Why? The Podcast

Why? The Podcast

Naked skydivers. Jeopardy champions. Rodeo clowns. Suzi Quatro. Professional mascots. Competitive eaters. Astronauts. Cherry Vanilla. Renaissance fair kings. Benjamin Franklin. Olympic Curlers. Mandalorians. Gay erotica writers. Mermaids. Fruit cake tossers. Martha Wash. Dolphin Lovers. Hair collectors. Strippers. And satanists. We've talked to them all. On Why? every week we talk with another guest leading a fascinating life.

Episodes

September 15, 2025 40 mins

Did you know the first town lit by nuclear power in the US was in Idaho? Did you know you could tour the reactor that created this amazing advancement in power? We talk with Shelly from the EBR-1 Museum (that's the Experimental Breeder Reactor if you're not into the whole brevity thing). For more information, check out their website. 

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With Taylor Swift's 12th record about to come out, we thought it a good time to explore what has come before with two experts- Kase Wickman and Moira McAvoy, co-authors (with Joanna Weiss), authors of Taylor Swift: Album by Album, available from Motorbooks wherever you get your books on October 10th.

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Tony Goldmark is known for creating in-depth videos exploring all aspects of the Walt Disney corporation, from its theme parks to it's cinematic output. And with his podcast, Escape from Vault Disney, Tony and his guests visit another film available on Disney+.

You can find Escape from Vault Disney wherever you get your podcasts and you can find Tony's Some Jerk with a Camera videos on YouTube under @TonyGoldmark.

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August 25, 2025 22 mins

No guests, just conversation. Where is this whole thing going? Do we have good stuff upcoming? What do you think, slappy?

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To hear David Ackles is to be enchanted by his voice and his music. And, for some reason, he never reached a large audience. Now, a new book by Mark Brend, Down River: In Search of David Ackles, tells his whole story. The book is available wherever you get your books on August 22nd.

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Everybody loves Jessica Fletcher. And now, with Tim Benzie as your guide, he'll bring you on an evening's worth of entertainment with his "Solve-Along Murder, She Wrote." Will the audience solve the crime before Jessica? And why is she so popular after decades of leaving the air?

For more information about Tim and to find out where he is performing, (and hopefully it's near you, you can check out his website...

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A couple of weekends ago, the Association for Nude Recreation held their annual convention, celebrating all things in non-sexual nudity. We teamed up with former guest John Jankowski from We Bare All, a group in Wisconsin, who we've been working with to produce their podcast... Where do things stand today?

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There's knowing The Beatles, and then there's knowing how George likes his hair done. Leslie Cavendish is one of the few people in the world who can lay claim to the latter. And in his book, "The Cutting Edge," he details his work and friendship with the Fab Four. From The Magical Mystery Tour to the final performance on the top of Apple Records, Leslie was there. 

"The Cutting Edge," by Leslie Cavendis...

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Who doesn't like a good rock and pop record? Well, the family (take that, Partridges) that makes up Secret Monkey Weekend do, and their new record, Lemon Drop Hammer proves it and then some.

For more information, check out their website.

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We don't need to tell you how we feel about mascots in these parts. Thankfully, former close friend of the Philadelphia Phanatic feels the same. We talk with Dave about the Hall of Fame and his experience in the sports mascot business.

For more information about the hall of fame, check out their website. And for more information about Dave and his work, check out his website.

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Stand-up comedy has to be one of the purest art forms. One person on a stage, armed only with their wits and their speed. How does someone do it? Why does someone do it?

Comedian JT Habersaat literally wrote the book on stand-up with his new "Doing Time- Comedians on Stage." The book is available July 8th from Jawbone Press. And for more info on JT, including tour dates, check out his website.

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There's knowing The Beatles, and then there's knowing how George likes his hair done. Leslie Cavendish is one of the few people in the world who can lay claim to the latter. And in his book, "The Cutting Edge," he details his work and friendship with the Fab Four. From The Magical Mystery Tour to the final performance on the top of Apple Records, Leslie was there. 

"The Cutting Edge," by Leslie Cavendis...

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Gary K Wolf has created a bevy of characters that are beloved by generations of film fans and readers. We got to talk with Gary about how you create an iconic character (easy, right?), his writing process and the one thing he wishes he did when his first Roger Rabbit book came out.

For more information and to order copies of any of Gary's books, check out his website.

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Satori Shakoor has had a fascinating life. From singing in Parliament, to being one of the Brides of Funkenstein, to her life as a mother and everything that has come after, Satori tells it all in her new concert film, "Confessions of a Menopausal Femme Fatale." It's a story only she can tell and she tells it wonderfully.

You can stream the film on Amazon, AppleTV and Google Play. For more information, check out Sator...

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What better way to learn about the early days of our country than with a drink in your hand? We talk with Marianne Rosato, creator and producer of the walks/crawls and Ben Franklin, who is one of the founding fathers you'll meet along the way.

For more information on events and to find out when the next one will be held, make sure to check out the website for Revolutionary Crawls and Events.

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You may not know the name, but you know his sound. From his work as a member of Lipps, Inc, to producing with Prince to bands like Fine Young Cannibals and Big Head Todd and the Monsters, David Z has created a sound that, literally, everyone has danced to. 

For more information on David and his fascinating career, check out his website.

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May 26, 2025 43 mins

What is a furry? Who can be a furry? Are you a furry and you just don't know it? Flint and Camille from Anthro New England tell us all about the movement and why you may be a furry and not even know it.

Anthro New England is a yearly convention held in Boston, Massachusetts. Next year's convention is January 15th through the 18th. For more information, check out their website.

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Catherine Coulson was an artist, in all senses of the word. Most people probably know her from her role as The Log Lady on David Lynch and Mark Frost's TV show, Twin Peaks. But that is just the beginning of Catherine's story.

I Know Catherine, the Log Lady, is a fascinating look at a fascinating character and a study of reaching the end of your life with grace and love. The film is now playing at theaters across the countr...

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May 12, 2025 43 mins

This week, we talk with one of the members of Sex-O-Rama. (What's his real name? What's his band name... we find out!) The group was originally formed to create fake porn music for folks to enjoy and, shockingly, things got out of hand and now they're onto volume 5.

Sex-O-Rama volume 5: Invaders from the Pleasure Planet is available wherever you get your music. For more information, check out their website.

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They say those who don't learn the past are doomed to repeat it. What does that have to do with our guest? We're not really sure. Dr. Carol Queen, phd is the curator of the Antique Vibrator Museum, located inside the Good Vibrations store in San Francisco. (Other branches of the chain have some items on display too.) What is the history of the vibrator? Did it seriously involve steam power? Where do things go from here? D...

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