Rob is absent this week, so you may thrill to the sounds of panic masquerading as comedy, as Chris and Thom gear up to generate a show's worth of entertainment in the absence of their beloved Overhost. Many a topic of conversation meets with our duo's aggressive ambivalence, including but not limited to: birthday celebrations, online communications, pirates, muppets, break-ups of all shapes and sizes, and fallout over the apocalypse that wasn't. Music by D.L. Byron, Cosmo Topper, and Dean Friedman.

Rob would like to apologize for his being under the weather, making him slightly less effervescent and topic-laden than usual. Thom would like to apologize for mangling the lyrics to the Boondocks Theme, thus hurling the show into karmic vapor lock. Chris would like to apologize for the other two maroons getting in the way of his comedic golden-godhood. But nobody, and we mean nobody, would like to apologize to Kevin Costner, the subject of this week's Sodomizing A Legacy. Music by The Rebel Pebbles, Single Bullet Theory, and 20/20.

It's a mistake to think you can solve all major problems with pop culture, but the men of The Spoon give it a bloody good try, using their love of movies as a lens (so to speak) through which to view issues personal, professional, and political. If your life is a bit like a rainy Saturday afternoon right now, think of this episode as a Thriller Theater double feature with a pack of Red Vines on the side, and dig in accordingly. Music by Dash Rip Rock, The Sun Sawed In Half, and The Rubinoos.

The times, they are a’ fractious, but the men of The Spoon are here to soothe your woes with tales of their own suckitude and misery. Chris is in a post-breakup haze, Rob is lamenting his legacy, Thom is in permanent techno-fail mode, and we're all strangely ambivalent about the reaction to that guy getting killed yesterday, but there is ample comedic catharsis under our banner for all who seek it. Join us. Music by Mach Five, the Greenberry Woods, and Gameface.

Quinton Flynn returns to the show to fill Chris's big floppy clown shoes as Guest Underhost for the week, and does not disappoint. With tales of Robbie's semi-sordid past combined with his own recent foray into the world of the paranormal, he leads the show into a spiral of madness which results in torrents of upset girlfriend calls, rampant throwing of friends under buses, and perhaps most heinous of all: the return of Ein Gummibar! Music by 3D Picnic and Parthenon Huxley.

Writer Dan Epstein stops by for an all-too-brief discussion of the freak flag glory that was 70s baseball, Robbie laments that the wrong people keep dying, Thom shares a tale of bus-bound Hollywoodism, Cousin Frankie (who we've always known about!) calls in with suggestions for a Regis replacement, and Chris wins the show with a paradigm-shattering SAL for the ages. Of course, none of this will matter much if the apocalypse ends up occurring on May 21. But, uh... try and enjoy the show anyway. Music by Big Hello and The Wondermints.

The occasion of Robert's 47th birthday prompts the men of The Spoon to reflect on the meaning of life, the futility of death, and the importance of using time travel to retroactively change one's fashion choices. Also, the show is deluged with phone calls for the birthday boy from friends, well-wishers, and a surprising number of celebrity impressionists. Aflac! Music by The Knack, Material Issue, and The Little Girls.

In psychoanalysis, it's called "transference" -- the unconscious redirection of feelings from one subject to another. Such a phenomenon has gripped The Spoon in spades this week, as the Honey Badger meme awakens Thom's mammalian loyalties, Chris gets some extra venom out of his system with a scathing, Deustch-y SAL, and Robbie takes out his general frustrations with the world and its gas prices on all manner of pop culture targets, including special guest Quinton Flynn -- who, while admittedly arriving in a tardy fashion, manages to win an extra 5 minutes of showtime for the entire crew by showing up at all. Other topics include: panicky prison populace privatization, ambitiously amorous anime adventures, ham-handed humorous horseplay, and frenzied frightening fan-fiction. Also, math jokes. Music by the aforementioned Mr Flynn, as well as Slow Motorcade.

It may be true that "nothing lasts, nothing is complete, and nothing is perfect," but after six weeks apart, the dramaturgical triad of Rob, Chris, and Thom are back in the same room together and all seems right with the world again... at least for the next 50 minutes or so. In addition to an extended meditation on the existential empowerment of everyone's favorite 1920's cartoon sailor, our fair trio slash and burn through such topics as: grammatical faux pas in rock lyrics, the (literally) unbelievable story of Sambo's Restaurant, extinct fast food joints and their oversized mascots, the final wishes of Gigi Allen, the evolution of the alternative-sexuality lexicon, the unlikely new career of Bryan Adams, the abandonment of art, and the virtue of sucking. Also, Rob and Chris ridicule Thom constantly and mercilessly over the debut of The Geek Agenda, but only because he really, really deserves it. Music by The Goldbergs, Dingo Fish, and Bowling For Soup.

