What The Hell Were You Thinking

Show Notes Episode 417: Segassem Lanimilbus Niatnoc Yam This week Host Dave Bledsoe attempts to get a free drink by briefly holding up a 3x5 Index Card with the words “NO PAY” on it to the bartender hoping to subliminally message him. (The bartender made him choose between eating the card or getting thrown out. He ate it.) On the show this week we head back to 1990 when Judas Priest was sued because someone thought they used subliminal messages to kill their fans. (They weren’t and they didn’t) Along the way we discover that Dave was NOT very metal as a teenager, (He was downright cherubic! Which is NOT Metal!) Then we dive right into the dark and sad story of two teenagers who did a terrible and tragic thing and the greedy lawyers who tried to make a buck on it. (Trigger warning: Capitalism) We meet the family who very much want you to believe that Judas Priest was responsible for the terrible and tragic thing and NOT the terrible and tragic lives the kids led, largely due to the parents. Then we follow th

Show Notes Episode 416: Milli Vanilli Were Neither A Milli Nor A Vanilli This week Host Dave Bledsoe INSISTS the person who ran up this bar tab was an imposter and he is NOT responsible for paying them! (This did not work.) On the show this week we talk about the scandal that officially ended the 1980’s, even though it happened in 1990: The Milli Vanilli lip sync affair! (Turns out the real bad guy was capitalism!) Along the way we learn that some told Dave he could sing! (They were wrong, so very, very, wrong!) Then we meet our bad guy Frank Farian and a German record producer with a penchant for exploiting black musicians. (Kind of a cliche in the recording industry.) We follow Frank as he tries to cash in on this whole “rap thing” he’s been hearing about by putting together a band with the right look and the right sound to make a hit! (Sadly, the look and the sound were different people.) Then we watch the rise of Milli Vanilli from the West German Club Scene to taking best new artist at the Grammys only

Show Notes Episode 415: Beautiful Downtown Calumet WTH Movie Night: Red Dawn This week Host Dave Bledsoe drunkenly climbs on the bar and shouts Wolverines as the bouncers tackle him from all sides. (Again) On the show this week we fire up the popcorn for a What the Hell Movie Night, when we take a classic 80’s movie and ruin it for everyone! This time in the VCR: Red Dawn! (The original, not the shitty remake that we don’t acknowledge as even existing!) Along the way we learned that Dave preserved the peace by preparing for war on the battlefields of his granny’s property. (Honestly, he just bullied his cousin!) Then we dive right into 1984’s Cold War Propaganda Right Wing Fan Wank, Red Dawn! (Told you we would ruin it for you!) We introduce you to the Director John Milius who once left a gun on his desk to intimidate a reporter! (True story!) Then we explain how the Nixon AND Reagan Whitehouse was somehow involved in the making of this movie. (Another True Story!) We meet the cast of up and coming 80’s st

Show Notes Episode 219 & 220 Reprise: “Murka and the Moon” This week Host Dave Bledsoe didn’t feel like writing so we kludged up a couple of old scripts into a newish show (He DID record it, because he likes the part where he gets drunk) So sit back and enjoy a cleaned up, De-Trump and somewhat pertinent reprise of a show we did four years ago about that time America went to the Moon with the help of a Nazi. (It all comes back to Nazis!) If you have heard it, the jokes will be new to you, and if you HAVE heard you know the jokes weren’t that good anyway! We will be back next week with new content, unless Dave gets arrested again. Show Theme: Hypnostate Prelude to Common Sense The Show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheHell_Podcast The Show on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatthehellpodcast/ The Show on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjxP5ywpZ-O7qu_MFkLXQUQ www.whatthehellpodcast.com Give us your money on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/Whatthehellpodcast The Show Line: 347 687 9601 Closing

