Really? no, Really?
by iHeartPodcasts
Every Tuesday best friends Jason Alexander and Peter Tilden are joined by experts, newsmakers and celebrities in an attempt to find answers to the thingsthat make us go…"Really? no, Really?” We invite you to join us, subscribe and even suggest topics, as we search for the answers to life’s most baffling, intriguing,confusing and annoying questions
Copyright: 2024 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia
Episodes
Harvard’s Taylor Swift Course -What You’re Really Learning!
38m · PublishedHarvard is teaching a course on…Taylor Swift? Yes! Harvard University, the one in Cambridge, Massachusetts has a new course about T-Swizzle whose Eras Tour has earned over 1 billion dollars so far. And whose latest album just broke multiple streaming records within hours of its release. Really, no Really!
Our initial reaction was to poo-poo the Harvard course because we happen to be congenital born poo-poo-ers. But when we investigated the course syllabus, we found it fascinating, and an easy A it’s not.
Jason and Peter have enlisted the talents of Professor Stephanie Burt -who teaches the Taylor Swift course at Harvard - to not only discuss her class, but to also take a closer look at the woman, her music, the music industry she has upended and her rabid fan base, the Swifties.
Professor Stephanie Burt is the Donald and Catherine Loker Professor of English atHarvard University and has published various collections of poetry and a large amount of literary criticism and research. The New York Times has called Professor Burt "one of the most influential poetry critics of her generation".
You’ll also hear how Jason and Peter gave Taylor a job, way back in the day. Really, no Really!
IN THIS EPISODE:
- How Prof. Burt sold Harvard’s Administration on doing a Taylor Swift course.
- Is Taylor Swift just about skewering her x-boyfriends?
- Do you have a Hermeneutic Friendship with Taylor? And what does that even mean?
- Does Taylor use “lects”? And what does that even mean?
- How Swift’s social media consciously builds and deepens community with her fans.
- Taylor Swift’s success: amazing business acumen or smart consultants?
- The songs a Swift novice should listen to first.
- GoogleHEIM: Quiz: Who sung it - Taylor Swift or the Sex Pistols?
***
FOLLOW PROFESSOR BURT:
X: @accommodatingly
BlueSky Social: @notquitehydepark.bsky.social
Podcast:teamupmoves.com
***
FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY:
www.reallynoreally.com
YouTube
TikTok
Threads
X
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
CNN’s Richard Quest: Is Airline Safety Declining?
38m · PublishedThis episode attempts to answer the question… “Are airlines putting dangerous planes into the sky?” Recently, aBoeing 737 Max 9 had a door plug blow out at 16,000 feet, creating a gaping hole that sucked out, among other things…the shirt off the back of a startled teenager. Really, no Really!
That incident (along with a few others) reminded us of that Netflix documentary exposing the egregious decline of Boeing, a once great American manufacturer. 2023 was considered a travel nightmare for many and 2024 looks to be no better with shortages of air traffic controllers, pilots, and planes.
To enlighten us about the current state of air travel, Jason and Peter invited CNN’s, always entertaining - aviation expert and correspondent- Richard Quest. Richard has interviewed every major airline executive and covered the crashes of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, and the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Aviation’s surprising “Do Not Pair” list!
- Safest seat on the aircraft is…?
- Ailine pilot statistics you hope aren’t true.
- Richard breaks down why Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 & Lion Air Flight 610 went down and what’s changed.
- Why airlines outsource critical maintenance overseas.
- What happens when a plane depressurizes at 35,000 ft?
- Are pilots being pushed to the breaking point?
- True/False: Water and ice on an airplane are safe to drink?
- Is it possible to be sucked out a broken window?
- “Sully” Sullenberger’s genius!
- Jason’s favorite Seinfeld plane episode.
- GoogleHEIM: How far can a commercial airline glide without engines?
***
FOLLOW RICHARD QUEST:
X @RichardQuest
Quest Means Business, airs weekdays at 3pm ET / 12pm PT on CNN International
Pick up Richard’s book: 'The Vanishing of Flight MH370: The True Story of the Hunt for the Missing Malaysian Plane'
***
FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY:
www.reallynoreally.com
YouTube
TikTok
Threads
X
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Comedian Leanne Morgan: From Housewife to Fame at 57!
43m · PublishedFame! That mystical quality that often leads young stars to crushing downfalls, addiction, financial ruin, even personal tragedy. So, is it better to become famous later in life, when you hopefully have the wisdom and experience to handle it?
For one Tennessee housewife and in-home jewelry salesperson Leanne Morgan, success didn’t happen till her late 50s. That’s when her incredible talent, perseverance and whit enabled her to go from playing small comedy clubs, to arenas, landing a Netflix special, and getting the part of Reese Witherspoon’s big sister in her upcoming comedy withWill Ferrell!