The world is off-kilter. You can feel it in the air, and hear it on The Spoon. Robbie returns to find that comic fodder is in shorter supply than when he left, which leads into some serious discussion on earthquake preparedness, led by special guest #1 Jenni Rosen. Thom's head is more jello-encased than usual as he juggles his regular duties in addition to laying out a manifesto for The Geek Agenda, the new show that he is preparing to host with special guest #2, R Andru. Chris is absent in the flesh, but makes a vocal appearance via Skype and provides the show a much-needed injection of the spicy semi-sequiturs at which he so excels. Can this ongoing series of alternate configurations be broken? Will our fair trio ever be fully reunited again? Perhaps in the future, but for now... courage. Other topics include: Jedi kittens, fantasy acceptance speeches, relationship vaguery, grammatical nerdery, surprisingly versatile applications of The Human Centipede, and the unbridled awesomeosity of this week's featured GSYNH artists, The Piper Downs. Plus, how many words can you think of that rhyme with Funt? Additional music by The Mockers.

The Sheening of America continues unabated! Chris and Thom are reduced to helpless, hypnotized, somewhat snarky bystanders as Charlie's awesomeosity continues to roll out over the land like a big rolling thing, and not even the ebullient presence of special guest Dave Shalansky can stop the coming Winpocalypse! Other topics (yes, there are a few) include the sad, Bixby-esque retirement of Phil Collins, the time-traveling goofiness of David Lee Roth, the parsing of copyright law as it relates to words vs phrases, belated kudos heaped upon The Karate Kid remake, and a hearty round of subtitle-font snobbery. Plus...McDavid's? Music by Harvey Danger and FADE.

Chris takes over hosting duties while Robbie is overseas, Thom returns from his Deseret sojourn, and friend of the show Dave Shalansky arrives to inject his keen insight and conversational rocket sauce to a post-mortem of Oscar night, what might end up as a pre-post-mortem of Charlie Sheen, and an attempt at putting all of the show's communications-related ducks in a row (which plays out a little more like a herding of cats.) Also, this week's Sodomizing A Legacy is an mighty epic of vocal contortion, featuring a quote of an impression, wrapped in a caricature of mimicry. WINNING!!! Music by the The Goldbergs, The Wonderstrucks, and Glen Burtnik.

With their minister of information away on special assignment, Robbie and Chris are left to grapple with matters technological on their own. Multiple forms of hilarity ensue. As for matters conversational, our dynamic duo are assisted by guests Johnny Dam of Porn Star Pundits and Good Green Witch Rhonda DeFelice whose collective presence supercharges the show to terrific effect -- partly because of the fierce intelligence and witty repartee that they bring to the proceedings, but also because working with the boss in the room really, really seems to wig Rob & Chris out. Topics include: Super Bowl grief as a libido killer, the importance of proper tattoo placement, a historical perspective on coping with extreme cold, speculation on the contents of a Schindler's List blooper reel, the secret to an impervious perineum, existential dread and body horror as depicted in 127 Hours, A Night At The Roxbury, and The Star Wars Holiday Special, the nature of heroism, alternative martial aids, and the most revolting casserole recipe you've ever heard. Plus, Robbie invents a new word: "relationshippily." Music by Dingo Fish, The Sun Kings, and Tube Top

The twists and turns on this week's conversational motor way are acutely sharp, some verging on hairpin, and we recommend that all proper safety measures be taken. Some of the briefly visited rest stops along the way include: The best Super Bowl commercials (one of which never aired, the other premiered days earlier-- go figure), social networking for better theological clarity, the growing (and welcome) backlash against melismatic vocals, the sudden proliferation of the so-called muffin top, and society's inevitable slide into Wall-E inspired sloth. Also, Chris dives into the Twitter-verse, Rob and Thom nerd out about Queen, radio worlds collide as NDR meets NPR for this week's Greatest Song You've Never Heard, and the saga of the Sybian takes on a new wrinkle... err, so to speak. Music by a trifecta of Johns: John Faye, John Hoskinson, and John Flanders & Double Helix. We're #7! We're #7!

