights, as they say. Luke, I mentioned to you that I was in my car in the National Football League. In the National Football League. Now that I have this microphone, I have to say in the National Football League, as you had signed, I think.

[Luke Burbank]

A release when you got the microphone stand that you only say in the National Football League.

[Andrew Walsh]

But I don't know why I need to tell you the details of this, but I will say it for my edification, possibly for your amusement and for the specific location tracking that some listeners like. But I was driving south on Roosevelt, Luke, in an area that is usually a love.

[Luke Burbank]

It's like I'm there with you.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes. And it's a two lane road, right. And it's kind of. You're going through kind of the edge of the University district. Just about to cross over the East Lake Bridge before I take a right. I take a right because I don't want to go on the bridge. I want to take a right and go into Wallingford for where I was going. But all that is to say there is a place where they're doing construction on Roosevelt. So this two lane, one way road becomes. Becomes a one lane road. Right. And so there's these cones that kind of push you over. And I kind of accidentally didn't realize that last week.

[Luke Burbank]

Can I ask an annoying question? Oh, no, I love driving south on Roosevelt.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

You're driving south on Roosevelt. Okay.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, south on Roosevelt. So right before you get to the east lake. Oh, God, I love that you're.

[Luke Burbank]

You're doing that kind of loop. You take a right and it loops you back under and puts you on.

[Andrew Walsh]

Like college way or not quite. You want to even get crazier? Let's get crazy here. No, that. So I've gone. So I'm driving south on Roosevelt. I've just gone through 45th. Right.

[Luke Burbank]

Okay.

[Andrew Walsh]

Station is on my right. A donut shop and a weed store while the joint are on my left. Right. And so I'm going straight. But then you continue to go south and then you. That old classic hardware store is on my left. It's still an abandoned building. What's that place? People used to love it.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah, I don't like the name of it, but I know it. It was like owls or something. And you're right before you hit the Portage Bay Cafe.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes.

[Luke Burbank]

Gonna be on your left.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes. I think I've now passed the Portage Bay Cafe. And now you're getting real dang close to the bridge. But there's one last Turnoff. It' almost like a secret little Batman.

[Luke Burbank]

Turret by the dry cleaners, right? Is the dry cleaners on your left?

[Andrew Walsh]

I think the dry cleaners will be on the left. But I'm taking a right. I'm taking a right to sneak into this area. I'm basically heading towards the Dun lumber district. Luke, or the Ivers on the docks or whatever that area is. There's a tiny house village.

[Luke Burbank]

It pays to pay cash at Dunn.

[Andrew Walsh]

Actually, I just thought of a more adventurous thing that happened to me. So I'm going to this tiny house village that is right there between Dunn and Ivar's. And I'm about to. I was going to tell you about this moment that happened on Roosevelt, but let me skip ahead a little bit. I'm getting very close to the actual tiny house village. I'm about to take my right, but there's some kind of yahoo y guy on his. And when I say yahoo, he's acting a little bit like a yahoo. He's on a rental bike, you know, one of those like in a self powered or somewhat powered city bike thing. And he's. He's like, I think somewhat obstinately or ostentatiously, somewhere that begins with an O riding right in the middle of the lane. This is where I'm just on a normal road, two lane, you know, different directions. And he's in front of me. And it's not really a big deal to me because I'm about to take a right anyway. But it's clear that this guy's kind of like he's having a good time and is basically thinking, I don't give a shit about cars behind me. He's not trying to move over to the right. He's not like bicycle rights, bicycle rights guy. He's just some guy who rented a car or I'm sorry, rented a bicycle and might even have had a little bit of beer during the game or something. I don't know what it is. He's just kind of like having a good time on his lime bike. And I'm like, okay, whatever. I'm just waiting for him to clear so I can take a right. But then right as I'm about to take a right and he's going fast, by the way, whoo. His hat flies off. He's got some black baseball cap on and I didn't even see it on him. But all of a sudden it's. It's off and it's in front of my car. So I pull over and I roll down my windows. I yell, hey, man, your hat. But he is zooming. And then I have to wait for, like, three or four cars to kind of pass me before I can get out of my car and grab the hat off of the street. Now I've got this guy's hat, which is interesting because it's something like. It's a black hat, and that says in black embossed thread something like, hustle, hustle, win, or something. I'm like, boy, this is just such a non hustle, win situation. I've got your hat, man. But now, is there.

[Luke Burbank]

If the hat said 1776, like, is there a kind of hat that you would not have returned to its owner?

[Andrew Walsh]

But yeah, I mean, obviously a MAGA hat or something.

[Luke Burbank]

Certainly, you take that home and you hang it like a pelt. Got one.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's right. No. So I. But I'm. So now I've got this guy's hat, and I'm like, should I even do this? But also, he's not. I had to wait probably 15, 20 seconds for the traffic to pass me.

[Luke Burbank]

I don't think I'm giving this guy his hat back, by the way, if I'm me.

[Andrew Walsh]

No, you would probably just have been what any normal human would have done and been like, no, that dude lost his hat, and you would have gone on with your day.

[Luke Burbank]

This dude is already a teensy bit on my nerves.

[Andrew Walsh]

He's already a teensy bit. Yes. He's a bit on my nerves as well. And I can just tell, like, he's definitely got a. I don't care. I'm having a good time. I'm just gonna be kind of taking up this entire lane on my thinking.

[Luke Burbank]

About where he is in space, which.

[Andrew Walsh]

Is one of your favor, though, in this case. I would say. And I could be wrong about this, but this didn't seem like the usual Pacific Northwest. Sort of like, I'm in my own little world. This felt more deliberate. This felt like, yeah, I'm having a good time riding this bicycle in this lane, and I kind of know that I'm being a pain in the ass, and I kind of. So it's actually a little bit of a tick above that. However, when I see this Hako flying off his head, I'm like, I got to do this. So I wait, I grab the hat, and now I'm in my car. But now I don't see him anymore. And he was cruising using, like, the automatic, you know, speed clearly, that those bikes can offer. And so now I'm driving Kind of through kind of where the Burke Gilman trail is there, Lou. Kind of by where all the boats are docked or whatever. And I'm kind of driving. I'm like, where is this guy? And I'm looking at all the side roads. Did he take a left? Did he take a right? And then finally I see him way up ahead of me. So I kind of gun it a little bit. And then I can't pull up next to him in my lane because he's taking up the entire lane for a car. So I dangerously drive completely, completely into oncoming traffic. And I rolled down my window. I'm like, hey, man, I have your hat. And I think I could be wrong about this. I think that if he heard me yell the first time, like a quarter of a mile down or whatever, I think he thought people were yelling at him because he was being a bit of a loon on his bicycle.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah, right.

[Andrew Walsh]

And so I think he thought I was going to be giving him grief, but I was like, I have your hat. He's like, oh, my God. And then he, like, totally, like, he's like, oh, grief. So he pulls over, he's like, throw it to me. He's not like coming up to my window to grab it. He's like, throw it to me. And I'm like, I can't from here. So then I throw it. It's the weakest little throw. It just like falls, like, very far away from him. But he was very, very excited to have the hat, and he was very. And now we're getting married.

[Luke Burbank]

Luke, did he seem like your suspicion was that maybe he'd had a few small beers?

[Andrew Walsh]

Maybe a little bit. The Internet, the interaction.

[Luke Burbank]

How does he not. How does he not notice that he used to have a hat and then he didn't have a hat? I feel like that's a good question. That's an event that I would notice on a bicycle.

[Andrew Walsh]

This fella looked like he'd had a few small beers, I think. I don't know for sure, but he was definitely like, la da da. He. He embodied the attitude of la da.

[Luke Burbank]

Da, La da da.

