TBTL: Too Beautiful To Live

Episode #4642: “Just Raisin Questions”
Date: January 15, 2026
Hosts: Luke Burbank & Andrew Walsh

Episode Overview

In this lively Thursday episode of TBTL, Luke and Andrew journey from regrettable coat decisions in a frigid Chicago to deeply nostalgic reminiscence about 1980s ad mascots (California Raisins!), local TV commercials, and what happens to American coinage now that the penny’s days are done. The conversation is peppered with musings on aging, the evolution of weird local ads, autonomous vehicles in Las Vegas, testosterone replacement, and the joys of Blursdays. As always, their blend of pop culture, gentle self-deprecation, and off-the-rails tangents keeps the tone gently goofy and nostalgic.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Luke’s Chicago Trip & The Neverending Coat Dilemma

[01:14]

• Luke opens with regret over not bringing a heavy coat to Chicago, lamenting the frigid temperatures but finding solace indoors to host the show.
• Quote:
  “I made a questionable decision...I did not want to have to deal with a big large bulky coat on the airplane...and I am absolutely regretting that decision because it is frickin freezing here.” —Luke [01:35]

2. Microphone Talk and California Raisin Tangent

[03:07]

• Andrew notices a difference in Luke’s microphone sound, prompting a discussion about podcasting gear.
• Luke shares he’s switched from the classic Shure SM7 to a handheld Sennheiser, noting the improved comfort.
• This spirals into a vivid nostalgic riff about the California Raisins, their baffling 1980s cultural dominance, and how ad mascots have evolved.
• Quote:
  “I’m picturing you as a mid-1980s era California Raisin...they would hold these handheld mics…do you have a poofy wind protector?” —Andrew [05:04]
  “That was a phenomenon in my life as a kid...I don’t know if there’s any analog for that nowadays.” —Luke [06:13]

3. Ad Mascots, Local Commercials & Modern Plushie Culture

[06:35]

• The duo compare ad mascots with modern “plushie” phenomena like Boo Boos, noting how advertising now often sells the product as the mascot itself, whereas Raisins, Beef, etc., were just selling staple goods.
• They puzzle over consumer choice:
  “We were supposed to go into the store and say, ‘bring me your finest raisins—only from California.’” —Luke [08:10]
• Andrew draws a parallel to massive “Beef, It’s What’s for Dinner” ads, complete with Aaron Copland’s music, and pokes fun at product councils.

4. Detroiters, Local TV Nostalgia & Shared Culture

[11:09, 12:30]

• Both hosts effusively praise “Detroiters,” Tim Robinson and Sam Richardson’s love letter to local ad culture and Detroit’s own TV landscape.
• Andrew, a Cleveland native, expresses jealousy over the strong local identity shown on the show, contrasting it to his own transient feelings about Northeast Ohio.
• Quote:
  “There is something...Detroiters is a ray of light. The love for these two men and the love for Detroit just comes out of the TV set.” —Andrew [11:30]

5. Decline of Weird Local Commercials & Rise of Internet Irony

[15:35]

• Luke wonders if the golden age of offbeat local commercials has vanished with changed media habits and the internet’s irony-soaked culture.
• Andrew notes the difference between commercials that were unique out of innocence and today’s attempts to go viral.
• Quote:
  “The charm of a lot of these local commercials was that the people who were making them were not really in on the joke...now...the people making the commercials are supposed to be intentionally bad so they go viral. It’s not the same. It’s not fun.” —Luke [16:39]

6. Old-School AM Radio Ads & Testosterone Tangent

[17:26]

• Andrew celebrates AM radio as the last refuge of accidental low-budget local commercial weirdness.
• The pair then veer into a semi-serious tangent about testosterone replacement therapy and male enhancement ads on radio.
• Luke muses on the pros and cons, particularly how less testosterone has correlated with fewer bar fights and more peace.
• Quote:
  “I haven’t been in a bar fight in 15 years...directly related to the fact that my testosterone is going away and it’s been good for me.” —Luke [19:49]

7. Donor Thanks & Classic Movie Detour

[21:53]

• As part of the ritual donor thank-yous, the two take a detour into “Captains Courageous”—Andrew cracks up at the idea of “Captain Disco” (played by Lionel Barrymore), joking he pictured Disco Stu from “The Simpsons,” not a grizzled old movie star.
• Quote:
  “When you picture Captain Disco, you picture Disco Stu from the Simpsons.” —Andrew [24:08]

8. Vegas, Self-Driving Cars & the Robo-Taxi Future

[25:14]

• Andrew recounts seeing Zoox (self-driving vehicle pods) in Las Vegas and tries to untangle the legal distinctions between Zoox and Waymo vehicles.
• Luke elaborates, imagining a future in which self-driving cars upend traditional car design, eliminate the need for personal vehicle ownership, and crucially, allow elderly people to retain independence.
• Quote:
  “By the time you and I are probably too old to be driving, there will be a solution for that, which will be the robo taxi.” —Luke [32:04]