Show Notes Episode 414: “Admiral, It is the Enterprise!” This week Host Dave Bledsoe boldly goes where he has never gone before! (Meaning a bar in Bayonne New Jersey where he hopes they’ve never heard of him!) On the show this week we open hailing frequencies and tell you about the time nerds convinced the President to name a space shuttle after a TV show (Dr Quinn Medicine Woman). Along the way we learn about Dave’s fantasies. (Thank god we are talking about his CHILDHOOD fantasies not the sewer that they are today!) Then we dive right into the Big Dreams NASA had after going to the Moon! (We were gonna get Moon Bases!) and how reality, along with Dick Nixon, brought them back down to Earth. We then learn a little about the American Space Truck, the Flying Ford F-150! (Could have been worse, could have been a Chevy) Then we talk about how even the modest dreams of the shuttle program had to be dialed back in the face of harsh reality. (Do we mention Reagan? Sadly, we do.) Finally, we tell you how a group o

Show Notes Episode 413: Skylab Fallout This week Host Dave Bledsoe orders up a mixed drink so powerful it can strip the varnish off the bar top. (The last time we saw him, he was passed out in a bathroom stall) On the show this week we turn back to July of 1979 when NASA’s abandoned space station plummeted back to Earth like a GOP Presidential Primary candidate’s poll numbers. (Looking at you Ron DeSantis) We are talking about Skylab!  Along the way we learn how Dave spent a Summer digging a hole in the ground because he thought his parents were on the edge of a divorce. (They weren’t, he was an idiot).  Then we dive right into the story of how some recycled rocket parts, repatriated Nazi and Congressional budget cuts led to America’s first space station! (Tacky Cardassian Fascist Eyesore!) We learn how a slapdash rushed program resulted in multiple repair missions and uncomfortable living conditions for the crew. (The body odor in that tube must have been unspeakable) And then how NASA just turned the light

Show Notes Episode 412: If You Start Me Up, I’ll Never Stop This week Host Dave Bledsoe finally decides he is in need of an upgrade. (Meaning he started buying liter bottles of Jameson instead of his usual 750ml) On the show this week we head back to the most exciting moment of human history, the launch of Windows 95 (Well that is what Bill Gates TOLD us at the time, in retrospect this might not be exactly true.) Along the way we learn that Dave’s septuagenarian parents are still more tech savvy than he is! (He STILL has to call THEM for help with his computer!) Then we dive into the history of Graphical User Interface. (Which is only slightly more interesting than it sounds.) From there we take a brief look at why the world uses PC’s more than Apples. (All the cool video games were on the PC) Finally we get to what Windows 95 was and why everyone in the world was so amped up about it being released. (The 90’s were pretty boring, really) We explain why Bill Gates and Jay Leno danced to a mid tier Rolling St

Show Notes Episode 411: “Dennis Fung Blues” Part 3 of Wheezing the Juice This week Host Dave Bledsoe is called to testify in civil court for an overdue bar tab only to be held in contempt after a very tasteless Johnnie Cochran impression. (Again) On the show this week we wrap our Summer Se ries, Wheezing the Juice, with the trial of OJ Simpson. (Stay tuned for the surprise ending!) Along the way we discover Dave did not enjoy his all expense paid trip to Panama. (The accommodations were terrible) Then we dive right into the criminal trial of OJ Simpson. We meet the Judge (who won’t dance, don’t ask him) , the prosecutors and finally The Dream Team. (Robert Kardashian was barely a lawyer) We take a quick look at the evidence before we head right into why the trial was such a gigantic shit show and what went wrong. (Turns out, people don’t like racist cops!) Then we explain why the OJ Simpson Trial was never going to end any other way than how it ended. (With a made for TV twist!) Our Sponsor this week is Fas

Show Notes Episode 410: “Everything’s Coming Up Kato!” Part 2 of Wheezing the Juice This week Host Dave Bledsoe wakes up in what he thought was the pool house of a D List celebrity with a brutal hangover and pair of shoes three sizes too big with some kind of red liquid on them only to realize he has passed out on a Wendy’s ketchup dispenser. (Again) This week we continue our Summer Series “Wheezing the Juice” (Again, we apologize for that name, it was NOT our idea) with the sensation that swept the nation in 1994, OJ Simpson! We pick up with the infamous Bronco Chase that 95 MILLION Americans watch live and jump from that insanity to the even bigger madness that followed. From the initial feed frenzy in the news to the long trudge toward trial. (You think this show is long, you should have been around for the period between his arrest and the trial!) We check in with all the characters who would go on to take center stage, be they Howard Stern, racist Broadway dancers in judicial robes, Jay Leno’s terrible