[Andrew Walsh]

Only going pretty fast on this bicycle because it's got that built in little motor, right? So that was my good. Right. That was my good deed before I got to this adventure, though, I will say I'm in this little area where the traffic has to get congested because of construction. This is before all the hat action. I'm just driving and I have to sort of cut off this. I don't really cut off the car. But there's a car behind me. And I'm like, I just have enough time to sort of get over to the left in front of that car before this construction makes me totally stop. And it wasn't even close. And I'm pretty. The older I get, the more I'm like, very conscientious of not cutting people off or whatever. But it's just in my head a little bit that this person behind me might be like, huh, that person could have waited to go behind me instead of. Instead of cutting me off a little bit. But I'm listening to the radio, and then Rabel has that call with the points to win the game and the field goal to win the game. And I look just as I'm realizing that we won, not lost in that moment. I look in my rear view mirror and this person, the car behind me is freaking out. I just see a silhouette of somebody putting the fist pumping and clapping. And so then, because I figured they can probably see me too, I start clapping in my car. Kind of have this moment I realized, oh, we're both listening to Seahawks radio. It was this little moment of. I love moments when we're both in our individual cars, but it's very clear that we're listening, that we're sharing a moment. I sometimes have dreams of, like, rolling up to a car and we're both listening to, like, the same Eddie Money song or something like that. That's gonna be a tougher one to achieve. But me and this car behind me, we're both celebrating the Seahawks victory together in our own little world.

[Luke Burbank]

I could see myself being that guy on that bike. And I mean, not that that's not what I would do, generally speaking. In other words, like, I don't really like to ride in the middle of the road like that, but I could see myself thinking I was in trouble and then having someone, like, kind of beeping at me or rolling down the window and then just letting loose just a string of invective at them because you don't before learning they were doing me a favor, that I'm helping him out.

[Andrew Walsh]

He seemed very happy to learn, right, that I had to turn around and kind of do a U turny kind of thing later and pass him again, like, I don't know, 30 seconds later. And I sort of rolled up my. Or rolled down my window and kind of gave him a wave or whatever, and he was like. Like yelling, oh, thanks. So he seemed very. He seemed very happy that that hat would have just been Gone. That hat would have just been because it was kind of got a little rainy last night. It was.

[Luke Burbank]

Well, he clearly. Yeah. And also he clearly wasn't going back for it. He didn't even know it had left his dome.

[Andrew Walsh]

He would have had no idea. And it is kind of funny that it was hustle, win. And I was just kind of like, what a. What a loser move for somebody wearing this hat.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah. I don't think you're rising and grinding very effectively, sir, now that you've lost your hat and you have no idea where it is. I've said this many times on the show before, but I do feel like the aspiration that many of us feature on our clothing is not met with the lives we're living.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes, yes. You know what? I have a shirt that just says, I couldn't run with the big dogs. I enjoy it on the porch.

[Luke Burbank]

Your shirt says, if you need me on New Year's Eve, I'll be home with my shoes on.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's right. You know, I have a shirt that says co ed, fully clothed, holiday partying.

[Luke Burbank]

Mustache rides, remarkably expensive. Don't even ask.

[Andrew Walsh]

And morally questionable, depending on the circumstances.

[Luke Burbank]

The irony after our whole kind of shoes off conversation of last week was I wasn't asking that it will be a shoes off situation at my house for this get together on Sunday, but I was trying to kind of lead by example because. So if you go into the kind of. The main floor of my house, it's hardwood floor. And so that's just wear your shoes or whatever. But I, for some reason, I don't know why they didn't try to talk me out of this at the carpet place. But I put new carpet in some stairs going up into the upstairs of my house where there's a couple of little small bedrooms and a teeny tiny little bathroom. Those are the sort of guest rooms. And it was pretty funky up there when I got the house. And there was old kind of grody carpet. And so I ripped all that out. But then the hardwood floors themselves were pretty beat up and had paint on them and they weren't great either. So I thought, well, I'm going to put new carpet down. And no one said to me at the carpet place you might want to go with something that's not white. Like, I guess it's sort of beige. It's like a beige Berber. But like they knew where it was. I guess I would have. I would have. I wouldn't have minded a little bit of professional advice on the matter going you might want to try to go with something else because what's happened is the carpet is not dirty per se. Like people are not. It's, it's almost like when you walk on it, it kind of moves the carpet in a way that it's almost like the shadows, you know what I mean? It just looks a little dingy and I'm, you know, I'm kind of bummed about that. So I try to vacuum it and keep it nice, but basically it's like if it's been walked on, it's going to look kind of a little weird, a little messed up. So I was taking stuff upstairs for my brother and his wife and child were staying upstairs and I had some slip on shoes and I had their stuff. And then I was in my. I jumped out of my slip on shoes and I was just in my socks carrying things upstairs. And I have to admit, part of my mind was, I hope people notice that I've left my shoes at the base of these stairs and intuit that maybe the upstairs is shoes off. Maybe that's the plan. So I'm here, you know, insulting the essential human decency of people that are doing shoes off, even as I'm low key, kind of hoping part of my house is shoes off.

[Andrew Walsh]

I am really, really bad at tracking modern comedians. And I think you're gonna laugh because I think the bit I want to play for you here is from five years ago. So it's not even like cutting edge. But where do you stand on Sebastian Manikowsko?

[Luke Burbank]

Maniscalco.

[Andrew Walsh]

Maniscalco.

[Luke Burbank]

We've got an interesting relationship with him on this program, Andrew, which is when he was famous, yet he was featured in a documentary that I want to say was like called like Vince Vaughn's Wild West Stand Up Review or something. I think there was some stand up movie that featured, I think some kind of at the time you could say maybe ascendant comics, but not household names. And one of them was Sebastian Maniscalco. And what I remember from it was he does this bit about Ross dressed for less.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, that was him. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. Yeah, we've played that a lot.

[Luke Burbank]

I have a bunch. Like that was like a big, you know, that was a thing we played on the show all the time because I just thought it was so funny. So I, so I was kind of into the idea of Maniscalco. Then he became like, he's in the top, like five most profitable touring comedians. He does these huge arenas and for my money, like the material has gotten less funny for Me personally, as his star has risen, as he's become bigger and bigger, it's a little more, for me, the sort of. Because he's got a kind of a shtick. The way he talks.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

And the way he moves on stage, it's very particular to him, and it's what his fans really love, and that's great. But as he's become bigger and bigger and he's playing these, you know, arenas, I feel like that part of it, the shtick has gotten bigger, and it's almost sort of clouded out the material for me.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's it. Because I want to play a bit for you here that I. That I watched because I was like, oh, I should have played this. When we were talking about the shoes off house thing before, I'm like, oh. But I watch again, I'm like, I don't even know how funny I think this is. I was like, I can't get a read. I'm not deep into his material. Right. And he does have this real physicality that isn't something that really strikes me right away as my kind of humor. But let me just see if I have to kind of needle drop this. But I. I think I might be close to.

[Luke Burbank]

So I see the guy right away. He's got a T shirt, dad.

[Andrew Walsh]

Okay. So he's talking about going to somebody's house. I'm going to skip ahead a little bit. I think he's about to enter, like, a dinner party or something with some folks he doesn't know.

[Luke Burbank]

Shoes don't come off. My shoes. Come on. Once a night. That's it. I know some of you aren't even feeling this right now because you do this to people. Don't do this. Do not do this to grown people. All right? You're sitting there going, whoa, what's wrong with that? We have people take their shoes off all the time. We have white carpet. Why you got white carpet? Why? Pretty good point.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's why.

[Luke Burbank]

Why I got white carpet is my question.

[Andrew Walsh]

Him describing meeting people with your shoes off.

[Luke Burbank]

The shoe thing. She taps me. She's like, just take them off.

[Andrew Walsh]

Take them off.

[Luke Burbank]

These are nice people. Now I got to remove my shoes in front of two people I just met. Try and hold a conversation. It's strange. You're like, so, how long have you lived here?

[Andrew Walsh]

Okay. So he's imitating, like, trying to take his shoes off while he's standing up.

[Luke Burbank]

So I dropped my shoes in the shoe farm.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's the other thing.

[Luke Burbank]

I'm walking around a stranger's house in my socks, meeting other grown men in their socks.

[Andrew Walsh]

Just shaking hands. They all gesturing towards the fact that they're not wearing shoes. And then I think he basically comes in and talks about some guys in a sock circle. Some guy comes in, he's not even wearing socks and it makes him ill and it goes on from there. But like that is. Although it's very physical there, like that is it. It's like you're standing around meeting people for the first time and you're all wearing socks. It just feels so wrong to me. I just like.

[Luke Burbank]

Because the socks feel to a degree like an undergarment when they're out of the shoe.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes.

