Flightless Bird

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David and Rob delve into the deeply American world of Reality TV. They talk to Sara Reddy - one of the minds behind Honey Boo Boo and a number of record-breaking reality TV shows - before meeting reality TV veteran Jordan Wiseley. - JOIN US ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/flightlessbird - Email us: [email protected] - Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flightlessbirdpod - Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flightlessbirdpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this month’s Nest Session, David and Rob are joined on the couch by Nathan Willett and Matt Maust of Cold War Kids, an indie rock band from Long Beach, California. They talk about their love / obsession with collecting very specific vintage t-shirts, before sharing their memories and passion for their friend and collaborator, musician and producer Richard Swift, who passed away in 2018. They are then joined by their bandmates to perform some of their tracks for your enjoyment. “The Nest Sessions” are a monthly music-focused series where each week Rob and David have a different musician in the studio to talk about a piece of American culture they’re obsessed with, before they share some live music in the studio. Join us for more on Patreon: www.patreon.com/flightlessbirdEmail us: [email protected] us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flightlessbirdpod Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flightlessbirdpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David and Rob meet Betsy, a librarian who one day found herself being harassed by a “First Amendment Auditor” - a man in a hoodie badgering her endlessly for her name, salary and employment details. After calling the police, she discovered they could do nothing - and Betsy’s footage was uploaded for 100,000 people calling for her dismissal, and arrest. Farrier interviews Kristina Wilson and Kristi Nickodem, both experts in Public Law and Government, to find out what the hell was going on - and to see what someone like Betsy can do when confronted by this very unusual subculture of insufferable YouTubers.Email us: [email protected] Patreon: patreon.com/flightlessbird Dealing with Harassment and Threats Towards Local Government Officials and Employees: https://canons.sog.unc.edu/2022/07/dealing-with-harassment-and-threats-towards-local-government-officials-and-employees/ Responding to First Amendment Auditors: https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/reports/2022-11-09%2020220124%20LGLB%20141.pdf Coates’ Canons NC Local Government Law: https://canons.sog.unc.edu/?s=%22responding+to+first+amendment+audits%22 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s Thanksgiving-vibed Flightless Bird, David sets out to learn about the iconic American staple on the Thanksgiving table: Pumpkin Pie. Rob and David blind taste test three pumpkin pies - from supermarket scraps to high end Hollywood - to see if they can tell the difference. Rob then surprises David in the studio with Jordan Kahn, the chef behind incredible restaurants like Vespertine and Meteora (with French Laundry, Per Se, Alinea and Michael Mina also in his CV) who has made the Flightless Bird team his own pumpkin pie. Kahn then shares his pumpkin pie tips, along with his thoughts on what else should go (and not go!) on the Thanksgiving table. Support Flightless Bird on Patreon: www.patreon.com/flightlessbird Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/flightlessbirdpod Email us your feedback: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's Flightless Bird, David and Rob attend Medieval Times in California - and are joined by Rob's son, Calvin. They set out to discover if it's still the same experience documented in the 1996 hit film The Cable Guy, before talking to a former worker at Medieval Times.JOIN US ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/flightlessbirdEmail us: [email protected] us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flightlessbirdpod Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flightlessbirdpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Flightless Bird, Rob takes the reins and tells the story of Tom Pfaeffle - a mentor, musician, and the quiet force behind Seattle’s sound. What begins as a look into a mentor’s lasting influence becomes a haunting mystery: a motel shooting, a vanished gunman, and a community searching for answers. Rob speaks with Wild Orchid Children’s Kirk Huffman and Thomas Hunter, who share the story of Tom’s influence, and journalist Trent Moorman unravels the strange events that unfolded at the Blue Spruce Motel. Wild Orchid Children: https://open.spotify.com/artist/48g5S4pDBTkgU4MekOe5yV?si=a4Y9Wd7YRJG6Ei2uzAyQFwBlack Shiny FBI Shoes, the song: https://open.spotify.com/track/3AoUBpJmkZ2f3cqljsH6sn?si=4d2e2eb9fce84853 Kirk Huffman: https://www.instagram.com/realdonmusic Thomas Hunter: https://www.instagram.com/thomashunter____ Trent Moorman: https://www.instagram.com/cookiesnake Email us: [email