The Brain Candy Podcast

Toady we delve into reality TV (AGAIN!). Susie is in a fight with a producer, and she can't hold back about it any more. We discuss the most scandalous hookups on The Challenge (spoiler: Sarah makes the list several times). There's a new Challenge pregnancy cooking that we reveal. Sarah goes on and on about Southern Charm and her weird obsession with the Real Housewives franchise. But the bes...

Susie has a lot of things on her mind, and wants Sarah to weigh in. Find out the best way to get men to regret complimenting you. There's a theory that the worst thing a woman can do is to agree with compliment that a man offers. Sarah examines her private messages to see if she's getting hit on by men. Sarah reveals why she believes she will never be kidnapped. We discuss the unscientific theory...

We get totally nerdy after Susie attended a Neil DeGrasse Tyson talk and wanted to impart all my newfound wisdom and scientific musings with the Brainiacs. We discuss the magic of the Periodic Table, the beauty of being able to ask a good question, and put our existence in the universe into perspective. In honor of our nerdiness, we asked our friend Science Mike to join us to talk about his book F...

This is the (allegedly) final episode in our series on The Real World. Today we are featuring an interview with a producer, who shares the crew point of view. Even though *technically* the series is on the Real World, we're allowing a lot of Challenge discussion in this show as well. We talk about whether the show is exploitative or beneficial for participants (or both). We analyze the New Yo...

Today we're talking about true crime. Sarah describes some strange killers like the "Giggling Granny" and the Demon Midwife. Susie talks about the Oklahoma City documentary on Netflix. And we analyze the difference between why women kill and why men kill. Plus, we talk about the gender fear paradox and why women are more scared of being murdered even tough men are more likely to be killed. Listen...

We really should call this episode "Kiss & Tell," because that's basically what this episode is all about. In our 4th episode on The Real World, we discuss hook-ups, showmances, and other shenanigans. Find out who we've smooched, who Sarah is having sex dreams about, and other weird trivia about the show that changed television. Listen to more podcasts like this:  https://wavepodcast...

Today is all about women in the news. We discuss the first woman to officially complete the Boston Marathon and her triumphant return 50 years later. We discuss Chrissy Tiegen's latest admission that she has armpit plastic surgery (and how Susie didn't even know that was a thing). We find out the 5 different kinds of vaginas (from the point of view of a bikini waxer). Plus, we talk about pedophile...

Today we're exploring the concept of morality. What makes something good or bad? We discuss the Ashley Madison website, and the cheaters who use it. We debate whether reality shows and their participants need to be ethical when they're playing the game. Plus, we talk about the Golden Rule, and how it's not as clear cut as it sounds. Listen to more podcasts like this:  https://wavepodcastnetwo...

This episode is all about the candy and pretty much no brain. Look, we never said we'd have balance. Today we're talking about Jesse Williams' break-up and rumored relationship with Minka Kelly. We also discuss Serena Williams' pregnant win and the racist backlash she's receiving. We cover The Bachelor's Chris Soules and his recent hit-and-run, and how it might stem from his time on reality TV. Pl...

This is our most informative installment in our The Real World series. We talk about what it's really like living in a Real World house. We talk about the "bat phone," how much interaction the cast can have with the crew, and why it's more like living on a TV set than in a house. Find out what happened when Sarah found a microphone installed in her bed. Hear our thoughts on the "fourth wall." Plus...

Today we discuss our recent outing to the Long Beach Aquarium, and how we got up close and personal with birds doing the nasty. This leads to a discussion about the literal birds and the the bees. We talk about the phrase "eskimo brothers," and find out where the term originated. Sarah describes a blackout drinking incident, and how she still practiced safe sex (and she's "sure" of it). Plus, we d...

Today we explore some recent headlines including the outing of a transgender contestant on Survivor, and how CBS handled it. We discuss April the Giraffe and her new baby (and the webcam that broadcast it live). We talk about a recent nightmare Sarah experienced on a flight, and the United airlines scandal when a man was dragged off the airplane. We debate a recent video that Mayim Bialik posted w...