[Luke Burbank]

Now the amount of your sock that you're used to the world seeing, which would be from the top of your foot up to like, you know, your mid shin. That's the part of the sock that I'm not embarrassed if people see. I'm used to people seeing that if I'm like hosting Livewire or something and I'm on stage and my, the, my pants of my suit are kind of, you know, riding up a little bit, people will see my socks. I'm not worried about. People like to wear fun frivolous socks because they like people seeing that they've got their, you know, laser cat socks on or whatever. But the bot. The foot part of the socks that feels personal. That's for, that's for me at home with, you know, with my special person. You know what I mean?

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

It's like sometimes one sock will say dry fit and the other won't, even though they're both black and from Nike.

[Andrew Walsh]

And also. Yeah, I mean one thing is. Yeah, also I almost exclusively wear argyle socks. So I'm sort of like, oh. And I'm always like, well, if I have to take my shoes off, at least I have argyle socks on. The idea of like chilling in like athletic socks and you know, my friend Jessica, this goes way back to when we were, I guess kind of post College, early 20s. You know, I remember going to some party, I think it was holiday time, some Boston kind of walk up party or whatever, and she's dressed in, she's got these boots on and the boots are part of the outfit. And then it's like shoes off. And she's like, I'm wearing this dress or a skirt or whatever it was that goes down to the knee or whatever it goes down to. And then the boot makes up the rest. I mean there's a reason why. And then all of a sudden she's like, I gotta take off my boots. And now I've got these little socks on underneath. Like, it's embarrassing. Yes.

[Luke Burbank]

That was something that Becca brought up over the weekend. And she is exactly in the world that you. And she, of course, doesn't listen to tbtl because that's a phase of dating me or being married to me is. It starts with like, huh, what's this guy doing five days a week in there? And then eventually you're like, I think.

[Andrew Walsh]

I get the idea.

[Luke Burbank]

And so we went through this conversation. I said, yeah, it's funny. We were talking about. Well, I was telling the story of me sort of putting my foot in my mouth, so to speak, around the topic of. Of shoes off households. And she said, kind of exactly what we're saying. She goes, I understand that it's much cleaner and more hygienic. I totally intellectually understand it, but I feel really kind of funny with taking my shoes off. And also a lot of times my shoes are a very intentional part of my outfit.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes.

[Luke Burbank]

I hadn't thought about that aspect of the whole thing.

[Andrew Walsh]

I remember my friend Jessica just being like, it's part of the outfit. She was outraged. Outraged.

[Luke Burbank]

Anyway, you've been to this Ross Dress Ross for Less.

[Andrew Walsh]

Thank you, baby.

[Luke Burbank]

All right, let's thank some donors. These folks are supporting TBTL with a donation of dough 100 listener supported podcasting. That's what's happening right here, right now, in front of your very ears. You're about to hear some serious voices, people, and some serious donations to see some serious voices.

[Andrew Walsh]

What's that from?

[Luke Burbank]

That's some guy Mark. Oh, that is some guy Mark as.

[Andrew Walsh]

Well on TikTok Instagram.

[Luke Burbank]

Like to see him? Well, you know, it's funny, Andrew, I don't want to digress, but that's a comedian that. That we found out about. I think I saw him on Tick Tock. I don't know where you saw him, Andrew, but he does a lot of. He's just a kind of unassuming guy, but he does a lot of really funny bits and also some dark bits. One where it's like Fred Flintstone is telling Barney how bad his life is going, but it's just really dark. But he has to keep working in the kind of like geologic jokes of the Flintstones.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's right, yes.

[Luke Burbank]

You know how everything was. Mr. Slate Rock.

[Andrew Walsh]

In fact, I'll use that tomorrow. I had that. Okay. I had that scheduled for some point in the near future.

[Luke Burbank]

So that guy. I think his handle is some guy Mark. And he also does the funny like, like he really did some great send ups of this kind of sort of quasi intellectual kind of sort of life maximizing podcast that's, that's gotten very popular where people are blowing your mind with like information. Except his information is all just like there's no video of Abraham Lincoln. And then he does this bit where he's always talking, he's talking about the producer leaving this. Chris is leaving the studio. Because that's another thing, that type of thing that happens a lot. Anyway, he's very, very funny. But the thought I had, Andrew, I was about to say to you was like, boy, I sure hope he gets a TV show or something. But it's like, do I? Because he's probably doing great on TikTok and YouTube. Like that shows you how sort of how outdated my mindset is. Like if there's somebody who's funny on these other platforms like TikTok and Instagram and wherever. My thought is, well, like maybe someday they'll get like a cbs. They'll get a, like a multi camera CBS sitcom that they can be in. Like, I don't think that's what people are aspiring for anymore.

[Andrew Walsh]

Well, maybe not that style, but I mean some sort of project that, with a streamer or something. Like, I don't, I, I'm sure you. I mean, I know that people.

[Luke Burbank]

Mark Edwards appears to be this guy.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, I know people monetize their social media, but do you think that like he's. Do you think that he is in a financial position with what he's doing on social media, that he's not actually using it to hopefully leverage something bigger? I would guess. Like, how is he making money off of TikTok?

[Luke Burbank]

I don't understand how the Internet works. Andrew and I just assume that if somebody has Andrew. Well, for one thing he's got merch. Would you like me to get you a can I blow your mind right now? Unisex T shirt?

[Andrew Walsh]

What is the design on it?

[Luke Burbank]

It's kind of out there. It looks almost like it would be the COVID of a Sun Raw record.

[Andrew Walsh]

Okay.

[Luke Burbank]

Alien implications and some kind of a. I see.

[Andrew Walsh]

Okay.

[Luke Burbank]

It's got a pyramid on there.

[Andrew Walsh]

Kind of mind blowing. I see.

[Luke Burbank]

This is mine. It's basically like the pyramid from a.

[Andrew Walsh]

Dollar with the eye in it. Yeah, yeah. Right, okay. Yeah, no, no, I don't want that shirt. Thank you.

[Luke Burbank]

I mean, it's actually very hip. It's the kind of thing I could see Adelaide wearing down there in Los Angeles when she's being all hip. But no, you know what? You're right. It's like, I don't. On the one hand, I just. I don't know how people monetize having a lot of. Of, like, traffic on a place like TikTok. I just assume that it happens after a certain. I mean, they do have this thing called the Creator Fund, where if you. And there's all these rules around it, which I don't really understand as somebody who doesn't post on TikTok, but it has to do with, like, you have to create content that's a certain length of time. And then people have to watch your content for over a certain amount of time for you to get credit. And then you. When you're in the Creator Fund, you are sharing in some of the profits from TikTok based on, you know, time spent watching, etc. But, yeah, I don't know the answer. I sort of said that maybe he doesn't want that, but I guess I don't know what people want anymore.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, I know. I know. And it's very evident around the holidays. How do we, though? This is the question. How do we monetize what we do?

[Luke Burbank]

I'll tell you what I can't be trusted with. Andrew. The New York Times gift Guide.

[Andrew Walsh]

Wow. I set you up to come back to the donors and.

[Luke Burbank]

Oh, yeah, the donors, like in New York, New York.

[Andrew Walsh]

I said, how do we monetize what we do? And you just. How do.

[Luke Burbank]

Andrew? I said, how do I act? So well.

[Andrew Walsh]

Right by. It was like. It was like the baseball hat flying off your head and you didn't even realize it. No, sorry.

[Luke Burbank]

No, I didn't. And then you drove you terrified in the movie Duel. What if in the movie Duel, the guy was trying to give Dennis Weaver his hat back? The guy in the scary greasy truck. We've never even thought about that. That guy might have been trying to return a hat the whole movie. Our old heads will appreciate that reference. Danny Crawford might. I don't think of Danny as an old head. I think of him as a amazing head out there in New York City with his acting and sailing and twins having and all the stuff that Danny does. He's one of our. It's FBI, right? Wasn't that the show? Yeah.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yep. Yep. That's my understanding of it.

[Luke Burbank]

Thank you, Danny. Appreciate it. Can you get some guy Mark a job on there?

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah. Come on.

[Luke Burbank]

What if that happens to Danny? I wonder that.

[Andrew Walsh]

What?

[Luke Burbank]

I wonder if that happens. When you get on a network show, people start saying oh, you should have my brother in law on there. He's crazy. He just says anything.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, people say that. When you find out if you say you're on the radio, people are always like, I should be on the radio. I got so much to say. People say that to me a lot. And I just. When people say that, I think you're the last person who should probably be on the radio.