When Peter saw Leanne perform, it evoked memories of comedic timing reminiscent of Joan Rivers. When Jason caught her stand-up act, he immediately fell in love. And apparently, he’s not the only one. Her first YouTube comedy special reached - over 50 million views! Really, no Really!
And we’re happy to say Leanne is joining us to talk about her special brand of Southern-inspired comedy and what it’s like to hit it big… later in life.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- How a woman peeing on a couch led Leanne to a her successful career in comedy. Really!
- Dealing with kids leaving home, beagles’ buttholes and menstrual mishaps.
- Popcorn tubs, hernias & plantar fasciitis aka, date night at a Journey Concert!
- Learning what a table read is with “little” Reese Witherspoon & Will Ferrell.
- Talking about family in your act-even when they don’t want you to!
- What it’s like for Leanne to ‘make it’ in her late 50s.
- GoogleHEIM: The top 10 things you SHOULD NOT DO…If you don’t want to look old (#10 is controversial)
***
FOLLOW LEANNE:
Netflix Special: Leanne Morgan: I’m Every Woman
Website: LeanneMorgan.com
Instagram: @LeanneMorganComedy
TikTok: @LeanneMorganComedy
YouTube: @LeanneMorganComedy
Facebook: @Leanne Morgan
X: @LeanneComedy
Pre-Order Book: “What in the World?!: A Southern Woman's Guide to Laughing at Life's Unexpected Curveballs and Beautiful Blessings”
Watch her on Amazon Prime’s forthcoming feature, You’re Cordially Invited, alongside Will Ferrell & Reese Witherspoon.
***
FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY:
www.reallynoreally.com
YouTube
TikTok
Threads
X
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Dark Side of Celebrity Endorsements
38m · PublishedAs celebrities bask in their own fame, they are frequently offered exceptionally lucrative endorsement deals, often worth obscene amounts of money. But as this trend has grown over the past decade, many of the deals seem to be encountering significant problems!
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s wine brand may take a hit due to their acrimonious divorce. Diddy (formerly Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy and more) reportedly lost 18 brand partnerships due to assault allegations. And Adidas’s billion-dollar deal with the controversial Ye (formerly Kanye) may end up costing them over a billion dollars…Really, no Really!
So, is it worth hiring a well-known star to create awareness for your brand or has it now become a recipe for disaster? To help find the answer, Jason and Peter invited Mark Haas to join them. Mark is the CEO of The Helmsman Group which helps brands navigate the world of consumer-packaged goods and he’s helped over 200 new product platforms enter the commercial market— representing more than $2 billion in sales over the last decade.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Would you buy a Jason Alexander rum called “No Rum For You”?
- What makes a celebrity and a product the right fit?
- The amazing story of how Don King committed Michael Jackson to do a Pepsi commercial without his permission.
- The one thing Samsung DIDN’T want to hear from celebrity endorser LeBron James.
- Do celebrities really need to enjoy the brands they’re shilling for?
- How celebrities get involved with food and alcohol brands.
- The quality of the product or the veneer of the celebrity, which is more important?
- The difference between Ryan Reynold’s remaking the gin market vs Orson Wells selling wine form a chair he’s clearly been sitting in for quite a while.
- Jason pitches products that don’t have a celebrity endorser…yet!
- GoogleHEIM: More brilliant Jason Rum ideas!
***
FOLLOW MARK:
Web: HelmsmanGroup.com
Instagram: @HelmsmanGroup
Facebook: The Helmsman Group
LinkedIN: Helmsman Group
***
FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY:
www.reallynoreally.com
YouTube
TikTok
Threads
X
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wayne Knight on Seinfeld, Jurassic Park, Basic Instinct and more!
54m · PublishedToday’s episode could be titled, “Hello Newman” because the internationally loved actor, Wayne Knight visits Really, no Really to talk about his iconic roles... including Seinfeld’s scheming Postman Newman, and Jurassic Park's techno-wiz Dennis Nedry.
In this episode, Jason and Peter get Wayne to discuss what it’s like to get cast in projects based on his weight, being held hostage on the set of Oliver Stone’s JFK, and his bizarre audition with the director of Basic Instinct - Really, no Really!
In addition to the credits listed above, Wayne has appeared on Broadway in the plays Gemini, Mastergate, Art and Sweet Charity plus the movies… Dirty Dancing, Born on the 4th of July, Dead Again, JFK, Space Jam, For Richer or Poorer, Rat Race – and the list goes on!
He also voiced the villainous toy collector Al McWhiggin in Toy Story 2, plus characters in Tarzan, Kung Fu Panda, Harley Quinn and many other animated projects.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Wayne Knight the biochemist?
- Wayne Knight, private Investigator, and his real-life case: “The Husband, The Wife & The Pregnant Au Pair!
