Every band has to start somewhere, but not every debutant is going to be the belle of the ball. On this episode of Baconsale, we’re taking a look at the first commercial releases of some very popular musical artists. Joel and Kent have each picked five debut albums that put certain bands on the map, as well as five others that make us wonder how they got a second chance. Zack, meanwhile, will be opining on their choices, failing to resist the urge to roll his eyes, and giving a few honorable mentions of his own. We hope you enjoy this audio glimpse into these musicians’ past along with a few shocking revelations.   Press play to find your voice and release a self-titled album.   And visit Baconsale.com to find the Spotify playlist of the debuts we discussed on this episode.

Good morning, listener. The Baconsale episode you’re about to hear is all about the Mission: Impossible film series. The hosts, Joel, Kent, and Zack, have watched all eight of the movies and will begin this operation by giving a brief history of this Tom Cruise-led franchise. Following that, they will present their findings for such categories as Best Stunt, Favorite Gadget, Worst Villain, Most Threatening MacGuffin, Best Run, and Silliest Action Scene. And finally, they will take on the impossible task of ranking these action spy films against each other. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to sit back and enjoy the fallout as we go rogue, ignore protocol, and disavow each other’s reckonings.   Press play before this podcast self-destructs.

It’s been a hot minute since we’ve discussed hot guys on Baconsale, but it seems that time has arrived once again. Joel, Kent, and Babs are going to be choosing the most attractive male celebrities for such categories as Could Pull Off Any Hairstyle, King of Charisma, Looks Great in a Suit, It’s All About the Voice, and Smoothest Dance Moves. Joel will have to look up many of Babs’ picks, and Kent is kind of obsessed with everyone’s height (SPOILER ALERT! Everyone is 5’10”), but we hope you enjoy the deep (and occasionally catty) conversations we have about a very shallow topic.   Grab yourself a vest, watch out for Grey's Anatomy spoilers, and press play.

Well we have done 500 shows, and we would do 500 more, but first we want to celebrate the fact that we’ve made it this far! Therefore, this is a special episode of Baconsale because Joel, Kent, and Zack recorded it live in front of patrons and listener at The Studio at Parker Theatre. We’ll give a bit of a Baconsale sampler platter to the audience as we complete a menu quest bracket, tier some bands we’ve discussed before, and do a streaming services category show. We’ll also play some rounds of the Parents Guide Game and the game of Baconsale with the crowd before opening the microphone for a Q&A session. Things may get a little chaotic, and the show may run a little long, but we hope you enjoy the silliness and the sentimentality of our 500th episode.   Don’t give to peer pressure, but make sure you know who Teri Garr is before you press play.

It’s time to go bold or go home, because Baconsale is celebrating the hardest working hands in fast food: Del Taco. Joel, Kent, and Zack have conquered another fast-food menu and they’re ready to share their epic eating experiences with you. We’ll Feed the Beast by giving a brief history of this Tex-Mex restaurant chain and then get Guac'd Up as we talk about some terrible tacos, mediocre burritos, and surprising hamburgers. Don’t worry, we won’t be too harsh, because we’re grading on a Del curve.   Press play to get some FR E SH A VOCA DO from Of The Taco.

Get this, listener! Zack has finally gotten his dream job of managing The Wonders (Oneders?) and he’s trying to find their next big gig. Luckily, both Joel and Kent are planning big music festivals featuring famous fictional bands from film and TV such as Powerline, Wyld Stallyns, Josie and the Pussycats, School of Rock, The Blues Brothers, The Partridge Family, Mouse Rat, Hannah Montana, and Zack Attack. However, the festivals are on the same day, so Zack will have to decide at which event his boys will play based solely on which acts are already booked to perform.   Will you be attending Joelchella or When We Were Dunn? Press play to decide!   And visit Baconsale.com to find our YouTube playlist of bands featured in this episode.

Spielberg, Nolan, Bigelow, Kubrick, Cameron, Hitchcock—each of these directors are known for their well-crafted films and contributions to cinema. However, every car lot has a lemon and, on this episode of Baconsale, we’re taking a look at the lowest point of some of the highest-revered filmmakers. Joel, Kent, and Zack will be joined by our guest Jonathan to examine each director’s filmography and call out the weakest movie.   Does Netflix ruin directors? Has Kent lost his edge? How do you spell Scor-seysey? Press play to find out.