Quoth the textbox: "Finally, some ovaries on the show!" And not a moment too soon. Just as Robbie, Chris, and Thom are drifting into a conversational tailspin that threatens to cause serious whiplash to both themselves and the listeners, friend of the show (and girlfriend of the host) Jenni Rosen stops by to inject some much-needed linear thought into the proceedings. Her treatise on the lameness of Valentine's Day -- and instructions to the fellows out there on how to make it less so -- is met with a considerable amount of deflection and puerile humor... which only serves to underscore her message all the more. Also, Eddie Murphy's legacy gets a rogering that neither it nor you will soon forget. Music by Willie Wisely, 3D Picnic, and The Vandalias.

Sport is business. Business is war. War is fashion. Fashion is community. Community is music. Music is sport. On and on, 'till the break of dawn. Don't worry, it will all make sense in context. The important thing is that Robbie, Chris, and Thom manage to weave nearly half a show on the subject of sports and sports fandom, despite -- or perhaps because of -- their abject lack of knowledge and expertise on said subject. Then, heady with power, they move on to tackle other mysteries of the universe, including the connections between fruit juice and school shootings, the questionable origins of "My Sweet Lord," the secret history of NASCAR, the impending retirement of Kevin Smith, and the omnipresent threat of foot-in-mouth disorder. Also, the first installment of The Greatest Songs You've Never Heard, and Robbie unwittingly demonstrates the 100th Monkey Principle via his disdain for George Lucas. Music by Paul Collins, Kitty & The Tree, and Cotton Mather

This week's show is a bit like a pinball game, with the conversation bouncing about at odd angles, running down sometimes unexpected corridors, and banging against the proper surfaces to score a few points, all the while generating a pleasing combination of shiny and loud. The Twenty-Aught-Eleven Grammy nominees set off some grumbling about the music industry's increasingly desperate and misaimed attempts to perpetuate a manufactured Culture Of Cool, which then leads to a broader discussion of whether the direction of pop zeitgeist has ever truly been in the hands of artists, which then leads a Skype listener to demand "more penis vomit talk." (No, really.) The tireless and multi-talented Fletcher Rhoden joins us in the second half to discuss his impressively hyper-prolific career, including his latest endeavor: a stage musical based on the genesis of I Love Lucy. (No, really.) Other topics include the similarities between puppies and Christmas trees, the aesthetic versatility of redheads, and the fateful Supreme Court decision to allow corporations the rights of individuals, which bears bitter comedic fruit in Sodomizing A Legacy: British Petroleum. Music by the aforementioned Mr Rhoden, Ed James, and 20/20.

Joey Cola and Arthur Alexander from New York's legendary Sorrows drop by to bathe the show in effortless cool, shaking our fair trio out of a malaise born of sleep-dep and growing mistrust of the coming year. With tales to tell both cautionary and inspirational, J&A detail their efforts in taking control of their music and obtaining that rarest of atttributes: an un-sodomized legacy. Other topics include: crossbow mishaps, why every band needs an asshole, the importance of not confusing Sybian with Sabian, advice on calming one's inner Travis Bickle, and the riveting sound of three guys passing an iPad back and forth. Also there is a lot of pimping for the Nice Guy Eddie + Sorrows + Neighborhood Bullys + Dirty Eyes gig coming up on Friday Jan 14 ...and everyone is just gonna have to be Ok with that.

In the first new installment of 2011, the boys hit the ground running with all guns blazing, full of piss and vinegar, and other cliché metaphors as well! After an opening exchange of pleasantries and congratulations on Robbie's commitment to arrive on time despite obstacles both psychological and auto vehicular, talk turns to a recent essay by Patton Oswalt on the current state of so-called geek culture, and the remainder of the hour blazes by like The Flash on an espresso bender. By turns confessional, confrontational, conspiratorial, and ultimately conciliatory (in a cognitive sort of way) the show's conversational cuisinart tries like hell to process tribalism, consumerism, nostalgia, technocracy, identity, and other conundrums into a media-based 21st century gumbo, with observations about the lack of neckwear for chickens and visions of Jabba The Hutt feeding his enemies to Tony Robbins thrown in for spice and color. Does the resulting dish satisfy? Let us know. Music by Neighborhood Bullys and Sorrows

On this, their final broadcast of 2010, the men of The Spoon take stock of the show's journey from inception to "almost a thing," and speculate as to what adventures the future may bring. SAL focuses on the bizarre series of spilled dominoes that is the life of one Phil Spector. Speaking of weirdness, returning guest Joe Oesterle drops by for more tales of the oddities found in Hollywood, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and the boundless reaches of the human mind. Finally, some much-needed Holiday cheer is supplied in the form of a childhood anecdote roundtable, and the debut of an original Christmas song written by Rob & Chris. All this, plus listener feedback, the cupcake craze, Mormon curse words, and a reverie for the flood plain formerly known as Los Angeles. Additional music by Finland Station, Otis Gibson & The Rockhounds, Steve Mauldin, Scott Michael Minchk, Michael Gigante, and Candypants. Thanks so much for your presence and patronage. See you in 2011!