Show Notes Episode 409: Everybody Knows (OJ Did It) Part 1 of “Wheezing the Juice” This week Host Dave Bledsoe sprints through the bar toward the exit with a Jameson in hand one step ahead of the bouncers, just like OJ through the airport. (If OJ were a fat, white, middle aged drunk dude) On the show this week we kick off our Summer Series with Part One of “Wheezing the Juice” (We tried to convince him NOT to name it that!) talking about The Juice and all the things that led up to the Events of 1994. Along the way we learn that Dave thinks he was very “progressive” for adhering to the basic tenets of criminal procedure. (Honestly, we kinda have to give him this one) Then we dive right into the backstory of Orenthal James Simpson. (Relax, we keep it pertinent). From there we explain why White America loved OJ! (He was one of the ”Good Ones”) and why OJ thought he could get away with murder. (He DID play Norberg on Police Squad!) Finally, we do as best we can to discuss the crime without being excessively chil

Show Notes Episode 408: Yet ANOTHER Trial of the Century This week Host Dave Bledsoe files suit for his overdue bartabs in something he is calling the “Drinker’s Court” demanding a brokered settlement and injunctive relief from the court. (The court ruled he lacks standing because it doesn't actually exist.) On the show this week, we ramp up our Summer Series with a show about some “Trials of the Century” which happen roughly every eight or nine years. Along the way we discover just how many times Dave has been inside a courtroom over the years and some of the reasons why. (Far fewer public intoxication charges than we expected.) Then we dive right into what it takes to be the “Trial of the Century”! (Turns out, just someone saying in a newspaper that it’s one.) Then we examine just a few of the cases that happened within the last half decade. (Because that is how long Dave has been alive, he’s old). From the Manson to the Menendez’s we peek under the hood of what made Americans so compelled to read about an

Each Summer we do a deep dive series on a topic and this year we go back 29 years (give or take) for the tale of the Summer of OJ! Will this podcast break any new ground? No. Will it treat the subject with the respect it deserved, sadly, also, no. Will you learn something? We wouldn't bet on it. But you MIGHT be entertained. (Maybe, no promises.) Summer Series 2023 kicks off Monday, June 5th with the OJ shows starting one week late. See you on the Freeway! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Show Notes Episode 407: Rock Against Drugs This week Host Dave Bledsoe records a public service announcement as part of his probation agreements because he was caught pissing behind a dumpster. (Again) On the show this week we head back to the 1980’s when Nancy Reagan was harshing everyone's buzz because she could never handle her high! (We could have told her never to smoke up with Caspar Weinberger!) We are talking about the ill fated and barely remembered time that rock and roll told us NOT to do drugs. (So there would be more drugs for them to do!) Along the way we learned that Dave lied to his mother about drinking and doing drugs. (Still does) Then we dive right into Just Say No and how it failed in every conceivable fashion. (Damn near killed Willis!) Then we explain the rationale behind MTV running commercials where rock stars actually had the balls to tell the kids not to do drugs. (Come on, Vince Neil, really?) Then we close out by explaining the REAL reasons kids did drugs. (It made us look cool.)

Show Notes Episode 406: Ladies and Gentlemen, Rock and Roll This week Host Dave Bledsoe attempts to convince a Gen Z bartender he was one of the original MTV VJs only to learn the bartender has never heard of MTV. (Is that like a Tik Tok thing?) On the show this week we take you back to the origins of the music video and the channel they created. (VH-1!) Along the way we discover that Dave wasn’t there when MTV debuted because he was not allowed to up past his bedtime. (Things haven’t changed really, he usually passed out around 7 PM.) Then we dive right into the long association of music and moving pictures, even when the moving pictures had no sound. Then we take on the long and winding road that leads to August of 1981 and the music video network that had very, very few music videos. (There were a LOT of Flock of Seagulls videos on repeat in the early days.) Finally we explain the incredible impact the genre of music videos themselves had on a generation and the music industry. (Turns out the record compa