- Why he wore a fat suit…Really, no really!
- Meeting Steven Spielberg at the entrance to Jurassic Park.
- The disgusting reality of being spit on by a dinosaur.
- Jason & Wayne compare notes on losing weight.
- Warm? Cold? Unwelcoming? Guest star’s views on the Seinfeld set.
- Googleheim: Who wore it worse? Fat suits in Hollywood.
***
FOLLOW WAYNE:
X: @iWayneKnight
Wayne’s upcoming shows: Amazon Prime’s season 2 of Them and Max’s Bookie.
***
FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY:
www.reallynoreally.com
YouTube
TikTok
Threads
X
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Understanding TikTok – Should it Stay, or Should it Go?
33m · PublishedThis episode is all about trying to figure out if TikTok - the video hosting platform owned by the Chinese company Byte Dance should be banned or not. Over 70% of young Americans use TikTok, which critics claim is spying on, manipulating, and spreading misinformation to its users. But is TikTok any different than Meta, Google, or X? Our guest’s answer may surprise you… Really, no really!
Bruce Schneier is a cryptographer, computer security professional, privacy specialist, who has been writing about security issues since 2004 and is a fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University; a Lecturer in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School; a board member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and AccessNow; and an Advisory Board Member of the Electronic Privacy Information Center and VerifiedVoting.org. He is the Chief of Security Architecture at Inrupt, Inc.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- Surveillance as a business model is 100% legal.
- Breaking down the types of information companies are collecting, and what they’re doing with it.
- Why does China want to know about our affinity for puppy videos?
- Social Media’s ability to manipulate is greater than you might think.
- Russia and China’s preferred platform for transmitting misinformation is…? (Spoiler Alert: It’s not TikTok)
- Facebook has data on you… even if you aren’t on Facebook-RnR!
- Data Privacy is a national security issue, but not treated like one.
- The European Union leads the world in protecting data privacy.
- The unsettling future of A.I. and personal data surveillance.
- Cougar hemorrhoids?
- Googleheim: What you are missing… if you’re NOT on TikTok!
***
FOLLOW BRUCE:
Bruce’s Blog: Schneier.com
X: @schneierblog
Facebook: Bruce Schneier
***
FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY:
www.reallynoreally.com
YouTube
TikTok
Threads
X
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Secrets From Tom Cruise’s Death-Defying Stunts Revealed!
37m · PublishedThis episode should be titled “Mission Insanity” because it’s all about exploring how Tom Cruise performs his own death-defying stunts…and why!
Jason and Peter were determined to find out the real reason Tom “risks it all” in every film. How he trains for a stunt that’s never been done before and whether he’s going to continue to try and outdo himself with each new film now that he’s in his 60’s!
And they succeeded in finding the person with the answers… Wade Eastwood. He’s best known as the Action Director and Stunt Coordinator for the Mission: Impossible franchise. He’s also a fixed wing & helicopter pilot, sky diver, rescue scuba diver, accomplished black belt martial artist, boxer, fencer, yacht skipper, highly graded horse rider who has advanced weapons skills… plus he races cars internationally, with a string of wins! And - he knows the secret to how Tom Cruise creates and executes jaw dropping, mind-blowing stunts.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- The film star considered the original Tom Cruise.
- Train for deadly stunts that’ve never been done before.
- Has Tom Cruise ever said no to a stunt because it’s too dangerous?
- There’s much more to fight scenes than you know.
- Fatalities still happen. How can stunts go wrong?
- Wade comments on the tragedy on the Rust set.
- Is Tom Cruise actually going to space?
- Jason shares his death-defying stunts!
- Seinfeld’s stunt that went very, very wrong for Jason.
- Googleheim: The first stunt woman!
FOLLOW WADE:
Instagram @wadeeastwood
***
FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY:
www.reallynoreally.com
YouTube
TikTok
Threads
X
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Everyone’s Using Subtitles – The Fascinating Reasons Why!
33m · PublishedIn case you haven’t noticed, there appears to be a subtitle revolution, with current research showing that as many as 61% of us are using subtitles regularly. And that number is rapidly growing! Really, no really!
Everyone hasn’t suddenly become hard of hearing, so why are subtitles suddenly becoming the norm? This global entertainment trend is transforming the way we watch television and movies…and content creators secretly admit there is a problem that necessitates subtitles! So, we had to unravel the reasons why more of us are opting for on screen text.
To help us explain the subtitle takeover, Jason and Peter enlisted the services of film researcher and producer Ed Vega, who specializes in - as his bio says - all things cinema, from the intricacies of film history to the nuts and bolts of filmmaking AND prolific dialogue editor and sound designer Austin Olivia Kendrick whose notable work includes - Star Trek Discovery, the HBO series Barry, Monster High, Rugrats, Transformers: Earthspark among many others.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- The pros and cons of using subtitles.
