Way Too Interested

Hi everyone!

Hope y'all have been doing good in the <checks notes> two years since I last updated this feed with a podcast.

I *adored* doing Way Too Interested and I'm so thankful to all of my guests but at the time it turned out to be too much for me to do on a weekly basis. However, I'm not giving up on the idea of doing it again in the future!

For now, I'd like to introduce you to my new podcast "AI For Humans" which I make with my old pal Kevin Pereria. The two of us worked on G4's Attack of the Show together and have stayed friends ever since.

"AI For Humans" is a podcast about helping normal humans examine and understand the new and ever changing world of generative AI. We attempt to be your guide and demystify a lot of what is happening in that space.

The show is weekly and we're already on episode 25 and I think you might like it!

If not, we'll the download was free.

You can find AI For Humans on all podcast platforms, socials and at our website. Links are below!

Apple Pods: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ai-for-humans/id1682409647

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5FId0qPP5SldltQTgVFTxq?si=9c2c2ccd152a4819

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCghJTNTO9kcDeUFXMuSDGLQ

Web: aiforhumans.show

On today's episode of Way Too Interested, writer/comedian Heather Anne Campbell, the co-host of the gaming podcast Get Played, talks with Gavin Purcell about her obsession, sneaker culture. Heather also talks about how she started doing live comedy when she was 14, why she no longer believes her interests and hobbies are totally in her control, and why her podcast — formerly known as How Did This Get Played? — moved away from "bad" video games.

Then, Heather and Gavin are joined by Michael Sykes, sports reporter for USA Today and writer of the independent newsletter The Kicks You Wear. Michael talks about how sneakers helped him break into writing about sports, how the broader culture around sneaker culture went mainstream, and how to preserve your kicks for as long as possible. Plus: How the shoe industry changed all of collecting with the "drop" release model, and the story of the sneaker drop that literally caused a riot.

Please follow or subscribe to Way Too Interested in your podcast app of choice! And if you liked this episode, then tell a friend to check it out.

Also ...

Follow Gavin on Twitter @gavinpurcell

Follow Heather on Twitter @heathercampbell

Subscribe to Michael's newsletter, The Kicks You Wear

On today's episode of Way Too Interested, screenwriter and "The Black Tapes" creator Paul Bae talks with Gavin Purcell about his obsession, fly fishing. Paul also talks about his circuitous path to being the creator of a hit podcast, why his grandmother flew into a rage upon being told that he had become a comedian ... and the time his stand-up comedy nearly went down in flames in front of some of his idols.

Then, Paul and Gavin are joined by James Madison University professor emeritus Stan Ulanski, the author of several books including "The Science of Fly-Fishing." Stan talks about how one should start fly fishing, how to improve at it, and where he would go if he were given an all-expenses paid fishing trip to anywhere in the world. Plus: Paul tells the story of a solo fishing trip that made him fall in love with Redding, California.

Please follow or subscribe to Way Too Interested in your podcast app of choice! And if you liked this episode, then tell a friend to check it out.

Also ...

Follow Gavin on Twitter @gavinpurcell

Follow Paul on Twitter @MrPaulBae

Read Stan's books, including The Science of Fly-Fishing

On today's episode of Way Too Interested, medievalist Dr. Eleanor Janega talks with Gavin Purcell about her current obsession: The conceptualization of sex. She explains how her field of study has been distorted in the popular imagination, how medieval people thought about sex, and the surprisingly similar way modern internet communities are talking about it now.

Then, Eleanor and Gavin are joined by David Halperin, the Distinguished Professor of the History and Theory of Sexuality at the University of Michigan; he talks about the differing philosophies of sex offered by thinkers like Plato, Arthur Schopenhauer, and Sigmund Freud, and how societies — in both classical and modern times — have drawn lines between "acceptable" and "unacceptable," or "natural" and "unnatural" types of sex. Plus: How definitions of gender, eroticism, and virility have changed over time.

Please follow or subscribe to Way Too Interested in your podcast app of choice! And if you liked this episode, then tell a friend to check it out.

Also ...

Follow Gavin on Twitter @gavinpurcell

Follow Eleanor on Twitter @goingmedieval

Read David's books, including How to Be Gay and Gay Shame

On today's episode of Way Too Interested, writer/podcaster/Glitch CEO Anil Dash talks with Gavin Purcell about his fascination with America's interstate highway system, which started with his father — a civil engineer given a "genius visa" to immigrate from India to help build America's highways and bridges. Anil also talks about his personal history with technology, "living in the future" as a kid, and how the "information superhighway" of the internet is similar to actual highways.

Then, Anil and Gavin are joined by journalist and former White House appointee Dan McNichol, the author of The Roads That Built America: The Incredible Story of the U.S. Interstate System. Dan explains how President Dwight D. Eisenhower's vision for a nation crisscrossed by highways became a reality, the negative impact highways have had on various communities, and our present battles over infrastructural issues, such as 5G, broadband internet, and high-speed rail in California.

Please follow or subscribe to Way Too Interested in your podcast app of choice! And if you liked this episode, then tell a friend to check it out.

