The Musers The Podcast

Episode 36: "What's Going On Today in Romper Room?"

Date: March 25, 2026
Hosts: George Dunham, Craig “Junior” Miller, Gordon Keith
Theme: A hilarious, thoughtful exploration of fandom—from sports and music to politics and beyond, full of stories, self-deprecating humor, and sharp insights on why we care so much about “our” group.

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, The Musers return after spring break and dive deep into the strangely powerful phenomenon of fandom. They compare sports loyalty to music stanning, swap stories of youthful misadventures, and dissect why tribalism runs so deep in our culture—not shying away from the dark side (like college football meltdowns or political tribalism) while reveling in the good, the bad, and the absurd. The ever-present Musers banter ties it all together with nostalgia and sharp observational humor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Spring Break Stories and Humble Beginnings

• The trio reminisce about spring break experiences, including underwhelming high-school beach trips and awkward attempts to fit in as older spring breakers (“We looked like narcs. We bought kind of nautical...beach shirts that had fish on them”—Craig, 04:15).
• The recurring saga of “David” and his inability to use the restroom near his girlfriend adds a layer of typical Musers absurdity (02:39).

2. Listener Mail: Why No Video Podcast?

• The Musers read a letter from Keith, a longtime fan, who wonders why they don’t film the podcast (06:05).
• Their answer is honest—mostly “laziness” (George, 07:17) and deep-rooted preference for the “theater of the mind.”

  “Any time we’ve had cameras, it’s made all of us uncomfortable...we’ve done this for 32 years without cameras trained on us.” —Craig, 07:33
  “People only want to talk about what I’m wearing, not the bit I just did.” —Gordon, 08:17

• Some discussion over the appeal (or lack thereof) of video podcasts versus audio-only formats.

3. Fandom: The Core of Tribalism

• The main discussion explores why people become fans, covering sports, bands, celebrities, authors, and eventually even political figures (13:31).
• Craig defines fandom as rooted in tribalism:

  "From the time we exit the womb, we're looking for our tribe... Sports has offered that. For most of us, that's probably the easiest tribe to jump into." (13:31)

• George and Craig share early fan experiences, like George following the White Sox as a lone fan in a family of football lovers, and Craig finding the San Antonio Spurs on AM radio as a kid in Oklahoma (20:38).
• Both discuss how working in sports media transformed their experiences as fans, seeing once-beloved teams as "business" (21:47).

4. Changing and Surviving Fandom

• The hosts reflect how winning, age, or major life events (like Landry’s firing for George) can change the depth of one’s fandom (16:36, 22:57).
• Gordon confesses he never fully connected with sports fandom, despite family influence; sometimes, "people either just have that gene or they don't" (23:10).

5. Fan Rivalries and the Psychology of Hatred

• A sharp section examines how fans mainly hate rival fans, sometimes more than rival teams or even the game itself:

  "They don't hate that other team. They hate that other team's fans...They want their fans to be miserable." —Craig, 27:23

• Classic examples: Mavericks vs. Spurs, OU vs. Texas, Yankees vs. Red Sox.
• Gordon teases that the phenomenon is even worse in music fandom.

6. Craziest and Best Fandoms: College Football and Beyond

• The Musers declare college football fans are “the worst” in terms of intensity, delusion, and unwillingness to accept criticism (28:49).
• Memorable examples include Alabama fan Harvey Updike poisoning Auburn’s oak trees (32:20) and their own producer “Daddy” tweeting 93 times after Texas beat A&M (33:00).
• They also recognize the positive side—lifelong friendships, tradition, tailgates (“these two guys in Oregon...at every home game for 30 years”—George, 31:00).

7. The Ethics and Theater of Heckling

• A hilarious segment details George and Craig’s days heckling college baseball opponents at North Texas, toeing the line between funny and cruel (35:16–41:10).

  “It was almost like the visiting baseball team was playing at a comedy club because everybody could hear us...we thought we were funny.” —George, 38:12

• The story culminates with a confrontation by Oklahoma State’s legendary coach and a near-beating by angry players.