I Know What You Did Last Summer, you listened to our movie preview, right? Well, we’re not waiting until 28 Years Later to do that type of show again because, on this episode of Baconsale, we’re going to Bring Her Back and discuss the films that are coming out in the summer of 2025. Our (Fantastic Four) First Steps will be presenting the films we want to flop. And we don’t want to be The Bad Guys 2, so we’ll dance around some sensitive topics like a graceful Ballerina. Then, like a Clown in a Cornfield, we’ll rise up and The Final Reckoning of our conversation will be about the movies we think will be Super(man). Though our Friendship will be tested as we get closer to our Final Destination (Bloodlines) and our opinions differ.   Press play to initiate the latest live-action/computer-generated animation hybrid film remake.

It's an episode of laughter, an episode of tears, because Baconsale is talking about the music of Disneyland. Some of these soundtracks may even be more famous than the rides they come from. We’ll surprise each other (and repeat some answers) as we pick songs for such categories as Annoying Earworm, Bring it Back, Captures Disney Magic, Overrated, Pairs Perfectly with a Churro, Oddly Relaxing, and I’d Play this at My Wedding. Joel, Kent, and Zack will also share some fun facts about each attraction's soundtrack, which may include multiple references to Thurl Ravenscroft and/or Michael Giacchino.    Press play, me hearties, yo ho!   And visit Baconsale.com to find our Disneyland music playlist on YouTube.

The battle to see who will be The Listener of Baconsale is over, but the pop culture war is just beginning. On this BaconBit, Scott, Taylor, and Kris will be put to the test as they represent Team Listener and take on the semi-undefeated Joel and Kent (a.k.a. Team JK). Zack has done away with the buzzers this time, so it’s not about who has the fastest reaction time, but rather who knows the most about Power Rangers, rappers, The Matrix, Full House, Ireland, rated-R movies, Taylor Swift, and more.   Press play to let the record show what the peanut gallery has on their whiteboards.

Happy anniversary, Baconsale! We’re celebrating 10 years of our podcast by bringing on some contestants and having them compete against each other to see who will be The Listener for the next year. Scott, Taylor, and Kris have proven their pop-culture prowess and picked their walk-up music, but only one will come out victorious. Zack will be quizzing them on such topics as Disneyland rides, mall food court menus, Lost trivia, trilogy truths, brand mascots, and background Baconsale knowledge. We’ll also have them play the Parents Guide Game, a few rounds of Jeopardy, and the game of Baconsale itself.   But who will be the GOAT this year? How will our competitors fare with imaginary buzzers? What kind of off-color, off-mic comments will Babs make? How big is the trophy for this year? Press play to find out!

It’s time for Joel, Kent, and Zack to speak about the solicitors we seek out each selling season: Girl Scout Cookies! On this episode of Baconsale, we’ll be talking about Thin Mints, sounding off on Samoas (a.k.a. Caramel deLites), and debating about Do-si-dos (a.k.a. Peanut Butter Sandwiches). As we rate each of the 12 types of cookies we acquired, we will do our best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what we say and do. We’ll also discuss some cookie controversies, utilize Baconscience, reveal which treats are (not-so) secretly vegan, and occasionally talk like grandmas.   Press play to hear an on-air taste test and discover which of us is scared of coconut flakes.

Welcome to the Jungle, listener, because Baconsale has begun The Final Countdown to finish our 1980s rock bracket. The previous episode was the Glory Days, when we could Jump to conclusions relatively easily. But now Joel, Kent, and Zack are experiencing a New Sensation of stress as each matchup tastes like Bad Medicine and each decision could give them a Bad Reputation. But We Won’t Back Down from this journey we started, and in The Spirit of Radio we’ll swallow our Pride and continue on until only One band remains Alone.   Join us on this Flight of Icarus to determine who plays the best Rock of Ages by pressing play.   If you’d like to Bark at the Moon along with us, you can download the advanced 80s rock bracket at Baconsale.com.

For those about to listen to this 80s rock tournament, we salute you! This episode of Baconsale Hurts so Good, because Joel, Kent, and Zack have gathered some of the greatest Juke Box Heroes from the 1980s on a bracket to determine who is the best. It’s going to be a Heartbreaker whenever we put two amazing bands up against each other and have to decide who’s visited by the Angel of Death in the Heat of the Moment. And it may seem like a Madhouse as we share our reasoning, but don’t let our picks Rock You Like a Hurricane. Don’t Run to the Hills or Bang Your Head, either. Just keep in mind that you Don’t Know What You Got Till It’s Gone, and this is still Nothin’ But a Good Time.   Who’s gonna win? Well, Our Lips are Sealed until the second half of this tournament.   Download our official bracket at Baconsale.com to Rock the Casbah at home, and if you’re living in a Land of Confusion, you can find our sampler platter playlist on our website, as well.