protected] Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flightlessbirdpod Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flightlessbirdpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once a month, Flightless Bird will release “The Nest Sessions,” a new music-focused series where each week Rob and David have a different musician in the studio to talk about a piece of American culture they’re obsessed with, before they share some live music in the studio. The Nest Sessions debuts with Anthony Green from Circa Survive, L.S. Dunes, The Sound of Animals Fighting, and Saosin. Anthony talks about his battles with sobriety on the road, and reveals his favourite American snack to David. Email us: [email protected] Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flightlessbirdpod Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flightlessbirdpodcast Anthony Green: https://www.instagram.com/anthonygreen666/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s spooky Flightless Bird, Rosabel reveals her thoughts on the afterlife and ghosts, before David meets a bunch of Americans who’ve taken part in, or run, Christian Hell Houses. What is a Hell House, and what do they have to do with Halloween? David then drives to visit his first Hell House, learning about the myriad of ways humans can die, and what hell looks like. Flightless Bird on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flightlessbirdpod Email us your feedback and ideas: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s episode, Hayden explains why his old band broke up and David reveals some shocking news: Rosabel’s name is not “Roosevelt”. Next, Rob takes David deeper down the emo rabbit hole. They’re joined in the studio by Chris Carrabba (Dashboard Confessional) and Nick Thomas (The Spill Canvas) to break down the genre, before they share some acoustic songs. Saosin and Days Away also perform! email us: [email protected] Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@flightlessbirdpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s Flightless Bird, we reveal the results of the competition to guess Rosabel’s filthy email address, before David travels to Portland to see if it really is a raging city out of control. Rob also talks to some locals to get their take about what is going on in their city at the moment. Email us your feedback: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David talks to a man who lived as a train hopper for two years. They talk about the lifestyle, dangers and chaos of illegally hitching rides across America using the railroad system. The country’s first train tracks were laid down in the 1820s - and since then, America has gone on to have the largest rail transport network in the world - over 136,000 miles of train lines weaning their way across the USA. Which is why train hopping is part of America’s history. Based on original reporting in Webworm: https://www.webworm.co/trainhopping/ Email us: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David attends his first Homecoming football game and Homecoming dance - and Rob and David discuss their feelings around dances, balls, and weddings. Note: As discussed in this episode, Flightless Bird is hiring! We are looking for a “channel manager” to help look after a Flightless Bird’s Instagram, YouTube page, and other social media accounts. This is a paid position working 15 to 20 hours a week. If you are creative, organised and experienced please email us a short video explaining your experience and why you’re a good fit for this job - along with what you’re listening to at the moment (music wise or podcasts!) Email us at [email protected] Subject line: Flightless Bird Channel Manager Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s episode, David looks at the downfall of one of the world’s biggest Christian stars, Michael Tait. The (now former) frontman of The Newsboys, and former member of DC Talk, Tait led a secret double life that all came crashing down this year. Farrier talks to two journalists who covered the story, Jessica Morris and Josiah Hesse - as well as whistleblowers and victims like Israel Anthem. Farrier discovers a world of coverups and legal action in the world of Christian rock - learning about the sole owner of Newsboys, Wes Campbell, who some refer to as “The Devil”. - This is based on original reporting on Webworm: https://www.webworm.co/thedevil/ - Email David and Rob: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s episode David and Rob look at the world of Christian Contemporary Music, or CCM for short. Born out of the 1960s Jesus Movement, CCM was a way for kids to listen to “cool” music without any of the sin, and it became embedded in large parts of American culture. They’re joined in the studio by Underoath’s Aaron Gillespie who knows a thing or two about Christian music - and they talk about everything from Hell Houses to the good and bad of Christian music.Aaron Gillespie: https://www.instagram.com/aaronrgillespie/Underoath: https://www.instagram.com/underoathband/Flightless Bird merch: https://www.flightlessbirdpod.comEmail Rob and David: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s Flightless Bird, Rob takes David to his first ever Chipotle Mexican Grill experience, before teaching him about what