Also ...

Follow Gavin on Twitter @gavinpurcell

Follow Anil on Twitter @anildash

Read Dan's books, including The Roads That Built America

On today's episode of Way Too Interested, author Chuck Wendig talks with Gavin Purcell about the many types of apples you've never tasted, the state of Twitter in 2022, and his obsession with creepypasta, an online cousin to urban legends. Chuck also talks about the real-world impact of these spooky tales and how they have evolved in the transition from 4chan to Tumblr to TikTok.

Then, Chuck and Gavin are joined by creepypasta expert Lucia Peters, the author of Dangerous Games to Play in the Dark. Lucia further explains exactly what makes something creepypasta and discusses some famous examples, including Slenderman, the Elevator Game, and "BEN Drowned." She also looks ahead to the future of the internet-driven genre, which has already made the leap to mainstream films and video games.

Please follow or subscribe to Way Too Interested in your podcast app of choice! And if you liked this episode, then tell a friend to check it out.

Also ...

Follow Gavin on Twitter @gavinpurcell

Follow Chuck on Twitter @chuckwendig and read his bestselling novel, The Book of Accidents

Read Lucia's work at The Ghost in My Machine

Cliff "CliffyB" Bleszinski, the lead designer on the "Gears of War" video games, talks with Gavin Purcell about his years in the gaming industry, how he discovered a passion for the theater in high school, and his main obsession outside of games: Broadway. This passion led him to become a co-producer of the hit show Hadestown, which won eight Tony Awards in 2019.

Then, Cliff and Gavin are joined by theater producer Hunter Arnold, whose credits include Hadestown, Kinky Boots, and Dear Evan Hansen. Hunter talks about how he decides what to produce, why he never knows if a play is going to be a hit, and a game he plays with a fellow producer: Describe the plot of a hit musical with the worst elevator pitch ever.

Please follow or subscribe to Way Too Interested in your podcast app of choice! And if you liked this episode, then tell a friend to check it out.

Also ...

Follow Gavin on Twitter @gavinpurcell

Follow Cliff on Twitter @therealcliffyb and on Instagram at @dudehugetank

Follow Hunter on Instagram at @huntercarnold

Sports writer and Channel 6 co-founder Spencer Hall, formerly a contributor to SBNation and the founder of Every Day Should Be Saturday, joins Gavin Purcell on today's podcast to talk about his obsession with Japanese wrestling! And specifically, Spencer is way too interested in one athlete from the New Japan Pro Wrestling circuit: Kota Ibushi, who Spencer describes as both "the greatest wrestler alive" and also the answer to the question "what if Michael Jordan had just done Space Jam for 10 years?"

Then, they're joined by Chris Charlton, who announces Japanese pro wrestling in English for NJPWWorld.com. Chris explains how Kota has bridged the gap between old and new fans of the sport, what makes him so compelling, and his humble ambitions to become God.

Please follow or subscribe to Way Too Interested in your podcast app of choice! And if you liked this episode, then tell a friend to check it out.

Also ...

Follow Gavin on Twitter @gavinpurcell

Subscribe to Spencer Hall and Holly Anderson's Channel 6

Follow Chris on Twitter @reasonjp

Performing artist, social entrepreneur, professor, and author Aaron Dworkin joins Gavin Purcell on today's podcast to talk about his obsession with poker! He also talks about how diversity has defined his life and passions, and how he uses a "lottery test" and a "death test" to decide what new projects to pursue.

Then, they're joined by star player and commentator Phil Gordon, who explains how newbies can improve their poker game, why physical "tells" are overrated, and why "emerging players" such as Aaron should consider getting into a version of the game called Pot Limit Omaha, or PLO.

Please follow or subscribe to Way Too Interested in your podcast app of choice! And if you liked this episode, then tell a friend to check it out.

Also ...

Follow Gavin on Twitter @gavinpurcell

Learn more about Aaron’s nonprofit, The Sphinx Organization

Read Phil's books, including the Little Green Book: Lessons and Teachings in No Limit Texas Hold'em

Today, on an unusually topical episode of Way Too Interested, screenwriter and Scriptnotes co-host John August joins Gavin Purcell to talk about how his experience selling a custom deck of playing cards — the Writer Emergency Pack — awakened him to the complex and fascinating world of the supply chain. He also talks about his writing habit and the thing he misses most in the current supply chain crunch: Caffeine-free Coke Zero.

Then, they're joined by the New York Times' global economics correspondent, Peter S. Goodman, who explains what exactly the global supply chain is, how it arose, and why everyone should have ordered their Christmas presents yesterday. Plus: Who's making money when supply ships aren't moving, who's pain are we not hearing about, and which industries are most affected by a disruption to the normal rhythm?

Please follow or subscribe to Way Too Interested in your podcast app of choice! And if you liked this episode, then tell a friend to check it out.

Also ...

Follow Gavin on Twitter @gavinpurcell

Listen to John's podcast, Scriptnotes

Read Peter's writing in the New York Times