  “He put his arms around us and said, ‘Look, you can rag me all you want, but when you start ragging my players, that's...’ And we said, ‘Yes, sir.’” —Craig, 39:01

8. Music Fandom: Beyond Rationality

• Gordon emphatically argues music fans are “off the charts” insane in their devotion—especially with social media and K-pop/Taylor Swift/Beyoncé fandoms (42:48–44:49).
• Social media has turned stan culture toxic:

  “If you cross those fans, they come after you with more vitriol than even college sports fans.” —Gordon, 44:00
  “For 20 years I’ve said I think Taylor Swift is fantastic. Then I get the number of songs wrong on her latest album and I’m shouted down like I just ragged on the Spurs.” —George, 44:26

9. Debates, Identity, and Growing Out of It

• The guys recall heated but (now) silly debates, like Kiss vs. Beatles or ‘70s vs. ‘80s music (45:35–48:00).

  “Music is so subjective and it moves you in different ways…looking back, that was the dumbest thing I’ve ever argued in my life.” —George, 48:00

• Gordon: “It’s no fun being part of an in-group if there’s not a definable out-group.” (47:06)
• They also note how the need to defend one’s taste is strongest when young, when we “start slapping stickers on ourselves...the collection of banners that you carry is what your identity is.” (50:07)

10. Beyond Sports & Music: Fandom in Politics

• All agree: politics has become the most intense and polarized fandom, surpassing even college football (53:31–54:45).

  “When we were kids, I don’t remember flags being flown for your favorite senator or president...but now it’s like the fans of these politicians, they’re like college football fans.” —Craig, 54:03
  “Now it’s all about making the other side try to make them feel as bad as possible.” —Gordon, 54:16

• They reflect on merch, rallies, and how social media has fused sports, music, and politics into pure tribal theater.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments with Timestamps

• On What Fandom Means:

  “Sports has offered that...just pick a team and you’ve got millions of built-in friends.” —Craig, 13:31

• On Graduation from Fandom:

  “After [the White Sox] won the World Series in 2005, I remember leaving...thinking, I think I’m good now.” —George, 16:36

• On Rival Fans:

  “Isn’t it amazing that the fans dictate how you feel about a team?” —Craig, 27:23

• On College Football Fan Intensity:

  “You have a hot sports opinion about Texas or Texas A&M or Texas Tech, better be ready to fight...they don’t want to hear it.” —Craig, 28:49

• On Producer Daddy’s Twitter Match:

  “He tweeted or retweeted 93 times. One game. Right after that game ended, 93 times.” —Craig, 33:00

• On Their Own Heckling Days:

  “At one point, Pete Incaviglia crushed a home run...he steps on home plate, claps, points at the two of us and said, ‘That’s for you two motherfuckers.’” —Craig, 38:12

• On Social Media Music Fandom:

  “If you cross those fans, they come after you with more vitriol than...college sports fans.” —Gordon, 44:00

• On the Importance of In-Groups/Out-Groups:

  “It’s no fun being part of an in-group if there’s not a definable out-group.” —Gordon, 47:06

• On Political Fandom:

  “That is the craziest fandom...over college football or anything.” —George, 54:32
  “It’s all about making the other side try to make them feel as bad as possible.” —Gordon, 54:16

Breakdown of Important Segments (with Timestamps)

• Spring Break Reminiscences & Early Fandom: 00:30–06:05
• Video Podcast Discussion: 06:05–11:08
• The Nature of Fandom: 13:31–24:48
• Fan Rivalries & Changing Loyalties: 24:48–28:01
• The Ethics of Heckling (North Texas Baseball): 35:16–41:10
• Music Fandom and Its Extremes: 42:48–48:49
• Debates & Identity in Taste: 47:06–52:53
• Politics as Fandom: 53:31–55:12

Overall Tone and Takeaways

Playful, candid, and self-deprecating as always, this episode merges personal nostalgia with sharp takes on the universality of the human drive for “tribe.” Whether rooting for sports teams, music icons, or politicians, The Musers show that being a fan is as much about finding belonging—and a good target for your energy—as it is about wins, losses, or musical greatness. The hosts are not above laughing at their own former fanaticism, or calling out society for its ever-more-ridiculous obsessions.

Recommended for:

• Anyone curious about why sports, music, and politics stir such passionate feelings
• Longtime Musers fans who love vintage stories, banter, and honest reflection
• Listeners new to the show, interested in a broad, humorous take on identity and tribalism

For questions, thoughts, or your own tales of fandom: themuserspodmail.com