[Luke Burbank]

We should be giving a radio show already.

[Andrew Walsh]

Sounds very dangerous.

[Luke Burbank]

Whatever I use dangerous. This. It's dangerously spicy.

[Andrew Walsh]

Andrew.

[Luke Burbank]

This is. Sounds like I'm really trying to pat myself on the back, but I really don't mean it this way. But, you know, I think people say this to me a lot because they just don't know what else to say. And it seems like it's germane to the topic of radio, but if we end up talking about the fact that I do a radio show, people will say, oh, you've got a really great voice. And it's funny because I don't think I have a particularly great voice. I think I have an extremely normal sounding voice. I'm definitely not a Dave Ross par excellence. But I think that people just say that because they feel like that's a compliment. It's sort of like saying, I'm a, you know, what do you do? I'm. I run track. You look really fast. They're just trying to say, it seems like you're good at the thing that we assume you need to be good at for this job.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's interesting. You know, this is something that I've been hearing my entire professional career as well. And I think I would even say that when I was a producer, I'd say, I work in radio. And people would say, oh, you have a great voice for it. And I'd say, well, I'm a producer. I'm not really on the radio. And I started to believe it at some point. Like, I've never liked the sound of my own voice. You wouldn't know that for as much as I subject you to it. But I've always said, like, I feel like I sound sort of like a Muppet. I don't think that I have a good broadcasting voice like you, you know, the Dave Rosses of the world or what have you. And I definitely don't have that. But I do wonder if, like sometimes on the phone, and I wonder if it's the way I talk maybe when, when I'm in like a, you know, if I'm on a phone call and somebody's like, okay, you know, let's say I have to call somebody regarding my. I don't know why I'm using this as an example, but let's say I'm calling somebody because I got a. It's health insurance related or something. You know, with my medication I take, sometimes I got to get on the horn and talk to these folks and I think that I might like have a professional way of like giving my information out if that makes sense. Like when they ask for birth date and phone number and stuff. And then if they find out I'm in radio, that's awful. They're like, oh, that makes so much sense. You sound like you're on the radio. And I wonder if it's less about the actual vocal cords.

[Luke Burbank]

I feel like I was getting my hair cut the other day and it was a sort of. It was on Saturday was kind of an emergency haircut before the, before the family get together. I wasn't. I go to a place now down in town. It's nothing fancy, but it's just, you know, I've been going there for a while. It's 20 bucks.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, wow.

[Luke Burbank]

And the people are nice. But I couldn't. Schedule didn't work out for me to go down there. So I went to a great clips and the woman who was cutting my hair was, was asking me about, she was talking about how she isn't an extrovert. She thought she was an extrovert, but when she goes home, she doesn't want to be social, she just wants to hang out with her dog because she feels she has to be extroverted at work. I said, yeah, I kind of get that. I, I work in a kind of a sort of an extroverted industry or I was trying to be vague, but also kind of, you know, commiserate with her. She goes, what do you do? And then I was just like, I'm trying to pick which one of my three jobs. I don't know. I just get uncomfortable talking about any of this stuff with strangers. So I think I went with TV person. I said, oh, I do TV stories. And she goes, it was so funny. She goes, well, you're really rolling the dice having me cut your hair. Did you have a person? Which I thought was a great response. I like this lady. Oh, I forgot. Here's the first thing she did did. She goes, she comes over to the thing. She's like, luke, because I'm on the little waiting list. And I go, yeah. And she goes, she got it totally wrong. She goes, I'm Padama and I go, oh, okay. Hi, I'm Luke. And she goes, isn't that Luke Skywalker's mother's name? And I go, maybe. I go, I kind of lost the thread on those movies. She goes, you did. And I'm thinking, as did you. You're unclear on if this is.

[Andrew Walsh]

She was.

[Luke Burbank]

Now, my name's Jennifer.

[Andrew Walsh]

I see. She was. Okay.

[Luke Burbank]

She was making a Luke Skywalker joke with me, but she couldn't fully. She'd be great on this show, by the way. She'd fit right in.

[Andrew Walsh]

Just like you're getting shit wrong.

[Luke Burbank]

She was trying to make a Luke Skywalker joke, but she couldn't actually remember the name of Luke Skywalker's mother.

[Andrew Walsh]

And what, you know, you. Not always, but you from time to time will mention that growing up with a name like Luke, you hear that a lot. You're the generation for that as well. But I guess I never truly understood how deep it goes that somebody sees a Luke on the waiting list and comes up with, like, actually prepares a Star wars related joke.

[Luke Burbank]

I mean, prepares is being generous. I think this was in the moment, this was impulsive because she didn't know the name. She. That's why I said she'd fit in on tbtl because she didn't actually know the. She didn't know the name of Luke Skywalker's mom. She should have just gone with Leia.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, right. I'm. Hey, yeah, I'm Leia.

[Luke Burbank]

Hi, I'm Yoda. And then I would have. I think I would have gotten that immediately. But she went with Luke Skywalker's mother. But then she. But then she couldn't remember the actual name. And like, I don't really. I think it's like Pad Padua or something.

[Andrew Walsh]

Padma.

[Luke Burbank]

Padma. Padma.

[Andrew Walsh]

Amidala. Amidala. Amidala.

[Luke Burbank]

So she had it kind of wrong. But then she was like, nah, it's Jennifer. And then there was another point in the haircut.

[Andrew Walsh]

Wait, is there a chance that she was right and you were wrong? Because it says Padma. But she said what?

[Luke Burbank]

She didn't say Padma.

[Andrew Walsh]

Okay. She didn't say Padma.

[Luke Burbank]

We got the Padma later.

[Andrew Walsh]

Okay?

[Luke Burbank]

Because I thought of it as, like, I know that name from Padma Lakshmi, the TV host and chef. So. But. But then later there was. There was a lot in this haircut. I mean, it got to the whole question of, like, her saying, oh, you look like someone who could be on tv. Which I was like, I don't think I do, actually. I think she was kind of doing the equivalent of, like, you have a good voice. For radio. Now that I know you work in radio. But she also said. She said something like, you look like you could be on tv. And I said, you know, I'm really lucky. Oh, because my.

[Andrew Walsh]

She said.

[Luke Burbank]

She goes, don't you have someone who does this? This is like an important thing, your hair. And I was like, you'd be surprised. I go, being a male and being my age, they're not putting me on there because of how I appear at all. It doesn't matter what I look like at my advanced age. And she goes, your advanced age? What are you, mid-50s? I was like, God damn it. No, I'm 49.

[Andrew Walsh]

I'm not even there. I got the opposite.

[Luke Burbank]

You were trying to call me your age. What are you, 67?

[Andrew Walsh]

I got the opposite. Recently somebody said, I can't remember. I think I might have been a Lyft driver in Arizona or something. And he's like, what? Because I dropped it. I was like, in my late 40s.

[Luke Burbank]

On his way home to light up his fans.

[Andrew Walsh]

No, no, that was. That was in Ohio. But I remember this guy. This was a young kid, and he was like, what? I would have had you in, like, your early 30s. I was like, dude, I'm wearing a hat. Like, if I take off my hat, there's no way anybody's mistaken me for somebody younger than me.

[Luke Burbank]

I just feel like for all of us, and this is me included, if you're ever going to guess at someone's age, think, what do I think their age is? And then just knock 10 years off.

[Andrew Walsh]

She did.

[Luke Burbank]

No one's going to be mad at you.

[Andrew Walsh]

She did. That's the sad thing.

[Luke Burbank]

Oh, Padma. Also, Laura o' Neal Dunn of Durham, North Carolina.

[Andrew Walsh]

Thank you, Lara. Is there a Lara in the Star wars universe?

[Luke Burbank]

Probably.

[Andrew Walsh]

Hey, you know who I heard is a Star Trekker? Now? Somebody who's in a Star Trek movie or TV show or a project is. Is. Is. Is. Is my. Is my guy. I could really use a win here.

[Luke Burbank]

Giamatti.

[Andrew Walsh]

Paul Giamatti. I saw him all in, like, Star Trek makeup and alien face.

[Luke Burbank]

Ooh, that'll be fun. I would watch that.

[Andrew Walsh]

I don't know where that's coming from, though.

