Graham Norton Compared to US Talk Shows - Episode 126

Will & Jaden Smith, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Alfonso Ribeiro's appearance in 2013. Image: BBC

Graham Norton is possibly the UK's biggest talk show host. He got his start as an actor and after a hilarious turn as the crazy Father Noel Furlong in the hugely popular 90's Channel 4 sitcom 'Father Ted' he got his own talk show and after a move to the BBC in 2007, his popularity soared and with guests such as Dame Judi Dench, Hugh Grant, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Johnny Depp, Will Smith, Cher, Paul McCartney, Elton John and Miriam Margoyles on the famous couch telling hilarious stories, it's definitely a must see.

Have you ever seen Graham Norton? Who is your favourite guest?

Living In America: Is The US Media Tailored For An American Audience?

After living here for ten years and watching the news, you begin to see how news outlets are portraying stories. Almost every news item is a domestic concern and doesn't really cover world events unless they deem it of interest to the American public. For example, the Royal Family is deemed of interest to the American public but a story from an African country might not be.

When questioned about this, some spokespersons have claimed the news is "tailored for an American audience". What that means is that there's stuff they don't tell Americans because they feel Americans don't care. Which is very true in some respects. The old adage of "It doesn't affect me so why should I care?" is very much alive in the USA and other western countries. Indeed, some people might say it is what led to the current state of politics.  It's not so much "Fake News" as it is "No News".

What are your thoughts? Are you someone who believes the media tailors the news to what THEY think you should know about what's going on? Do you care enough about stuff that goes on outside of your state/city/street/house?

What Is Pancake Day? - Episode 125

British style Pancakes. Image: Needpix.com

Pancakes. You can't really go wrong with them, can you? Unless you're one of those weirdos who doesn't like them, because, if you are, I ask you this simple question: What's not to like? They're fluffy, delicious with butter and syrup. Unless you live in England, where they make pancakes which are more like crepes and they put lemon juice and sugar on them?! I mean, WTF England?! That stuff is NASTY!

Anyway, what style of pancakes do you prefer? American or British?

A Day in Cardiff, Wales - Episode 124

Cardiff City Centre. Image: Jon Candy

Croeso Y Caerdydd! (Welcome to Cardiff!)

What does that city conjure up in your mind? Leeks? Sheep? Red Dragons? If you've never heard of Wales, let alone Cardiff, then you'll probably be shrugging or frowning at those words right now. What does a vegetable, an animal and a mythological creature have to do with whatever this Wales is? If you have spent a good amount of time in the UK, you'll probably know the answer. You may have even been to Cardiff, which boasts a castle right in the middle of the city (Which amazed Erica as you'll hear in this episode), a Victorian shopping arcade, several filming locations for Doctor Who and the 27th best university in the UK! (According to TimesHigherEducation.com)


Have you ever been to Wales?

Our Three Fictional Dinner Party Guests - Episode 123

Image: Still from the film, Clue, Fair Use

We had so much fun choosing dead people to invite to a make-believe dinner party (we're adults), that we decided to do a second podcast episode where we each chose three fictional characters to invite to a non-existent dinner party.  They could be characters from literature, film, television, etc., but they could not now, nor ever have existed in real life.  Fun, right?  Well, I was excited anyway.  Dominic and I didn't reveal the characters we chose to one another before we started recording.  Tune in to see if we chose any of the same people, or if we could guess who the other did, in fact, choose to have over for dinner.  And once you've had a chance to listen to today's episode, join in the fun and let us know who you would invite to dinner.

Valentine's Day - Episode 122

Image: Joe Haupt, CC By-SA 2.0

Whether Valentine's Day makes you want to punch something and scream into a pillow, or feel all warm and fuzzy inside, this is the podcast for you, because quite honestly, it makes us want to do all of those things too... weirdly.  Today we're talking about how celebrating Valentine's Day differs (not at all) in America and Britain.  Which country likes the holiday more?  Who thinks it's been commercialized to heck and who thinks it's a beautiful tradition?  Which country's people feel more pressured on V-Day?  And, what was Valentine's Day like at school for Dominic and Erica?  Find out the answers to all of these questions (maybe) and more on today's episode and then let us know whether you celebrate ValenTIMEs Day, ValenTINE's Day, or whether you hate the day with a passion.

A Day Trip From London to Paris - Episode 121

Have you ever dreamed of taking a day trip from London to Paris? As somebody who lives in America, you might even be dreaming of having a passport so you can go places in the world! When you land in Europe, getting to countries is easier than you might think. We are talking in this podcast episode about our experience traveling from London to Paris on the train. This was a drama-filled situation where Erica lost complete confidence in my navigation skills and ability, but it was also one where everything came out alright in the end. Sit back. It's story time.

Have you ever been to Paris? What did you think?

Our 3 Fantasy - Living or Dead - Dinner Party Guest Choices - Episode 120

Image by tunechick83 from Pixabay, License

If you could invite three people, living or dead, to a dinner party, who would they be and why?  Everyone's heard the question, but strangely enough, it's not a discussion Dominic and I have ever had with one another, so we thought, why not discuss the topic in today's podcast?  Tune in and find out who each of us would choose and see if they're anyone you'd also like to invite to a fantasy dinner party.  If not, let us know who you would invite and what you'd serve your guests.  Also, I believe the word I was searching for may have been "scholarly."  (You'll know once you listen to the podcast, so go for it.  Click below.)

Living In America: Why Are Brits Always The Bad Guys?

Charles Dance in 1993's Last Action Hero.

 
Further on our Podcast Episode where we discussed the British trope in American films, why ARE Brits always the bad guys? And not just in movies either!

When I'm around Americans, I always get the feeling that they think I'm plotting some evil plot, scheming some dastardly scheme or just plain old planning to take over the world. Maybe my maniacal laugh gives me away?

Maybe my random pointing at people and saying "You have interfered in my plans for the LAST TIME!" before pressing a conveniently located button and opening up a hole in the ground underneath them gives them a cause for concern?

Despite all that, Brits always seem to play the bad guy because they're just different enough. Their background is just different enough to give that feeling of "Oh, they're definitely evil. Some evil's brewing there!"

There's also the fact that Brits are being brought in to play Americans in films in general. Perhaps it's because they are cheaper?

What do you think?

The Super Bowl - Episode 119

Super Bowl LIV Screen grabs taken from YouTube

So, the Super Bowl was this past Sunday and we don't normally watch football (American football, that is... or, ya know... any other variety of ball either, really), but this time we decided to tune in if only for the benefit of this podcast.  We turned it on starting at half-time and watched through the end.  It was actually a good game.  In today's podcast, we're discussing America's favorite past time (or is that baseball?) and all that goes along with the biggest game of the year, including the commercials and sometimes infamous half-time shows.  Dominic can't think of any British equivalent to the Super Bowl, can you?  Do you watch the Super Bowl?  Which past half-time show has been your favorite?  Have a listen to today's episode and then answer some of Erica's barrage of questions, if you feel so inclined.