9. The End of the Penny & Coin-Collecting Hijinks

[34:00]

• Main Top Story: With US pennies discontinued, there’s a lively discussion of rare collectible pennies and how to identify big winners among your change (“Omega penny,” magnet test, SF mint years).
• Andrew admits he didn’t realize the penny was discontinued until recently and vows to check his own coin jar live on a future episode.
• Quote:
  “If you have a 1943 penny and it won’t stick to the magnet, that means it’s copper and maybe worth $100,000.” —Luke [40:22]
• They express concerns about how stores will handle pricing without pennies, veering into a debate about rounding, taxes, and why no one seems to have planned this out.
• Notable Exchange:
  “I don’t know...I’m getting a little bit cranky, Yandy, over this whole thing. And I’m sure it’ll all work out in the end. I am excited to know, though, if I’m a millionaire.” —Andrew [44:22]

10. Prop Bets, Sports Gambling & Dark Timelines

[46:07]

• A last-minute tangent explores sports gambling scandals — college basketball point-shaving and MLB prop bets — and the ethical quagmire of betting on political events.
• Quote:
  “We’re in a very dark timeline that some crypto bro somewhere made $400,000 correctly betting when the US would illegally intervene in the business of another country.” —Luke [48:30]

11. Blursdays, Listener Community & Music Store Resurrection

[51:04]

• The weekly “Blursday” segment (celebrating listener birthdays and milestones) is lighter than usual, prompting Andrew to joke, “Apparently nobody who would grow up to enjoy this podcast is born in May.”
• Shout-outs abound to listeners’ cats, the return of a beloved Seattle used music store (Trading Musician → Reanimation Music), and notable local birthdays.
• Notable exchange:
  Luke: “You know, it’s nice. I like it. I like the fact that you feel comfortable calling me a name that is not my name.”
  Andrew: “I was also trying to do some math...people were not feeling amorous nine months ago!” [50:34–51:04]

12. Tangents on Aging, Architecture & Planning Ahead

[32:53, 33:44]

• Luke admits he’s already considering if he could grow old in his house, based on its single-level layout and “robo taxi” drop-off suitability.
• “...I’m 49 years old, I’m definitely not old yet, but I’m already doing the calculation of, like, could I live my days out here?”
  —Luke [33:44]

13. Wrapping Up with Classic TBTL Fare

[59:09]

• Luke preps to write for “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me!” as the show closes, promising more TBTL shenanigans tomorrow.
• The classic sign-off:
  “No mountain too tall.”
  “And good luck to all.” [59:49]

Notable Quotes & Moments by Timestamp

• Luke on new mic & comfort:
  “I’m sitting very comfortably holding this microphone that is designed to be held in the human hand and talked into.” [04:50]
• Andrew on AM radio ads:
  “AM radio is still the bastion of that right...I could see you and I taken out to the podcaster’s farm...sitting in a fake little podcast studio outside.” [17:26]
• Luke on testosterone:
  “The fact that I haven’t been in a bar fight in 15 years is directly related to the fact that my testosterone is going away and it’s been good for me.” [19:49]
• Andrew on penny discontinuation:
  “I am, and I still am. And now I’m getting a little bit angry about it. Like, well, how are you going to handle this? I don’t know.” [44:22]
• Luke on self-driving cars and aging:
  “It’s pretty cool that by the time you and I are probably too old to be driving, there will be a solution for that, which will be the robo taxi.” [32:04]
• Classic show title banter:
  “First of all, I believe it’s bageling the question show title. Thank you. No, I already wrote the show title. It’s just raisin questions.” [15:35]

Useful Timestamps for Main Topics

• 01:14 — Luke’s coat woes and intro
• 03:07 — Microphone discussion begins
• 05:04 — California Raisins riff starts
• 09:10 — “Beef, It’s What’s for Dinner” commercials
• 11:21 — Detroiters and local ad nostalgia
• 15:35 — Are local commercials dead?
• 17:26 — AM radio, testosterone, aging
• 25:14 — Zoox, robo-taxis in Vegas, autonomy
• 34:00 — Main story: Penny discontinuation and rare coins
• 46:07 — Gambling scandals, prop bets
• 51:04 — Blursday segment (listener birthdays)
• 59:09 — Show wrap-up and signoff

Tone & Style

Playfully nostalgic, self-deprecating, quick-witted, and culturally observant. The hosts’ longstanding friendship gives their humor and tangents a warm, easy feeling — like you’re sitting in on a private, deeply referential, meandering conversation.

Summary for New Listeners

This episode encapsulates the best of TBTL: quick pivots from earnest debates on penny elimination, to deep-dives into why aging feels weird, to loving tangents on mid-80s ad culture, to nitpicking microphone ergonomics. For listeners new or old, it’s a joyful and nostalgia-filled jumble, marked by chemistry, classic TV references, and good-natured, meandering banter. All wrapped up with warm listener shoutouts and a promise to do it all again tomorrow.