[Luke Burbank]

I mean, that is a fascinating thing that he's been able to achieve that. Like. Like Paul. I will watch something because Paul Giamatti is in it. Not a lot of actors that I can say that about. I mean, yeah, obviously, Tim Robinson probably at this point, but I'm not somebody who, you know, there's lots of actors I Like, I like the actor Ryan Gosling. I think he's very talented. But maybe he's also on that list.

[Andrew Walsh]

But it's.

[Luke Burbank]

I don't think it's a hugely long list. And it's odd that Giamatti is one of them. Like, if you put Giamatti in something like. Yeah, yeah, I will watch that because I think he's going to do something interesting.

[Andrew Walsh]

Interesting. I am trying to. Okay, so can I listen to this or is it text only? Nadev kwap Vlochoo.

[Luke Burbank]

That's his name, that is.

[Andrew Walsh]

I could really use a win here in Klingon.

[Luke Burbank]

Love doesn't play, though. It doesn't do an audio version.

[Andrew Walsh]

No, and I don't think I got anyone.

[Luke Burbank]

We'll have to ask Doug Rademaker in St. Louis, Missouri. I think he's probably up on Klingon. He speaks Klingon.

[Andrew Walsh]

Doug, could you. Could you. Thank you for the donation, Doug. Now could you do me a solid and translate that for me? Thank you, Andrew.

[Luke Burbank]

Could really use a win here in Klingon, please. Thank you, Doug. Thanks to Sean Moss of Seattle, Washington.

[Andrew Walsh]

Thank you, Sean.

[Luke Burbank]

We appreciate you, Sean. Thanks to Amber Dougherty of Baltimore, Maryland. I was just in Baltimore, Maryland, and.

[Andrew Walsh]

Amber didn't say hello.

[Luke Burbank]

I didn't know that Amber was there. And if I did, I would have popped by. I would have invited Amber over for crab feast at Nick's there in on the water. Nick's is where we went. And we filmed me opening some crabs, like shelling some crabs with this device called the sheller that was invented by a woman in Baltimore. That was part of a TV story. I couldn't believe how expensive the crab was. I didn't pay for it, but they had a bunch of crab, you know, maybe, I don't know, five or six crabs for us to break open and eat. And I learned later it was like $200 worth of crab.

[Andrew Walsh]

Wow.

[Luke Burbank]

CBS dime.

[Andrew Walsh]

Nice.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah. Thank you so much, Amber. And then thanks to Sarah and Phil Roylance of Seattle, Washington, also here in.

[Andrew Walsh]

Seattle, we had a beautiful. I know that we're in the middle of, like, these storms, these atmospheric rivers, but I don't know what it was like in your neck of the woods, but Saturday was one of the most beautiful days. Like, it was. Did you have a beautiful day on Saturday?

[Luke Burbank]

Oh, yeah. Saturday was nice. Saturday was a nice little break dry.

[Andrew Walsh]

We went. Went for a walk. I was like, this is the middle of December. I'm like, raz and V's. I'm like, man, these Pacific Northwest winters so rough.

[Luke Burbank]

Did you say, where's your global warming now?

[Andrew Walsh]

I did say that and it makes sense. Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

Huh, huh? Global warming, huh? When it's been cold. Interesting. And now it's sunny. I like global warming. Look at this. This isn't so bad.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah. I was going to say, I do think that warm, sunny days in the middle of winter wouldn't go against the idea of global warming.

[Luke Burbank]

No, I guess they wouldn't. But I just feel like the people that don't want to believe it'll just find any reason. Either it's actually cold out and they're like, oh, where's the global warming now? Or it's nice out. And they're like, I can deal with this.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, exactly. What's the problem? Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah. Holy smokes. Yeah, it was. My house was shaking from the wind this morning at about 4:00am and, and then, yeah, then I was like getting. I'd already gotten up, but I went back into my little bedroom to grab something and I hear a. And I look over Andrew, and at least 20ft in the air is the COVID to the hot tub flying like in the wizard of Oz, over past Bob's yard and into a ravine.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, my God.

[Luke Burbank]

Had to go get it out of the ravine and bring it back.

[Andrew Walsh]

Wow. I didn't know that you saw it. When you told that little story at the beginning of the show, I thought you just like, you got a phone call, like, I think I got your tarp over here.

[Luke Burbank]

No, I saw it happen, thankfully, because I don't know when I would have noticed it. And my other thought was, what if I wasn't here?

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes.

[Luke Burbank]

Like, I could have been on a work trip, but it could have just been like a good point, you know, and that hot tub, you know, would just be running up the energy bills without the COVID on it. Because that's its big job is to keep it kind of, you know, sort of, you know, contained the heat and everything. I thought I gotta work on it. See, it's. This is very boring. But basically the hot tub is flush with the deck so you can put the lid on at the COVID And basically most of the time the wind doesn't actually want to move the COVID because it kind of gets. It's sort of going over the COVID because it's so close to the deck. It have to be like. It was this morning just a totally unusual wind event for it to happen. But it did. And yeah, it was. It was crazy around here. Saturday was pretty nice, though. Saturday was a nice Day. Yeah, I took a walk as well. It was. It was nice out there. Anyway, thanks to all of our donors. Thanks for making TBTL possible. We would not be here without.

[Andrew Walsh]

Hello, and welcome to Top Story.

[Luke Burbank]

Rob Reiner has died at the age of 78. His wife has also died in a pretty. Sounds like a pretty horrific kind of last note to their life. But you said something. And we were texting about this last night, you and I, Andrew, and you said something like. Like, I think, hey, I hope this doesn't really. This doesn't define them and doesn't define Rob Reiner. Because everything that Rob Reiner did with his life professionally and it would seem sort of politically and even personally, just seemed like it was kind of incredible. And I hadn't given it much thought until this morning, which I guess kind of happens when people die. But like I said at the top of the show, I would say pound for pound, Rob Reiner probably maybe more content that is more fundamental to my, like, first of all, just being entertained by movies. And then movies that. I quote, movies that I think about. If you take the. For me, the holy trinity of Rob Reiner movies, this is, for me personally, would be the Princess Bride, Spinal Tap and When Harry Met Sally. Those are. Those are movies that I. I probably don't go a day without thinking of at least one of those movies or.

[Andrew Walsh]

A line from one of them.

[Luke Burbank]

A line from one of those.

[Andrew Walsh]

When I think of Spinal Tap now, I think of you. And of course, I knew about Spinal Tap before I met you, but. And I always thought, oh, yeah, I love that movie, that's fun. But I probably have seen it once all the way through, and then clips a bunch of times. Right. But, like, you seem to. Whenever that movie comes up, you seem to know it forward and backwards.

[Luke Burbank]

That was one, like, in the early days of, like, getting DVDs, but then getting into the director's commentary of DVDs. That was one that I had on DVD. So I watched it a bunch of. And then I watched the director's commentary a bunch. And I mean, it's like, yeah, I don't need to say anything here. That's particularly provocative about Spinal Tap. I think it's one of the greatest movies of all time in terms of comedies. It's just. And it totally holds up. I mean, you were playing that audio of just Fred Willard. I mean, I just quoted. I misquoted all the time on the show. But when he's at the. I think it's Air Force Base where they're finally where Spinal Tap is playing as their career continues to plummet. And he's talking about Four Jacks and a Jill. And, like, it just. I was just dying, laughing as you were cueing that tape up this morning. Like, I've heard it a thousand times in my life.

[Andrew Walsh]

It's.

[Luke Burbank]

It never ceases to be funny. Also, you know, When Harry Met Sally, to my mind, really seems to hold up as a movie. And they had so many. And I guess the origin of that, I've now learned was. So it was written by Nora Ephron, and it was written because her friend Rob Reiner was single. He had been married to Penny Marshall, and then they got divorced, and then he was single. And he was dealing with this kind of thing of being a single person in the world and having friends who were women and trying to kind of think about what do those friendships look like? And that was apparently the beginning of the thought in Nora Ephron's head of writing this movie about men and women and friendships and romantic relationships, etc. And then this is the crazy part. So he. His wife of, I think I'm going to say 39 years, you know, who he was married to till the day they passed away. He met her on that film. He was making the film, and she was a photographer and she was somehow associated with the production or I don't know, or maybe she was taking production stills or something, and he saw her kind of across the room and he just fell for her. They started dating and they were married seven months later. And because of his love for her, he changed the ending of When Harry Met Sally.