makes this American food chain so iconic, important and delicious. Founded on July 13, 1993, we learn about its history with McDonalds to its attempt at being sustainable, they try to answer the eternal question: Is Chipotle better than fast food or slightly better than fast food? Flightless Bird merch: https://www.flightlessbirdpod.com/ Email Rob and David: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s episode, David flies to Washington, DC to meet with Kala - AKA “Tunnel Girl” - a woman digging a tunnel under her suburban home. David descends into Kala’s tunnel, trying to figure out what motivates her to do this. Along the way they talk about her fame on TikTok, the controversies she’s faced, and what you can learn from a tunnel fire. This episode was based on original reporting done for Webworm: https://www.webworm.co/tunnelgirl Flightless Bird merch: https://www.flightlessbirdpod.com/ Email Rob and David: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David looks back at Invisible Children’s “Kony 2012” documentary through the eyes of Lilly, an intern at the time - and Jedidiah Jenkins, the director of idea development for Invisible Children in 2012. Lilly and Jed take David inside the viral hit - the first ever video to reach 1 million likes on YouTube, the speediest ever to reach 100 million views. A Pew Research poll at the time indicated more than half of young adult Americans had heard about Kony 2012 in the days following its release. The purpose of Kony 2012 was to make Warlord Joseph Kony “famous”, and raise money for Invisible Children’s cause. And then everything went wrong.Contact David and Rob: [email protected] FB Merch: www.flightlessbirdpod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David Farrier meets Mike Masnick, the journalist and entrepreneur who came up with the term “The Streisand Effect” 20 years ago. The term has its origins in Barbara Streisland suing someone for $50 million for daring to take a photo of her house - only to have the photo spread to millions of people. Since then the Streisand Effect has been used to describe the effect of the rich and powerful trying to shut down information. Farrier and Mike discuss the legacy of what Barbara did, and its effects on the internet today. LINKS: David Farrier’s Webworm newsletter: www.webworm.co - please support it! TechDirt, Mike’s site: www.techdirt.com Kenneth Adelman’s site: californiacoastline.org Lawsuit details: https://www.californiacoastline.org/streisand/lawsuit.html Contact Flightless Bird: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's Flightless Bird, David Farrier explores cryonics - freezing human corpses in the hope they may one day be resurrected by future humans! We interview James Arrowood, CEO of Alcor, America’s biggest cryonics outfit, to talk about the perception of this practice and what it means for Alcor’s 250 bodies on ice. Email us your feedback: [email protected] Links - Death To Dust: What Happens To Dead Bodies? http://www.galenpress.com/extras/extra32.htm - Melbourne Woman On Ice: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-16/second-person-cryogenically-frozen-southern-cryonics/105517102 - A startup is pitching a mind-uploading service that is “100 percent fatal” https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/03/13/144721/a-startup-is-pitching-a-mind-uploading-service-that-is-100-percent-fatal/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David and Rob discuss Pokemon Trading Cards. They’re joined in the studio by Alex (@chantastic_collection) to get schooled on Pokemon fandom and trading cards (David and Rob open their first deck ever!), before David heads to New York to meet Dave Suchmann, a man who’s combined his love of Pokemon with his computer savvy to try and make a sustainable business trading Pokemon cards. Now of course Pokemon comes from Japan, but when it was introduced to America, and then the world between 1998 and 2000, it went ballistic. It’s generally agreed upon that Pokémon is the world's highest-grossing media franchise ever - leaving Marvel and Disney stuff in its wake. So, strap in and prepare to Catch ‘Em All! Links: - David Farrier’s Webworm update on Fake Seizure Guy: https://www.webworm.co/p/fakeseizureguysentenced - Dave’s Galactic Collectables: https://www.instagram.com/galactictcg/ & https://linktr.ee/galacticcollectibles - Alex’s Pokemon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chantastic_collection Email Flightless Bird with your feedback: [email protected] Flightless Bird on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@flightlessbirdpodcast Flightless Bird merch and links: https://www.flightlessbirdpod.