Today's show is about the hit podcast, S-Town, and why it has our brains in a tizzy. S-Town explores themes of racism, sexuality, suicide, grief, greed, class, and intelligence, and it does so with an incredible knack for narrative. We discuss the details of the show as well as the ways it captured our attention.  Listen to more podcasts like this:  https://wavepodcastnetwork.com Join ou...

We had so much to say about the show that started reality TV that we decided to do a second part. In this episode, we talk about what it's like to wear microphones all day, everyday. We talk about the contracts (and how we basically sign our lives away). Plus, Sarah contacts her dad for the first time in ten years to ask him a question about her show. We talk about the New York Times article that...

Today we start getting real about the show that started it all. We talk about how The Real World came to be, reminisce about the early episodes, and we talk about how the show has evolved. We also interview Judd Winick who starred on the ground-breaking San Francisco season, married one of his cast mates, and became close with Pedro Zamora. We also find out what Judd is up to now, and how he is li...

Who are the people who believe the earth is flat? Why are so many NBA players in denial about us having a round planet? Today we talk about these conspiracy theorists. We talk about vaccines and people who don't believe in vaccinating their kids. We're going to get a lot of hate mail for this episode. We're dreading that, but we lack the ability to censor ourselves. We talk about Sarah's rage abou...

This week we re-explore Disney, and its latest incarnations. We talk about the Beauty & the Beast live action remake with Emma Watson (and the outrage over the gay character). Sarah has a full-blown meltdown over her obsession with Moana. And we talk about how Disney is apparently bowing to criticisms over their princess culture. Can you be a feminist and love Disney? We discuss.  Listen...

We're going to the chapel and talking about weddings. The horror stories, Bridezillas, and inspiring moments from our lives and from our listeners. We discuss how Sarah's brothers almost got arrested at her wedding, we talk about how families make for complicated decision-making, and Sarah says she's ready to officiate at a gay wedding if you're interested. Plus, she reveals why she HATES her wedd...

Today we're talking about popularity, hits, and going viral. How does popularity "happen" in the digital age. We discuss one-hit wonders, Sarah's obsession with Angry Birds, and the science of making something popular. We also interview Derek Thompson, the author of Hit-Makers: Popularity in an Age of Distraction. Listen to more podcasts like this:  https://wavepodcastnetwork.com Join our Can...

Today we talk about the hit show of the year, This is Us, and interview the show's executive producer and director, Ken Olin. In addition to the This is Us bonanza, we have a very special co-host! Susie's sister, Gretchen joins the show to take Sarah's place while Sarah is on vacation. We talk about our obsession with This Is Us, and Ken Olin. We go over the show's first season (spoiler alert!), w...

Lions, tigers, and bears! Today we're talking animals. Sarah is obsessed with the Planet Earth documentary series (which she watches while she smokes doobies), and has now developed an affection for lemurs. We debate what animals we think we look like (and how Sarah's nose has a wing span). Plus, we have a lengthy side discussion about manic pixie dream girls and how we hate them. We debate whethe...

Today's show is all about the human body--weird things that our human shells do and that we do to ourselves. We explore butt injections and talk about "man boobs." We discuss babies that are born with full sets of teeth, why we can't recognize faces without their eyebrows, and the magic of a "princess toe." Sarah gleefully gives Susie a quiz about the human body. And we call fitness and wellness e...

We recount stories from our youth including the time Sarah stole from Pacific Sunwear. We learn about the time Susie's neighbor flashed his penis while she was selling candy door-to-door. We relive our favorite childhood memories, and discuss how Baby Jessica falling down the well was the birth of reality TV.  Listen to more podcasts like this:  https://wavepodcastnetwork.com Join our Ca...

We talk about how TV has changed over time. We go down memory lane w/ our favorite TV theme songs, explore the single-camera vs. multi-cam debate, and talk about how Friends has some pretty politically incorrect moments. This episode will surely include commentary on one of your favorite shows no matter when it came out. Plus, we get the inside scoop from Emmy-Award winning writer, Ken Levine, who...

As you can see, this episode is a real grab bag of hilarity. We wanted to make another version of our Weird and Wacky series, so we talked about everything from drug use in Nazi Germany to the mystery of Richard Simmons' disappearance and elder abuse. Find out why Susie is Carrie Fisher's soul mate and being a celebrity's child must be really difficult. Plus, we debate whether Cameron Esposito is...