[Andrew Walsh]

I couldn't believe I read that little anecdote and I couldn't figure out the timing. And I'm like, how could you have met somebody on this set and then have time to change the end? Like, how could you fall so in love and then get married during this time? But I guess they just got married.

[Luke Burbank]

Really quickly and then they got married after seven months. And maybe it was one of those things where they were dating the first month of their dating was, you know, while the movie was still in production. I mean, again, yeah, according to the. The stories and according to a quote from him, that the end of that movie, Harry and Sally were not going to end up together. But. But he then basically said effectively, like, I get it now. I get being in love in that kind of way. And. And so, you know, he changed the end of the movie. And I was trying to, like, quote the movie to my parents. They was kind of was Very embarrassing because. Because I don't know, this has been hitting me emotionally, like, way harder than I expected. Andrew. And I don't know, again, maybe it's because he was also such a. Like, and I say this in the best possible way, he was such a social justice warrior. Like, he was just a guy who. Just like, he. He lived his principles. And I remember when I was living in LA and he was hugely influential in overturning Prop 8 or, you know, like, basically, he was really committed to creating laws that would allow for gay marriage in this country. He was very big on preschool for all. He just wanted every kid in California, regardless of what their economic status was, to be able to have an opportunity to go to preschool, because there's a lot of evidence that that predicts good things for their overall kind of school, career, etc. He's just a guy who was just out there doing good stuff and making amazing content. And the idea that he's gone now. And again, I guess the importance that a lot of the stuff he created really has for me and the Princess Bride, like, I think I've choked up on this show trying to talk about this whole, like, movie within a movie, I guess, or story within a story of that movie, because it's so easy to forget that it starts with Peter Falk and Fred Savage.

[Andrew Walsh]

It's a.

[Luke Burbank]

It's a. You know, it's a granddad, you know, like, and his grandson and such a beautiful relationship. And then.

[Andrew Walsh]

Ironically, this is the part that Fred Savage's character wouldn't want to hear, the overly sentimental part.

[Luke Burbank]

I'll tell you, that music really cures it.

[Andrew Walsh]

Just.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah. What does he say? The mushy stuff. He doesn't want any more mushy stuff. But just like, that relationship because, you know, you think about it as like the Wesley and. And Buttercup and all that stuff and. And everything, and then it's like. But then just like the. The. The as you wish from Peter Falk at the end of the movie is just so perfect.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

So perfect. And so anyway, it's just. Yeah, I'm really. I'm really sad about this, and I'm really more sad about. Than I expected to be.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah. And I know I'm the one who said what I said yesterday about, like, it's not fair that this ending ends up being part of. And I. Maybe, Maybe legacy is the wrong word there, but, you know, I think of Gene Hackman as well. We were a huge. You know, we're a huge Gene Hackman family, mostly because Genevieve's just unadulterated love of everything. Gene Hackman. She's always been a Gene Hackman. Yeah, she loves him. She always refers to him as real.

[Luke Burbank]

Hack head over here. Total.

[Andrew Walsh]

She thought the TV show hacks was gonna be about him. She always calls him the Fighting Priest from. What's the Upside down ship movie?

[Luke Burbank]

Oh, oh, the Poseidon Adventure.

[Andrew Walsh]

Poseidon. Thank you for bailing me out there. Yeah, as always. But anyway, he could have bailed out those passengers, you know, and again, without getting into the details of it, just like both with Hackman and here with both Reiners, and you're just kind of like they were of a generation where we are, sadly, and I'm not trying to be flip about it, we are saying goodbye to a lot of people of that generation. That is life, that is aging, and that is part of the process when we say goodbye to people that we admire. But for both of those particular folks, or I guess all of these folks involved here, it's just really especially sad that that has to be. That has to be how we're saying goodbye. And then, I mean, not to get super negative, but then to have the President of the United States mocking him.

[Luke Burbank]

Like, on the day that he died.

[Andrew Walsh]

Unbelievably about this, but it's where my brain is.

[Luke Burbank]

I did not think that I could still be shocked by the behavior of that guy.

[Andrew Walsh]

I really.

[Luke Burbank]

I thought, you know, I would have said, you know, this morning when I got up, I would have said nothing would surprise me from that guy, but. But that actually surprised me. I don't know.

[Andrew Walsh]

Saying nothing. Just say nothing. Well, just like the movie. You know what I mean? Like, you don't have to go out of your way to make fun of somebody who's died in the streets.

[Luke Burbank]

I mean, from a group of people who are extremely sensitive about how people talk about Charlie Kirk. It's interesting to me, and I know the circumstances of their passing are different, but still, I'm fine with a detente around anyone dying and us just not. Not just us trying to, I guess, tread somewhat lightly around people dying. Like, now, I know that it's very complicated. Everything is very complicated. But, like, I think as human beings, certainly, let's say Walker Tech, let's say, you know, I'm.

[Andrew Walsh]

Who.

[Luke Burbank]

Dean Cain, who's, like, trying to think of somebody. Scott Baio, a, like, Republican, associated. It's funny, too, because you got to go pretty far down the list before you start getting to, like, you know, who. Who could I think of? Scott Baio and Ian Kane.

[Andrew Walsh]

What about. What about Mel Gibson?

[Luke Burbank]

Mel Gibson. Okay, great example. Great example. Mel Gibson. Although. Although more what Mel Gibson did in his actual life while being, like, arrested for DUI and stuff is so different. It's so beyond politics.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, yeah, I see what you're saying.

[Luke Burbank]

But that's a good example. Or that's an example of a, you know, an A lister who is definitely Republican. My point is that. That if you have somebody who was a republic, like, their thing was, they were in Hollywood, they were also Republican, and they die. I don't personally think I would feel the need to try to, like, dance on their grave. Like, I think I could leave it alone. So, yeah, that was a pretty shocking part of this whole thing as well, was the response from the current president. But just like. Yeah, I mean. And also, Rob Reiner was 78 years old. It's not super young, but Carl Reiner was 98 years old. Yeah, we had a lot more Rob Reiner.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

To hang out with in our life. And that's also really.

[Andrew Walsh]

A really.

[Luke Burbank]

A really sad part of this whole thing. He was still. He, I guess, had, like, a long phone call with Eric Idle on Sunday on, I guess it would be Saturday night, Eric Idol of the Monty Python stuff. And. And they just had a long conversation about, like, projects and life and family and things. And like, you know, he was. He seemed to be a person who was still. I mean, they just made. Now I feel like I sort of have to go watch Spinal Tap, too.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, I totally. I'm sorry to cut you out, totally coincidentally, because I was telling you on the show that, like, Spinal Tap 2, I saw the trailer for it, and I was just like, wow, this does not look like it's for me, like, at all. But totally coincidentally, I think on Saturday evening, I got a text from a listener, and I don't think I have them saved in our system, so I don't know who it was, but they just said, hey, just so you know, I'm watching Spinal Tap 2 and there are tons of good drops in here. You guys should watch it. Yeah, yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

I'm actually, to be honest with you, before this news about Rob Reiner, I actually had the thought, weirdly, like, in the last week, you know what? I might go and watch Spinal Tap 2. I had the same reaction to the trailer that you did, which was. I, like, I. Because I hold the original movie in such high regard. And then I was like, this just doesn't look as strong to me. It's sort of trying to be too current. It's trying to meet the moment, as it were. But then I had. For some reason, I'm trying to remember even what it was, but I was just like. I had this thought go through my mind recently. Like, you know what? I bet you if I sit down with that movie for an hour and a half. Half. There will be five things that make me laugh pretty hard, which honestly is. That's pretty. That's a pretty good ROI for me.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, I mean, I almost. I think of that movie Mascots, right? And a lot of people are like, I don't know, man. Like, you go from waiting for Guffman and. And then mascots. Just a lot of people were just sort of saying that, like, it just. It sort of tarnished the legacy of. Now I'm blanking on who. Who does. Whose movies am I talking about now?

[Luke Burbank]

Christopher Guest.

[Andrew Walsh]

But just like generally, Christopher Guest just wowed our generation with this style of mockumentary and made several of them. And then the complaint, and I'm not even necessarily saying this, but the complaint is that the movies just kind of got lesser and lesser to many people's tastes as they go on. But like in Mascots, I'm pretty sure was like kind of the last of that Christopher Guest style. But some of my favorite tape that we play on this show. A mooshing grace, A moussing grace did he yip or did he yiff? Like, that's all from. So it's like those movies, like, in the right hands, there's always something good in there.