What, exactly, is a legacy? Where does it come from? What is it for? How can it be sodomized, and why should anyone care? Inspired by the anniversary of John Lennon's death, the men of The Spoon whip out their word scalpels and dissect one of the more important aspects of this show's ethos: the right -- nay, the duty -- to be honest and unmerciful, even if it means killing one's gods. (Metaphorically, of course.) Other items of interest: voice acting advice, the art of the 2% joke, Robbie apologizing for crimes both real and imagined, and for those who prefer the older, funnier take on this week's topic du jour, a classic-style SAL wherein Tiger Woods gets a doozy of a ribbing. Mazuma! Music by The Barracudas, Walter Clevenger & The Dairy Kings, and Stew

The events of this installment unfold like a classically groomed mullet: business in the front, party in the back! In the first half, our fair trio consider changing the name of the show to "The Tip," even as they attempt to circumnavigate the technological, economic, and political iceberg that is the Net Neutrality debate. With that nod toward the show's original mission statement under their collective belt, they set course for an unapologetic excursion into whimsy and geek love. Chris rubs elbows with animation greats, Thom remarks on his pseudo-Floydian adventures, Robbie recalls the horror comics that made him a man (in more ways than one) and all three reveal the films which have the power to reduce them to pitiful, tear-streaked wrecks. Goonies never say die! Music by The Andersons, Manitoba's Wild Kingdom, and Spooky Pie

Don't be fooled. You may think this episode is merely a string of anecdotes about Thanksgiving 2010, or an exploration of satisfying curse-word euphemisms, or even a slice of performance art lampooning the pitfalls of VOIP technology. You could easily be distracted by the mystery of the Poop-tato, or Bret Favre's legacy getting sodomized within an inch of its existence. But these are all smokescreens. Hidden within the swirling conversational chaos is a vibrant through-line, in which our heroes not only outline a foolproof plan for rehabilitating the US economy, but also provide clues to its implementation in the number of comedians referenced during the show. Can you name them all? Take a listen and post your answers to our Facebook page. In the immortal words of Leslie Nielsen: "Good luck. We're all counting on you." Music by Martin Luther Lennon, The Abe Lincoln Story, and Trigger Finger.

Napoleon had a standard battle plan, in two parts: A) Show up, and B) See what happens. In this episode, the men of The Spoon employ the talk radio equivalent of this approach, and the results are...predictably unpredictable. Held together by a loose thread on the joys and concerns of the impending holiday season, Robbie, Chris, and Thom sluice through a truly bounteous selection of topics which it would be folly to even attempt to recount in this forum. We can, however, reveal that this week's Weezer-centric Sodomizing A Legacy contains the best morphologically enigmatic mire poix joke that you're likely to hear for a long, long time to come. Music by Anny Celsi, Too Much Joy, and, lamentably, our fair trio themselves. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

In the first half of this evening's program, Robbie brings to the table his views on the dangers of financial excess, a topic of timeless resonance and near limitless potential for thoughtful discourse...which is promptly dashed upon the rocks of the show's usual nitwittery. In the second half, the Sky Mall catalog is strip-mined for utterly impractical (yet entirely awesome) Christmas gift ideas. Sandwiched in between like a layer of scrumptous, snark-filled nougat, Sodomizing A Legacy keeps on rockin' with a jaunty single-finger salute to Eddie Van Halen. The rest of the proceedings operate much like the conversational equivalent of snakes in a can, with topics blasting out at odd angles and frightening &/or injuring onlookers quite badly. Beware.