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s Flightless Bird, David and Rob talk about one of the most iconic American movies of all time: Home Alone. David then meets Lauren, who not only loves Home Alone - but grew up in the Home Alone house. She was there during the entire shoot, observing the whole thing through the eyes of a six year old. This episode is part of Flightless Bird’s very unofficial “Chicago Week." LINKS: - Flightless Bird presents: METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER. Saturday August 23 in Los Angeles: https://www.americancinematheque.com/now-showing/flightless-bird-presents-metallica-some-kind-of-monster-8-23-25/ - If have any feedback we are always [email protected] - You can get t-shirts at www.flightlessbirdpod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s episode, Rob takes David around Chicago visiting some of his favourite deep dish pizza spots. The pair check out Pizano’s, Pequod’s, Lou Malnati's and Chicago's Pizza. They also stop by Goose Island so David can try Rob’s old favourite beer. Contact us anytime with your ideas and feedback: [email protected] - Pizano’s Pizza: https://www.pizanoschicago.com - Pequod’s Pizza: https://pequodspizza.com - Lou Malnati's: https://www.loumalnatis.com - Chicago's Pizza: https://chicagos-pizza.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s episode was recorded live in Chicago, where Rob and David brought Flightless Bird to Park West on July 10. They share their thoughts and feelings about Chicago, before interviewing legendary documentary maker Joe Berlinger about his work. Berlinger talks about recently EP’ing a doc about the “tylenol murders” that took place in Chicago in 1982. They then talk about some of the films he’s directed, including Brother’s Keeper, the Paradise Lost trilogy, and Metallica: Some Kind of Monster. They then chat about the Dahmer Tapes and his narrative film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile - and his upcoming series The Son of Sam Tapes. Next the Flightless Bird stage is taken by sandwich chef Jeff Mauro who feeds David some unique Chicago food, and then Nina Salem of the Insect Asylum presents Rob and David with a live opossum. Musical guests for this episode are the wonderful drmanhattan. All feedback: [email protected] T-shirts and other show info: www.flightlessbirdpod.com THANKS TO: - Joe Berlinger is a documentary filmmaker and producer. Director of such films as Brother’s Keeper, Paradise Lost, Metallica: Some Kind of Monster and Extremely Wicked. @joeberlingerfilms - Jeff Mauro is the co-host of the Food Network series The Kitchen, host of Sandwich King, $24 in 24, and the Come On Over podcast, CEO & Founder of @MauroProvisions @jeffmauro - Nina Salem of the Insect Asylum @theinsectasylum - Music by drmanhattan @drmanhattanboots - Photos by Lenny Gilmore @lennygilmore Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s Flightless Bird is Live From Denver! Rob and David explore the sights and sounds of Denver, CO, presenting their findings to a very fun crowd at the beautiful Cervantes Ballroom. They are joined by four guests that each bring a fascinating aspect of Denver and Colorado to life: The CEO of a cryonics company who has 250 human bodies and heads on ice, the head a hearse club, an expert from the largest Ice Core story facility on the planet, and a professor deeply involved with reintroducing gray wolves to Colorado. Musician Matthew Logan Vasquez provides live music including his rendition of the Flightless Bird themesong, and Happy Cones, founded by New Zealander Hap Cameron, delivers some hokey pokey ice cream to Rob! Thanks to our audience for their wonderful questions. Email us with your thoughts and ideas: [email protected] & Show Info: www.flightlessbirdpod.com ABOUT OUR LIVE GUESTS + LINKS- James Arrowood is the CEO and President of ALCOR, a non-profit organization dedicated to cryonics here in America: They have over 1500 members, 250 who are currently frozen, waiting for science to catch up: https://www.alcor.org/ - Zachary Helm is leader of the Denver Hearse Club, and has the best haircut in the whole of Denver: https://hearseclub.com/about/about.htm - Richard Nunn is Assistant Curator at the National Science Foundation Ice Core Facility in Lakewood, Colorado. There he oversees ice cores from places like Antarctica and Greenland, that are stored in a large freezer kept at -36 degrees. His primary job is to distribute samples of this precious ice to scientists all around the world - as they look at perfectly preserved gas bubbles trapped in the ice to find out what the heck is going on with global warming: https://icecores.org/ - Joanna Lambert is an environmental studies professor at the University of Colorado. She has been deeply involved with the Rocky Mountain Wolf Project, and for some reason she agreed to come talk at a show that featured a Cryonics Expert, the leader of a hearse club and a mad scientist obsessed with ice: https://www.joannalambert.com/ - Matthew Logan Vasquez: @matthewloganvasquez- Happy Cones Ice cream: https://happyconesco.com/ - Photography: Andrew Rowley @guacarowley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s Flightless Bird, Rob takes David to Vons. There they each pick their five favourite American candies, ready to taste test back at the studio. They also pick a bunch of American candy David has never tried, so he can fill his blood with American sugar and become 200% more American. Live show tickets for Chicago on July 10: http://bit.ly/lostkiwiCHI If you want to contact Flightless Bird, we are always at: [email protected] are available here: flightlessbirdpod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices