#StayHomeWith How Did This Get Made? & "Holiday in Handcuffs"
One of my favorite podcasts of all time is How Did This Get Made? - it’s hilarious, in some ways interactive, and it makes me feel like I’m sitting around laughing with friends, which is more valuable than ever during this nationwide pandemic shutdown. It’s hosted by three very funny people: Paul Scheer, Jason Mantzoukas, and June Diane Raphael; the gang regularly invites very funny guests to help them break down bad movies and answer the podcast’s titular question. It’s also a podcast that has episodes you can listen to multiple times without losing any enjoyment; in fact, some of them just get better every time you listen to them. I’m cheering myself up by revisiting some of my favorite episodes and I’d love to share them with you.
By the way, a lot of people will recommend watching the movie first and then listening to the episode, but I much prefer listening to the episode first (the only exceptions being when I plan to attend a live show or when I really want to avoid spoilers). Then when I go watch the movie, I have all the things Paul, June, and Jason said in my head and it makes the movie-watching experience so much richer. I’ll never forget watching No Holds Barred with my brother after listening to that episode. The best! And if you’re keeping up on recent episodes, after you watch the movie, you can also call in to 1-800-PAUL-ASK to ask questions, share your thoughts, etc.
Since time now has no meaning and seasons are arbitrary, why not watch a bad Christmas movie with the company of some very funny podcasters?
Episode #204:
Holiday in Handcuffs
This episode covering ABC Family’s 2007 original film starring Melissa Joan Hart and Mario Lopez has so many HDTGM mainstays that I love:
June calling a bad movie a “motion picture”
June’s thoughts on hair, fashion, and grooming
Paul sharing stories from his strange and fascinating childhood
Jason’s inflection when he says he is “not cool with” this episode turning into a Mario Lopez podcast
As this podcast devolves into a Mario Lopez deep dive investigation (in the best way possible), you can feel how these four people are truly friends who amuse the hell out of each other and it makes me really happy. Jessica St. Clair is the guest and she always has great chemistry with the hosts. I laugh out loud every time I listen to this episode (which is an embarrassing amount). I have somehow never seen Holiday in Handcuffs so I ordered it online (it was actually kind of hard to find; I had to buy it pre-owned from a third-party seller on Amazon). Time to throw together a holiday-themed cheese board while re-listening to the episode and then settle in to watch this motion picture. Want to play along? You can listen to the episode here or on your favorite podcast app.
Cheese board supplies:
Cubed cheese (I used swiss and sharp cheddar)
Grapes
Granny Smith apple
Assorted crackers
Cucumber
A fresh herb for garnish (I used parsley)
Almonds and chocolate-covered cashews
I also poured myself a sparkling drink to get into the holiday spirit. Cheers!
Written by Christina Morse
Original photos by Christina Morse