[Luke Burbank]

Exactly. So I may. I mean, the biggest conundrum I'm having is I'm going to watch a Rob Reiner film tonight. Oh, by the way, I don't know if she'll be okay with me mentioning this or not, but, like, the funniest text exchange with Becca this morning because she is so dialed in on her trivia and her facts and her figures and like, when she corrects me on something goes, ah, I don't think it was that. She's always right. And it really bothers me because, like, even though I get a lot of stuff wrong on this show in normal life compared to a lot of people, I am sort of a person who tends to maybe carry around a little bit more like pop culture or movie knowledge than a lot of people who just don't care about that stuff. And yet when it's me and Becca and she's like, I think you might be thinking of this person, I'm like, no. And Then she's always right, and it's very frustrating. But this morning, she was like. Like, said to be. She was like, there are these Rob Reiner movies that, like, I've never seen, but they were always in the video store when I was going in as a kid, so they live large in my mind. And she sent Mixed Nuts and Postcards from the Edge, neither of which are Rob Reiner films.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, I was going to say Mixed Nuts. We've been talking so much about that. I had no idea that was Rob Reiner, but it's not Reiner. Now I need to re. Now I need. I never thought that before, but now I'm scared that this conversation is going to plant the seed of misinformation, even though you're telling me that is not true.

[Luke Burbank]

Cut to one year from now when we're talking about the movie that Rob Reiner directed called Mixed Nuts.

[Andrew Walsh]

My favorite Rob Reiner joined Mixed Nuts, Rob Reiner joint.

[Luke Burbank]

But when she sent that to me, I did have the thought, oh, I do need to watch Mixed Nuts. But all that is to say I'm debating tonight between the Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, or Spinal Tarp, and I can't. I don't know. I guess I'll just see how.

[Andrew Walsh]

Misery Making dinner. Misery was a shocker to me.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah, don't sleep on Misery.

[Andrew Walsh]

I remember seeing Misery. I don't know if I saw it in the theater, but I saw it. If I didn't see it in the theater, I saw it probably early on in its VHS release or whatever, and it having a huge impact on me. This might have been around the time I was just starting to be allowed to read Stephen King books, too, because I think I maybe read it after seeing it, and it never occurred to me, hey, who directed that movie? I haven't seen that in forever. And then when I saw his name, that he directed Misery, now I'm. I don't think I want to watch Misery during the holiday season. Like, it is pretty brutal, but I'm like, oh, yeah. I mean, there is humor. Like Kathy Bates character, like, he. He did bring out. Not. Not that it's a funny movie, it's a horror movie. But, like, oh, yeah, you can see that he had an eye towards this and that there is humor in her performance.

[Luke Burbank]

Absolutely. I mean, that was the thing. Like, he was incredibly varied in the styles of movies that he could make. And they were. I mean, a few. He met a few good men. I'm not, like, I'm not, you know, particularly obsessed with that movie. But I mean, that was a prestige film, hugely quoted.

[Andrew Walsh]

I've never seen that. But talk about a movie that had a huge impact on the culture. You can't handle the truth. Right. That's. That movie, like that is indelible on her culture. Now, that phrase.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah. Stand By Me.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes.

[Luke Burbank]

Another one. That was, you know, when I was a kid, that was. I saw that. The Oak Tree. I saw that at the Oak Tree Movie Cinema. Right. By your beloved SARS Mega.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, yeah. That's still where I go see movies, isn't it? Still.

[Luke Burbank]

So, yeah, I am going. Yeah. Well, I'll figure this out for myself and I'll report back tomorrow which one I'm gonna watch. But anyway, that guy did some really cool stuff, and I'm gonna remember him fondly. And his wife as well, who was a photographer and had her whole. That's the other thing that gets complicated about these things is because I wasn't as familiar with her. I can't give you chapter and verse on her outside of their relationship, but obviously that wasn't the only defining thing in her life as well.

[Andrew Walsh]

But I also love that relationship. I love that they met that way, got married so quickly, which is often. If your friend were going to be marrying somebody that they just met on set and the movie's not even done yet, you might say, hey, just slow down, move in first. You know what I mean? But no, they got married and then stayed together for so long. I love successful relationships in Hollywood because I think it's difficult.

[Luke Burbank]

I need to do that. Because being in a relationship, when you get divorced, but then you get married and you stay married for a long time, it proves the other person was the problem.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah. So I've never been able to do that.

[Luke Burbank]

I might be the problem. Andrew. This is.

[Andrew Walsh]

That is why you do it. Now, I am relying on AI overview here, so I'm. I'm a little bit nervous that I. But you were listing a bunch of movies. But I don't know if we specifically pointed out, unless you did that. We're also talking about movies in a row. People were talking. And I think I have the proper list here. But like his first seven movies. So the only thing in the first seven movies, if this list is correct, that I'm not. That I. That I don't know, is the sure thing in 1985. But if this list is correct, the.

[Luke Burbank]

First thing with John Cusack. Right.

[Andrew Walsh]

Is that true? I don't know. That's the only one I have no context for. But it Goes. This is Spinal Tap, the sure Thing, Stand By Me, the Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, A Few Good Men. If that is, if that is accurate. There's like, there's not even. It's not like, oh, this is a collection of great films that he made. There's no fat in between. There's no. You know what I mean? It's just incredible. Those are.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah, that's crazy. I mean, there are in a way, if we think about the. When you say great directors, you know, the directors who have directed films that have been very successful. I guess you think of Scorsese, although I don't think is every Scorsese film a hit. I mean, they're usually pretty well regarded by the critics. But like, you'd have Scorsese up there, you'd have Spielberg, obviously. Who else? Who am I leaving? I mean, you'd have to put Rob Reiner's sort of IMDb page up against almost anybody else's.

[Andrew Walsh]

Right.

[Luke Burbank]

Movies.

[Andrew Walsh]

I think so. But I don't think that he's like kind of in that conversation the same way of the, of the like, really heavy hitter, you know, I almost wonder if like some people put Lucas in that too because he was sort of. Oh yeah, generation. And who wrote When Harry Met Sally? You just mentioned it before. Would Neph. Would Ephron be in that conversation? Probably not. Also because she, by the way, I.

[Luke Burbank]

Believe, did write Mixed Nuts. True story.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, yeah, I do think you're right about that. Yeah. You know, usually it's. It's men of that generation that we're talking about here. But yeah, Efron had the greatest title.

[Luke Burbank]

Of a book ever, which is as she was also aging and kind of grappling with that and let me get it, I want to get it just right. Oh, she wrote so many books, now I can't get to the right one. Keep talking and I'll find the name of this book and tell you, because I thought it was a very smart title for a book anyway.

[Andrew Walsh]

Well, I was just sort of saying what you were saying. But when you do think, when you name directors, though, I don't think Reiner is considered like, he's not often mentioned. I think I could be wrong. But in like casual pop culture conversations, if you're listing your Scorsese's and Spielbergos and whatever, like Reiner is not usually there. But then you look at this list and now I have confirmed those seven that I mentioned and of course his career went on. I'm just saying those are the first Seven, you know, but it's sort of like maybe because he was. What was his nickname on all in the Family? Meathead. Meathead. I almost said Jackass, but I knew that wasn't right. You know, like, maybe he's just sort of not taken as seriously. Maybe because some of these are comedies. Maybe. I'm not sure.

[Luke Burbank]

And maybe just because he didn't. He wasn't. He didn't seem like a person who was obsessed with his own quote, unquote, prestige.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

And so he wasn't trying to make one style of movie. You know, every Martin Scorsese film is like a real prestige effort. Whether it's like Gangs of New York. That was him, right? Like, you know, Wolf of Wall street and, by the way, good movies. I'm not trying to nag Martin Scorsese, but I don't think that there was. You didn't get the sense from rock. I mean, from. I'm just gonna call him Marty Deburghy, which is the name of his character in Spinal Tap.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, that's. This so does not work for radio. But one clip that was going around yesterday was just so funny. They were like, how is this one little gesture so funny? And, you know, you love talking about gestures on TBTL, Luke. But it's him. What is it? Marty DeBurghy. Is that his name? Yeah, Marty DeBurghy. And he's introducing the film or something. And he's talking and he just kind of casually go. He's talking directly to the camera. And it's kind of a full body shot or maybe waist high shot or something.

