Ugly, Irresponsible, & Childish

Hosts Jeremy Baka and Marc Levy use memorable movie scenes and quotes to pull practical lessons for creative work and business. They explore risk-taking, clarity, courage, problem-solving, and how to sell ideas using examples from films like Animal House, Toy Story, Apollo 13, Jaws, 12 Angry Men, Dead Poets Society, and Glengarry Glen Ross. Through candid conversation and real-world anecdotes, the...

On this episode of Ugly, Irresponsible, and Childish, hosts Marc Levy and Jeremy Baka talk with Howard Pulchin about the messy, rewarding overlap between creativity and public service. They dig into Howard’s front-row role in the Dove Real Beauty work, the ongoing fights over creative credit, and the career shift that led him to run for and win a local office in Northwest Connecticut. The conversa...

In this one-year anniversary episode the hosts reflect on 40 past shows, revisit major brand backlash stories (American Eagle, Victoria’s Secret, Cracker Barrel), and debate whether those controversies were overblown. They discuss mentorship—offering to take on protégés—and share candid guest conversations about client-agency honesty and crisis management. The episode closes with a wide-ranging ta...

Hosts Jeremy and Marc interview Elizabeth Heaton, a former University of Pennsylvania admissions officer, about reading thousands of applications and what makes students stand out. They explore the difference between being well-rounded and well-lopsided, when creativity helps or hurts, and memorable do’s and don’ts from the admissions table. The episode also tackles modern concerns—parent involvem...

Hosts Jeremy Baka and Marc Levy riff on agency life, award season absurdities, and the Cannes Lions scandal that revealed AI-manipulated entries. They debate the value of awards, the challenges judges face, and how new Cannes integrity rules seek to curb deception. Between personal stories and industry anecdotes, they question whether awards actually measure creativity or effectiveness, consider A...

Greetings, creative warriors! In this episode, Marc & Jeremy welcome brand strategist Nancy Martira to explore her unique, original system for guiding mid-to-senior professionals how to think like brand strategists to stand out in a crowded, dehumanized job market. Nancy explains her ‘moment, impact, edge’ framework for crafting memorable positioning, translating it into LinkedIn headlines, re...

Hosts Jeremy and Marc unpack the messy realities of creative credit in agencies—from brainstorm dynamics and idea theft to the junior/senior power plays that shape who gets recognized. They share real anecdotes, psychological reasons ideas get lost, practical tips for protecting and sharing credit (individual ideation, follow-up notes, and leadership that gives credit away), and when it’s time to...

This week, our two intrepid hosts sit down with Paul Walker, founder of Crisis Command, to discuss how AI is reshaping crisis management, the balance between human judgment and automation, and the tactics organizations need to stay aligned under pressure. They explore Crisis Command's workflow, real-world case examples, industry-specific applications, and the limits of AI — emphasizing empathy, in...

Hosts Marc and Jeremy unpack creative control in entertainment and marketing, sparked by the Blake Lively–Justin Baldoni dispute. They discuss how differing visions, committee influence, and leadership decisions shape— and sometimes sabotage—creative work. Through personal stories and industry examples, they share practical approaches to protect creative vision: early buy-in, staged sharing of wor...

In this episode Jeremy, Marc, and guest Kristen Lisanti unpack the ‘drama triangle’—victim, villain, hero—and show leaders how to replace reactivity with three practical practices: co‑creating, challenging, and coaching. Drawing on agency stories and neuroscience-informed culture work, they explain how small leadership shifts can turn survival cultures into creative, high‑performing ecosystems. Li...

Hosts Jeremy & Marc unpack the damaging rise of procurement in marketing — from unpaid agency pitches and re-bids to opaque fee battles and stolen ideas. They share firsthand stories about lost accounts, the pressure to cut creative work to fit budgets, and practical ideas for how agencies might respond. Listen to them connect all this back to terrorism. Prepare for head-shaking moments and a...

Concluding their run with Joe Eszterhas, Marc and Jeremy sit down with and discuss Joe's more recent work, sudden throat cancer diagnosis, risky surgery, and a long recovery. Joe reflects on the role of his wife Naomi and a renewed faith, his anti-smoking campaign, the return to writing, and the hard-won lessons for creatives: write the work in your heart and never give up.

