Bear Comes Clean

Forgive our two-and-a-half month hiatus. It was unplanned and we'll do our best to get back on our biweekly release schedule. But we're back! On this episode, we discuss children's shows that may or may not be for children, unexpected great experiences, and relationship dealbreakers and attractive traits. Confidence is in, jealousy and insecurity are out. Jennifer doesn't need to share all of her...

This week on the old podcast, the dog interrupts the recording. Again. Jennifer and Bear talk about 1995, why group chats are a special kind of Hell, The Amazing Digital Circus, and Wallace & Gromit. Bear might move to Italy and renounce his U.S. citizenship and Jennifer is dreading flying during the current TSA mess. Topics also include our favorite airports, Bear's first marriage, and re...

It's a half episode. Brace yourselves. It's the "Godcast." Today, Melissa and Bear talk about what it means to allow God to work through you and what it means to listen to the Holy Ghost. Additionally, Bear talks even more about the missionaries and Melissa keeps finding herself exactly where she needs to be exactly when she needs to be there. We'll be back next week with Jen...

We're finally back! Jennifer rejoins the podcast just in time for a war with Iran. The discussion dips into Christianity this week. Not as heavily as our half episodes with Melissa, but we dissect how Christian nationalists can call themselves "Christians" with a straight face. We also dip back into the topics of hypnosis and shifting beliefs based on new information. If you're a...

It's been a month since our last full episode, but we're still here. Here's a quick three minute update on what's been going on. See you soon!

We missed last week. Jennifer and Bear were both sick. That's OK. We're back with a truly unprecedented three-quarter episode this week. And Bear's not alone. Melissa joins us for an in-depth (2-1/2 hour!) conversation about faith. If you're disinterested in Christianity or faith in general, skip this one. If you're a practicing Christian or even just curious about how faith sh...

On this half episode of Bear Comes Clean, we have two topics and a quick story. Bear discusses a young friend who is going through a tough time, then we get into the history and current status of the band rain42. And we kick things off with a little ditty that I jokingly referred to on social media as "How a clogged shower drain strengthened my faith." We'll see you all next week wit...

This week, Bear and Jennifer show some love for Madonna, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, the Lilith Fair artists, and Dolly Parton. And if Dolly has any skeletons in her closet, we don't want to know about them. Seeing Neil Diamond live changed Bear's life, Wayne Newton once kissed his wife, and Stevie Nicks can do no wrong. And everyone should listen to Holly Humberstone. Jennifer has mixed...

Things get a bit more serious this week. It's a half episode, so no Jennifer. We've talked a lot about why I came back to Christianity, but glossed right over why I walked away from faith thirty years ago. Spoiler alert: it had a lot to do with the "Christian" right. I get into my initial departure from Christianity, how that decision was reinforced with the arrival of the MAGA m...

Welcome back to Bear Comes Clean. Season 2 has arrived and Jennifer is here to stay. On this episode, we compare raising a child in Queens, New York with Northwest Ohio, take a deep dive into a variety of faiths, and discuss Bear's love for LDS missionaries. Also, Bear is ready to start a crime ring at a senior living facility, Ricky Gervais is a great guy who loves cats, and it's OK to ch...

Happy New Year! Bear Comes Clean Season 2 is coming sooner than you think. Sooner than even I thought. We'll return with cohost Jennifer on Wednesday, January 21st. So, why listen to this teaser when you just got all the information you need upfront in the description? Why do anything? Join me for exactly fifteen minutes of Jesus, bears, tattoos, and random nonsense to cleanse your palate for...

Season One comes to a close on this very merriest of Christmases. Yes, it's long overdue and off cycle from the normal Wednesday release cycle. That's explained in this forty-ish minute episode. And no, Jennifer is not on the show this week. She will join us biweekly when we return for Season Two in 2026. Thank you to everyone who downloaded, subscribed, or just listened to an episode here...

Bear's sister joins the podcast as its first guest. They talk about life, love, music, relationships, religion, and much more. Bear reminisces about his past and dreams of his future. Despite the fact that this episode is an hour long, it's really good. That's mostly because Jennifer is brilliant and incredibly interesting. So, just listen to the whole thing when you drive to work, get...

We finally did it. The Godcast was inevitable. I've said from the beginning that this was not a podcast about God and if it ever became a podcast about God, I'd call it A Podcast About God . Don't worry. It's not that. But this episode is . I decided to clear the decks of all God-related topics so we can get back to the subjects I set out to discuss from day one: life, love, music,...

This week, I discuss my introduction to becoming a performing musician through the formation of my first band, End Over Aja. This episode introduces you to my sister Jennifer in 1994. But it also brings a whole new cast of characters who would shape my life in myriad ways beyond music. I talk about the many people who entered my life in the 90s, some of whom are still a big part of it today. But s...

The titular character from our last bonus episode is back. But this time, she brought her best friend, the wife of a twice convicted pedophile and registered sex offender. Were you questioning why I made that last bonus episode to begin with? This is why. Give it a listen. And for the love of God, buy me a coffee . I'll drink it this week. Thank God I stopped consuming alcohol last year. A tal...

This week, our half episodes become full, single topic episodes. No more of the five minute or less of corrections and updates. Roads? Where we're going, we don't need ... roads. But we do need women. And the six women I discuss in this episode have been some of the most influential people in my life. We start with my oldest "sister" Jennifer and basically skip right past her. No...

This episode is for a lot of people. It's for anyone who has ever gone through a divorce with kids. It's for anyone who has ever remarried with kids. It's for anyone who has ever lived with someone with mental illness. It's for anyone struggling with their own mental illness. But it's also for Magistrate Christie at the Court of Common Pleas, Wood County, Ohio. I think this wou...

In the third episode of Bear Comes Clean , Bear is lactose intolerant... and lacks toast and is tolerant. Adult Unhappy Meals are false advertising. Bear and Brian split a limo four ways and go on two sets of dates. We're becoming more and more of a Godcast. Bear is an Episcopalian Latter Day Saint, whatever that means. Jesus is doing too much. Kind of. Also, the Mormons have "way too shi...

Nothing to see here. Just five minutes or less of corrections and updates. The next full episode of Bear Comes Clean comes out October 15th. In the meantime, sign up for the official newsletter here . It only comes out on the off weeks on Wednesdays (like today), so do it! See you next week. ✌️

Corrections: Larry is Episcopalian, not Presbyterian! Summer will not be co-hosting this podcast. And the Sisters from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints may have won, More on that in Episode Four. For now... Bear wins a bet against God. We get in the wayback machine and go back to 1993, Bear starts working at a record store... in 1993. Taylor Swift ain't half bad. This is becomin...

Not really an "episode," per se. This is under five minutes of corrections and updates. Episode 2 will be out October 1st, and subsequent episodes will be out every other Wednesday. Until then, to infinity... and Beyoncé!

An introduction to "Bear Comes Clean," the personal podcast of Mark Pannell and friends.