[Luke Burbank]

He's on, like, a director's chair.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah. So do you know the gesture? I'm gonna say he goes to cross his arm. He goes to cross his arm, but then just feels so uncomfortable. And then uncrosses them in the moment and never stops talking about this band's Spinal Tap. And it's just this uncomfortable. Like, clearly he's the director, right? He's playing the director of the documentary. He's playing the documentarian. And it's just a tiny moment of. It's so clear how uncomfortable this character is being on camera. And he goes to cross his arms and then realizes it's awkward in the middle of it and just drops his arms in this very awkward way. That is just like such a small little gesture. It just moves on super quickly. But it's so funny.

[Luke Burbank]

Oh, man. I loved him. By the way. The Nora Ephron book is. I feel bad about my neck.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, yeah.

[Luke Burbank]

Other thoughts on being a Woman. I just always thought that was the best. I feel like I'm walking around these days feeling bad about my neck about 80% of the time. It's the number one thing I see now when I'm in a TV story. I was like, did they have to have the camera to the side of me? I'm looking more like Alfred Hitchcock every single day.

[Andrew Walsh]

Here I go once again with the email. Every week, I hope that it's from a female. Oh, man, it's not from a female.

[Luke Burbank]

All right, Andrew. All weekend, along with biting my nails nervously and patting the top of my head, I was also looking forward to the email and V mail segment today. Because you said that you've got a V mail that had you on the edge of. I know a guy who's on the edge of his seat.

[Andrew Walsh]

I'm so glad that you're infected with that as well. Like, I can't say. I can't get through one conversation without saying something in that tone. Listeners might remember about two or three weeks ago, on this very program, my cat Bingo came in to say hello to me during the end of the podcast. Usually he stays out there until he hears, I'm done slap rapping with you, Luke, in the words of Guns N Roses. But he must have. We must have been going along or something. He was sick of waiting. So he comes barging into my studio, and since I wasn't ready for him to be in here, I had a little candle sitting on my table there, the table I use as a desk, and he has a big, big floofy tail. And he turned around, he turned his back to the candle and went to jump off of the desk. He did not realize that as he was getting ready to jump, his tail was hanging over the candle. And it very quickly, in almost like a quick flash, some of his hair got singed, and I freaked out. I was actually worried about the listener's mental health, hearing me kind of freak out in real time on the show. But apparently nobody had any issues with it. But I freaked out like bingo. And you could hear me just absolutely lose my mind. He didn't catch fire, but he definitely singed his tail. And I got up and I made sure he was okay. The only thing that really bothered him was me freaking out. He didn't even know that how close he was to danger. Well, that little event that happened during our podcast led to this voice memo from Tiffany.

[Tiffany]

Greetings, boys. I wanted to share a story about my late cat, Anna Karenina. When I was about 25 years old I was living in Austria, teaching in a place that was a significant drive from Vienna over snowy roads. One winter I went back home for Christmas to the US and when I got back to Vienna, was jet lagged like crazy and just wanted to go to sleep. I had a candle lit on the coffee table. Anna was not allowed on any surfaces where food was. And at this point she was maybe 10 years old, so there was absolutely no mistake that she obeyed those rules. So I was lying on the sofa with the candle lit with a cup of tea, close my eyes, just relaxing, getting ready to crash. And through my eyelids I saw some sort of bright light. And when I opened my eyes, Anna was standing on the coffee table with her tail on fire from the candle. But she didn't realize that her tail was on fire because it hadn't reached her skin yet. So I screamed, Anna. And she ran into my bedroom under the bed with her tail fully on fire. The bed was like a futon, so it was really low to the ground. So I tried to get under. You can imagine the panic, trying to slide under. And I was much thinner then and I could not get to her. So I'm throwing the bed out of the way, which scares her even more. So she runs back into the living room. I finally got a hold of her from behind the couch by the scruff of the neck and ran to the kitchen and opened water onto her tail. It was an absolute nightmare. She shredded my arm completely, which is understandable because I was very aggressive with her. I was very scared. And she had some pretty severe burns on her tail. It was a long healing process. She never had the hair grow back onto the bottom part of her tail again. So that's my story. It was a nightmare. Wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. Power out.

[Andrew Walsh]

I saw somebody. This is unrelated. Somebody posted on social media this weekend. Like, what do you mean you wouldn't wish it on your worst enemy? That's what enemies are for. Like, have some fun. Like wish things on your worst enemy. But that boy, just thinking about how close Bingo came to that and that idea of you're doing something to save the life or health of an animal that you care about, but they don't understand it and they just think that you're in that moment. They just think that you're being abusive or just awful is a terrible, terrible feeling. But you got to do what you got to do.

[Luke Burbank]

All I can also, all I can think about is how long it must have felt like that was taking.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes, yes, I bet you.

[Luke Burbank]

The whole thing was 30 seconds of like from the moment to going to throwing the bed out of the way to grabbing to the water. I bet you that felt like an hour. Yeah, I mean, when your brain is.

[Andrew Walsh]

Already thinking about all the scenarios of where this is gonna go.

[Luke Burbank]

Yeah, exactly. Like it's, it's like you're probably it. I mean, our brains are pretty crazy in what they can do in the moment. You're a terrified for your pet, you're trying to help them, but you're also thinking about like, is this the end of their life? What will my life look like in five years without them here? If this is the end of their life, are they going to be injured grievously? What is that going to cost? Can we. You know, there's like 80,000 thoughts are banging through your head in that moment and it's probably making everything feel like this is taking forever. Like the second the cat goes under the bed, you're just probably like, the cat's not going to survive this, you know. Oh man. Well, I'm glad that Anna Karenina was able to leave, live longer and even minus a little bit of tail hair.

[Andrew Walsh]

So yeah, that.

[Luke Burbank]

Gosh, that's scary though. I'm glad you didn't have to go through that, Andrew.

[Andrew Walsh]

I don't know. I know. I mean, I was thinking about that. I'm obviously, you know, even because I consider myself very careful with candles, for whatever it's worth. Like, I'm not somebody who's just like, I don't like them all the time. And when I do, like, I'm very aware of where they are. I don't think I'm paranoid, but I just know that, well, especially when I've lived with usually two cats for the past couple of decades, you gotta be careful because cats jump up on things, you know, so I'm always very aware of it. And so for that to happen, I don't know if that was a lesson I needed to learn, but it certainly reinforced it. And I'm never going to put the candle there again, you know, and so maybe other people who are listening to my story and to Tiffany's story, hopefully, maybe you don't have to live through it and just even think like, you know what, I know that I think this is safe here, but maybe I could make it a little bit safer.

[Luke Burbank]

If I see we are doing some good here, Andrew. We are providing service for the listeners. Also. Also, babies, be careful with babies and candles because I had a Christmas candle out and my niece Gemma was obsessed with trying to get to it. And then I moved it to another part of the. The little table thing, and she goes, it's kind of this table that's up against the back of a couch. And. And, you know, I'm just not used to having a small child here. Although, by the way, I did learn, apparently, this morning that Bubbles still is my cat, because Becca texted me, when your cat cat takes a. It makes my eyes water. And I was like, oh, it's my cat again.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, of course she's doing that.

[Luke Burbank]

It's my cat. Okay.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, man. You got a real. Why, you got a real wild one.

[Luke Burbank]

She is. I mean, that's what I've always said about Bubbles. The problem is she has not. I think she's like, one generation from having lived in the, like, wilds of Sumatra or something. Like, there needed to be about 10 generations, and there's been about one. So she's still always trying to get back.

[Andrew Walsh]

Back there. But.

[Luke Burbank]

All right, that's gonna do it for today's episode. But we are gonna be right back here tomorrow with more imaginary radio for all of you. So please, if you can join us for that. In the meantime, have a great Monday. Take care of yourselves. Stay dry and stay. Stay warm. Batten down those hatches, including those hot tub covers. And please remember, no mountain too tall.

[Andrew Walsh]

And good luck to all.

[Luke Burbank]

Ha ha.

[Andrew Walsh]

You fool. You fell victim to one of the classic blunders. The most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia. But only slightly less well known is this. Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line. Power out.