- How today’s actor’s vocal performances differ from those in the past. Generational reasons and differences in subtitle use.
- Why the 1970’s era -inferior technology- seemed to work better.
- Do modern TVs really have speakers facing the wrong way?
- Is A.I. the answer to better sound mixing?
- Wait…competing streaming services have no audio standards!
- What about the George Lucas created THX?
- Which do we prefer in foreign language movies-Dubbed or subtitled?
- Have subtitles and audio descriptions made entertainment more accessible?
- How Jason accidentally watched the original Squid Game.
- Googleheim: Other cutting-edge technologies that have made life worse!
***
FOLLOW ED:
Website: Vox.com
Instagram: @edfromqueens
***
FOLLOW AUSTIN:
Instagram: @aok.wav
TikTok: @aok.wav
Facebook: Austin Olivia Kendrick
***
FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY:
www.reallynoreally.com
YouTube
TikTok
Threads
X
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
MrBeast Dominates YouTube…but who is he?
39m · PublishedMrBeast aka 25-year-old Jimmy Donaldson is the biggest solo performer on YouTube. He’s followed by over 400 million people who watch his insane stunts and his enormous acts of philanthropy.
So, who is this introverted twenty-five-year-old and what makes him tick? Did he really figure out the YouTube recommendation algorithm, and what makes him different from thousands of similar creators on YouTuber? For answers we contacted a writer who for three days, embedded herself with MrBeast, in his enormous compound, in Greenville, North Carolina…Ej Dickson.
Ej is a Senior Writer for Rolling Stone and covers internet culture. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, New York Magazine, Elle, GQ, and Playboy, among others. She's also been featured on NPR's All Things Considered and This American Life, as well as the Hulu docuseries "Only Fans: Selling Sexy," The New Yorker once called her "ineffably cool."
ON THIS EPISODE:
YouTube was birthed after a wardrobe malfunction.
What's MrBeast’s strategy for becoming the biggest YouTuber?
How he created an old-school, Hollywood-style, studio system.
MrBeast’s parents, his house, and seeing 1 million dollars in cash.
MrBeast cracked the YouTube algorithm. Or did he?
Some call MrBeast’s charitable videos - “inspiration porn” Is it?
MrBeast and Tyler Perry - What they have in common.
How long can MrBeast dominate?
Ej introduces us to the odd world of Skibidi Toilet. Really???
Googleheim: The most popular social media star across ALL platforms is…
***
FOLLOW EJ:
Web RollingStone.com
Podcast: Pod…CATS with Ej Dickson
Instagram @ejdickson
X @ejdickson
***
FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY:
www.reallynoreally.com
YouTube
TikTok
Threads
X
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson - Modern Family Issues
41m · PublishedIn 11 years on ABC’s Modern Family, Jesse Tyler Ferguson never won a Primetime Emmy even though he was nominated 5 times. Jason, who reminds us often, was nominated 7 times for Seinfeld so in this episode, we find out who lost it, better. And Jesse’s show is so popular there are even versions in Chile, Greece, Russia, and even Iran! Really, no really?
Actor, author, podcaster, philanthropist, restaurateur, and activist Jesse Tyler Ferguson is best known for his portrayal of Mitchell Pritchett on the hit sitcom Modern Family. He’s also done a variety of stage and screen work including “Cocaine Bear”, and “Ice Age: Collision Course.” He won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in the 2022 Broadway revival of Richard Greenberg's “Take Me Out” and for his performance in 2016’s “Fully Committed”, Jesse won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- The strange commonalities between Jason and Jesse.
- The documentarian on Modern Family finally revealed!
- Jesse on the responsibility of representing the Gay Community.
- When you podcast from a restaurant, is the food free?
- Straight actors cast as LGBTQ characters?
- Jesse came out to his dad 3 times.
- Really! Living an actual “Modern Family.”
- How to play 40 roles in a one-man show?
- Jesse responds to criticism for “wearing a fat-suit” in Cocaine Bear.
- How Jason and Jesse fostered such collaborative ensembles.
- In Hollywood, being gay is no longer included as a diversity hire, RnR?
FOLLOW JESSE:
Website: www.jessetylerferguson.com
Podcast: Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Instagram: @jessetyler
TikTok: @jessetyler
X @jessetyler
FOLLOW REALLY NO REALLY:
www.reallynoreally.com
YouTube
TikTok
Threads
X
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Really? no, Really? has 70 episodes in total of non- explicit content. Total playtime is 48:04:24. The language of the podcast is English. This podcast has been added on February 22nd 2023. It might contain more episodes than the ones shown here. It was last updated on April 25th, 2024 18:43.