The show is quasi-dark this week to show support for the Writers Guild Strike. We aren't in the Union, but we stand with the Union. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Show Notes Episode 405: Juuuuuust A Bit Outside What the HELL Movie Night Watches Major League This week Host Dave Bledsoe demands his drinks be free or he will release the Wrath of Jobu on this establishment. (The bartender booted his ass out for cultural appropriation) On the show this week it is a What the HELL Movie Night where we talk about Major League!  Along the way we discover that Dave was as bad at baseball as he was/is everything else in life. (Swung on and missed is basically his romantic life in a nutshell.) Then we dive right into 1989’s feel good classic about a plucky band of misfits who somehow pull together and find a way to overcome their limits and discover anything is possible if they work together. (To be honest this describes about 80% of all movies made in the 1980’s) So grab your glove and bottle of Jack Daniels and head out to the ballpark for Major League! Our Sponsor this week are the Mahwah Monsters, the hottest beer league softball in Mahwah township for the past six months!

Show Notes Episode 404: Cheap Nightly Rates This week Host Dave Bledsoe tries to remember his friend’s phone numbers when he NEEDS to make a call, but the jailor won’t give his cell phone and he can’t remember their numbers. (Gavin had to come bail him out, again) On the show this week we report on yet another of the long and bloody wars we fought in the 80’s and 90’s, this time, the brutal Long Distance Wars! Along the way we learn why Dave never liked to talk on the telephone. (Bitter memories of never having a girlfriend to talk to!) Then we dive right into the creation of the long distance calling plan. Meaning we spend half the show explaining the history of long distance telephone service in the United States. Eventually we get around to telling you about that time in the 90’s when Americans were pitted against one another as they were forced to take sides in the brutal Long Distance Wars. (MCI families versus AT&T families did not speak to each other for nearly a decade!) This was the way of things u

Episode 403: Not Today, Not On Rex Manning Day This week Host Dave Bledsoe invites a “friend” home to check his 10 inch only for her to discover he was talking about his record albums. (And in penis department he is more like a cassingle) On the show this week we celebrate Rex Manning Day by taking you back to the glory days of the record store! Along the way we learn how Dave keeps trying to deal with his childhood through buying things rather than go to therapy. (Also, binge drinking is NOT therapy no matter what your “doctor” told you Dave.)  Then we dive right into the two great record store movies, though one is arguably greater than the other, Empire Records and High Fidelity.(For record, the greater one was Empire Records) Then we take a walk through the history of the record store, from its humble beginning as mom and pop shops in every town and the rise of Tower Records all the way through to their eventual downfall from Big Box stores and the internet.  (Amazon didn’t kill record stores, WalMart

Show Notes Episode 402: Gene Gene the Dancing MACHINE This week Host Dave Bledsoe plops a brown paper bag over his head and tries to pass himself off as the unknown drunkard. (The bartender gonged him out of the bar. Again.) On the show this week we are talking about one of the most influential TV shows of all time. (For certain Gen X podcast hosts anyway): The Gong Show. Along the way we discover that Dave was not always the small, apathetic slacker he is now, he once had dreams. (Small, apathetic slacker dreams) Then we dive right into the creation of a talent show panel game show that broke barriers in the mid 1970’s. (Admittedly the barriers were to good taste and decency.) We follow the show’s inception as a fairly banal talent show into the pop culture phenomena that explains why large brass gongs are featured in every low rent talent show in America. (Talent shows are the largest single sales driver in the large brass gong market, after Nights in White Satin and Bohemian Rhapsody.) We talk about the

Show Notes Episode 401: It’s Morning Again In America Pt 2 of Reagan This week Host Dave Bledsoe claims his overdue bar tabs are actually deficit spending and they are the only way we can stand up to Soviet dominance! (The bartender impeached his ass out of the bar) On the show this week talk about Reagan the President and his long lasting impact on America. (He broke it, so we bought it.) Along the way we learn that Dave’s dad looks nothing like Richard Gere. Then we dive right in with the 1980 election, an election Reagan was always going to win, but he had to cheat anyway. (How very Nixon of him!) Then we take a look at what Ronnie promised he would do (Make America great again) and what he actually DID. (Make rich people great again.) We examine all the ways The Gipper ripped up the protections put in place to keep poisons out of our water, criminals out of our bank accounts and our bosses from fucking us over in pursuit of their buying a private jet. (They already had their yachts.) From there, we tell