The show is derailed almost before it begins, as our intrepid orators set out to correct some commonly held misconceptions about the world and end up accidentally inventing a few of their own. The etymology of "roofies", the relative height of European dictators, the flavor components of (and magazine market for) cheese, men who fancy women who impersonate men, and the surprisingly prolific career of Right Said Fred are just a few of the topics that spill forth in this conversational cornucopia. Also, a brand spankin' new Sodomizing A Legacy, featuring W. Axl Rose, is unleashed upon an unsuspecting public. Music by Finland Station, Your Favorite Trainwreck, and The Rainmakers

In this special double-sized, civics-minded episode: Robbie Rist returns from the road covered in musical glory, southern infatuation, and sweet, sweet BBQ sauce. There ensues a recap of both his touring adventures and how the show fared in his absence, then talk turns from past to future as the upcoming election is dissected on micro, macro, and meta levels. The definition of the word "legacy" is stretched to taffy-like proportions in this week's SAL, featuring the antics of one Carlos Irwin Estevez (ne Charlie Sheen.) In the second hour, artist/writer/bon vivant, Joe Oesterle, drops by for lively tales of the unlikely and bizarre in our fair city, as detailed in his book Weird Hollywood. Also on display are the comedic ruminations of NDR Overlord, Johnny Dam, in addition to music by The Mockers, The Neighborhood Bullys, and The Negro Problem. Get out and vote!

The show goes more askew than usual this week, but our heroes prevail by running directly towards the crazy. Chris and Dave reaffirm their BFF-hood while engaging in serious conversations about silly topics and vice-versa. Amongst the conversational fodder: the sanctioning of movie star meltdowns, the inequity of gender-based advertising, the plausibility of motorcycle-induced orgasms, and the fine, oft-maligned art of the drum solo. Paul the Doctor makes a long-awaited cameo, and the George Lucas-centric Sodomizing A Legacy is recycled once more (because that particular meta-joke never gets old.) Also, gremlins infest the studio gear, most likely due to Thom unwittingly provoking the wrath of Silver Shamrock. Music by The Mockers and The Neighborhood Bullys.

Dave Shalansky returns to hurl double-fistfuls of WTF, while Chris & Thom do their best to roll with the punches. Robbie calls in from the road with tales of inter-species gig riots and a plug for friend of the show, Kenny Howes, whilst also informing the crew that he'll be absent for one more show. Mixed emotions ensue. Other topics include: the Museum Of Tolerance (but not really), the definition of Pulchritudinous, Classic Sodomizing A Legacy featuring OJ Simpson, why feeling blood is sometimes worse than feeling pain, the curiously predictable pattern of band break-ups, and a burning question about female masturbation that, as of yet, has no answer. Music by The Neighborhood Bullys, Harvey Danger, and The Andersons.

Three guys in a bathtub, Michael Jackson's legacy, Dave's Robbie/Jenni dream, revisiting Mel Gibson's turn on Sodomizing a Legacy, "The Delorean House," Update #2 from Robbie on the road, eating after 9pm, Dave's Blockbuster story and general anti-semitism, dispute over Nick Cage quote, Justin Beiber nail polish, A Triumvirate of Right Wing Dicks. Music by Mary Prankster and Wonderboy.

Chris has the wheel, Dave Shalansky in the house and Thom keeping it all on the tracks as usual. The hows and whys of Twitter, those that are thin, but unhealthy, McNugget Paste, Robbie calls from the road, the return of Sodomizing a Legacy: Elton John, coping with the cats, the origins of Nice Guy Eddie, Fucking someone's soul, and the shocking truth about the Transsexual Bond Girl. Music by Harvey Danger and Kitty in the Tree

Dancing with the Stars, Facebook whiners, My Zoo and other time 'time waster' games, reality show pitches, sexual encounters with Steven Tylerand Robert Plant. Also, Thom and Chris really like that awful Gummibear song. Music by The Dictators, Back Pocket Memory and Mary Prankster.

Kid actors, genetically engineered food, Chris works blue, Thom is our new engineer, replay of George Lucas- Sodomizing a Legacy. Music by Abby Travis, Sorrows and Candypants

Robbie doesn't watch the teevee but still finds visual entertainment from other sources (and Chris tries to educate him). Then a brief discussion on how O.J. Simpson (star of this week's Sodomizing A Legacy) changed the face of American law by getting away with murder. Songs by Martin Luther Lennon and Candypants.

Robbie's girlfriend Jenni is guest for a discussion on why makeup companies use fear to sell their products and why is it men find prurient humor funnier than women. Also Sodomizing A Legacy - Mel Gibson. Songs by Suzy Y Los Quattro, Abby Travis and The Orion Experience.

This weeks guest, therapist Inrgid Oliansky, helps Robbie and Chris analyze America to maybe help it not be so fearful. And then Robbie accuses the Disney Princesses of being bitches.

Robbie starts his first radio show ever with a guest who doesn't call in. Panic ensues until station owner (and host of The Damage Report) steps in to babysit our fledgling hero. Then Paul Goebel calls and everybody talks TV and all is right with the world (until next week).