In Part 4 of the Joe Eszterhas sessions, the Hollywood screenwriter behind Music Box recounts how his film about Hungarian warcrimes unexpectedly echoed his own family history when his father became the target of a U.S. investigation. The conversation traces the shock of discovery, the collapse of their relationship, and the moral and emotional fallout. Hosts Jeremy & Marc frame the story arou...

Joe Eszterhas joins hosts Marc  and Jeremy to revisit the defining Hollywood moments of his career — from mentorship under Norman Jewison and hard-fought battles with Sylvester Stallone to the controversy, criticism, and commercial highs and lows that shaped his work. Tune in for candid stories about creative clashes, the power dynamics of agents like Michael Ovitz, moral ambiguity in storytelling...

On today's episode, Jeremy & Marc continue their conversation with Hollywood legend Joe Eszterhas as he recounts breaking the My Lai photos, his rise at Rolling Stone, and his leap into films. Joe discusses creative risks, clashes with studios and stars, the ‘twisted little man’ in his work, and notorious unproduced scripts like Sacred Cows. Joe's topics include Vietnam, Rocky Balboa, Hunter S...

Hosts Jeremy & Marc sit down with Hollywood legend and best-selling author Joe Eszterhas to trace his extraordinary life and career — from living in Hungarian refugee camps to becoming the sold-out, record-setting writer behind films like Basic Instinct, Flashdance, and Jagged Edge. The episode covers Eszterhas' early years as a journalist, encounters with music icons, his creative process and...

It happens. That idea you so loved and believed in crashes and burns. How do you handle the embarrassment, the bruised credibility, theshaken confidence? Marc and Jeremy feel your pain and have the creative battles scars to prove it. In the words of Good Will Hunting’s Sean Maguire, “It’s not your fault.”  The duo discuss creative failure, resilience, and how to recover credibility after an idea t...

In today's episode, Jeremy & Marc reflect on the people who shaped their careers—mentors, bosses, clients, and unexpected influences. Through candid stories about fear, trust, and boldness, they explore how relationships and moments of failure forged their creative approach. They share lessons from a brilliant but intimidating leader, a renegade mentor who taught them to be daring, a manager w...

Hosts Marc and Jeremy share their top picks for three categories of Super Bowl 60 ads: Ugly ones, Irresponsible ones, and delightfully Childish ones. They call out celebrity-packed flops, awkward AI/de-aging work, and wasted big-budget moments, while praising standout spots like Liquid Death, Manscaped, and Redfin. This episode mixes sharp critiques, business perspective, and honest laughs as the...

In this episode of Ugly, Irresponsible, and Childish, we explore the unrelenting pursuit of creativity and the workplace cultures that either celebrate or suffocate it. In this episode of Ugly, Irresponsible, and Childish, hosts Marc Levy and Jeremy Baka sit down with industry veteran Bob Osmond to discuss leadership, coaching, psychological safety, career transitions, and practical ways agencies...

Shut up. No Dancing. Kill the robots. Long live humans. No, this isn’t some dystopian novel. It’s the latest “Ugly, Irresponsible & Childish” episode featuring the straight-talking Dos and Don’t of presentations and sales pitches. Marc & Jeremy deliver a candid guide to presenting. Drawing on real pitch stories, they explain how to read the room, sell your humanity instead of a hard sell,...

Welcome back, listeners! In our long-awaited 2026 debut, Jeremy and Marc return to discuss how fake ideas—empty taglines, celebrity-dependent campaigns, and superficial marketing tactics—undermine true creativity and brand strategy. They share personal stories from agency life, critique examples, and explain why ideas must ladder to the brand, not just a catchy line or influencer. They also explor...

Marc and Jeremy do a 2025 year-end wrap up, along with a 2026 prediction about brands that might just cause some anger issues. Which, strangely enough, is the whole point.

In accordance with universal law, Marc and Jeremy share their annual holiday gift-guide ideas, leading not only to some great gift ideas for that special creative someone, but also hallucinogenic exchanges about huffing, Bone Music, QWERTY and The Wizard of Oz.  Below are the links to all the gifts we mentioned. And again, NO — we’re not getting a damn cent! Thai Herbal Inhaler Sphere Tix The Book...

Hosts Jeremy Baka and Marc Levy continue part two of their interview with David Gluckman, a forty-year drinks industry veteran who created memorable brands like Bailey's, Sheridan's, The Singleton, and Smirnoff Black. David shares behind-the-scenes stories about product development, marketing missteps, the value of ownership, how committees can strangle ideas, and practical takes on AI and design...