Magic mirror, on the wall, who’s the most controversial live-action Disney remake of all? On this BaconBit, Joel, Kent, and Zack will be giving their thoughts and opinions about Snow White (2025), Disney’s latest reimagining/money grab. We’ll (yellow) skirt around the multiple controversies before debating if this movie is a bad apple or not, all while keeping it spoiler-free for the first 20 minutes or so. After that, we’ll wander deep into the forest of spoilers and whistle while we work to remember the various changes from the original animated film and discuss how we feel about them.   Does Snow White dwarf the competition? Press play to find out.

Hello, listener! What's the craic? We’re grand, but seein' as how we've done a few of these country-centric episodes before, we figured it was high time we talked about Ireland. And while neither Joel nor Kent nor Zack have been to The Emerald Isle before, two of them really want to go there one day. And yes, there will be some attempts at Irish (or Oirish) accents as the boys are gabbin' about the pop culture influences of Ireland and givin' answers for such categories as A Fine Irish Film, A Lad You Could Hang Out with at the Pub, Celts in Your Mouth, Quite a Lovely Lass, Top O' the Music Industry, and Wails like a Banshee. And we hope you learn a thing or two as you experience Zack's travel facts about Ireland and multiple Pierce Brosnan references.   Brúigh imirt! (That's Gaelic for "press play!")

It's a topsy-turvy world, and maybe the podcast of three people don't amount to a hill of beans. But this is our hill. And these are our beans! Therefore, on this episode of Baconsale, we’re ranking parody movies. What are those? They’re films that spoof previous works, but that’s not important right now. What’s really groovy, baby, is that we have 24 comedies that Joel, Kent, and Zack are going to be tiering, including funny flicks like Hot Shots!, Spaceballs, MacGruber, Tropic Thunder, Scary Movie, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and Waiting for Guffman. Some of them may not rank as high as you’d like, but that’s a sacrifice we are willing to make. And beware of exclamation points(!), my wife references, and the Joel genre, as we decide IF we’re going to make a sequel.   Put... the candle... back! Then press play.

Having issues logging in? If so — we’re on it! Our team is actively investigating, and we hope to have things back up and running soon. Wait, we’re Baconsale, not Hulu, so this BaconBit about the 97th Academy Awards should work just fine. Kent was the only one to watch the ceremony live this year, and Zack has regrets because he thought the clips he watched afterwards were funny. But was having Conan O'Brien as the host enough to boost viewership for the Oscars? What was in the big nominee gift bags this time? Is Timothée Chalamet cool? And who won our Baconsale Oscar ballot contest?   Press play to open the envelope and find out.

Neighborhoods are important to Zack, and he’s looking for a new place to move his family. Luckily, Kent and Joel are both creating special subdivisions of hand-selected citizens. However, the residents are all annoying families from various TV series that were suggested by you, the listener. Therefore, on this episode of Baconsale, we’ll be doing a schoolyard pick of characters from sitcoms such as Arrested Development, The Simpsons, Family Matters, The Beverly Hillbillies, Married with Children, The Goldbergs, Home Improvement, The Addams Family, Malcolm in the Middle, and more. Then it’s up to Zack to decide which neighbors he’d like to deal with. There will be plenty of theme song singing, some over-the-shoulder reading, and the shocking revelation that Kent likes blondes.   Press place to decide whether you’d like to live in Kenterville or The Sunshine Sitcommune.

Well, the 97th Academy Awards kind of snuck up on us this year. And while Kent has seen many of the nominees, most others haven’t. That’s why Baconsale is here. We’re fulfilling our duty of giving you the skinny on a bunch of lackluster movies so you don’t have to watch them, but you can still sound like an informed film geek around the water cooler. Joel, Kent, and Zack will explain why they’re predicting each category winner, and they’ll throw in a lot of architecture puns, too. And with Dylan’s/Warrens on the line, the stakes have never been higher. Will A Complete Unknown become a household name? Will the Nickel Boys change Academy voters’ minds? Will Wicked be green with envy? Does The Substance have the stuff to win? Will Anora escort some Oscars home? Will the Academy be kind to The Brutalist? Is Emilia Pérez el mal? Press play to discover the shocking truth.   Oh, and we’re also bribing you to listen. Visit Baconsale.com to fill out our official 2025 Oscars ballot for a chance to win a cinematic prize!