https://www.spreaker.com/show/this-show-is-awkwardenImprovCopyright Henrique Coutohttps://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/4ca7e93f72a217898a099e89b187b882.jpghttps://www.spreaker.com/show/this-show-is-awkwardFri, 21 Aug 2026 18:18:14 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Coutocarniecouto@gmail.comMichelle and Henrique are friends, and also weirdo artists, and they want to talk about stuff and for once let someone listen in other than the CIA.true4b0fb417-89ec-5200-b695-365d583650aaepisodichttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/banana-fish-final-discussion-with-henrique-ash-eiji-the-ending-explained--64673654Michelle drops this almost-reunion onto the This Show is Awkward feed after, by her own cheerful admission, essentially forcing her human friend Henrique to watch Banana Fish. His deliberately brutal summary—"TLDR: glad Ash is dead"—is only the starting point for a much more compassionate argument about why Ash’s fate feels both devastating and, to Henrique, merciful.
Together they unpack whether Ash and Eiji’s bond is romantic, platonic or intentionally difficult to label; how Ash’s history of abuse shapes his ideas about trust and intimacy; and whether someone trained to survive through violence could ever imagine a peaceful life. The conversation also revisits Dino Golzine’s control, Blanca’s compromised mentorship, Sing’s place in Eiji’s future, the hosts’ tragic-hero reading and Michelle’s account of creator Akimi Yoshida’s comments about consequences. Along the way, Henrique connects Banana Fish to New York crime stories such as Serpico, Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, while Michelle tests his reading against the manga and the 2018 anime adaptation.
This is still Michelle and Henrique, so a serious character study can become an HBO Oz comparison or a joke without warning. They return to Michelle’s vivid image of concrete being poured over the garden of Ash’s spirit, then preserve the original announcement that 86 [Eighty-Six] would be their next anime discussion. It is a thoughtful, argumentative and very personal farewell to Banana Fish.
Links Email Michelle: michelle.a.eem@gmail.com

]]>https://api.spreaker.com/episode/64673654Mon, 03 Mar 2025 14:39:21 +0000Henrique CoutoFull spoiler and content warning: this Banana Fish reunion discussion covers child sexual abuse, sexual violence, exploitation, trauma, murder and death. Michelle and Henrique Couto examine the complete anime and its tragic ending, so finish the...Michelle drops this almost-reunion onto the This Show is Awkward feed after, by her own cheerful admission, essentially forcing her human friend Henrique to watch Banana Fish. His deliberately brutal summary—"TLDR: glad Ash is dead"—is only the starting point for a much more compassionate argument about why Ash’s fate feels both devastating and, to Henrique, merciful.
Together they unpack whether Ash and Eiji’s bond is romantic, platonic or intentionally difficult to label; how Ash’s history of abuse shapes his ideas about trust and intimacy; and whether someone trained to survive through violence could ever imagine a peaceful life. The conversation also revisits Dino Golzine’s control, Blanca’s compromised mentorship, Sing’s place in Eiji’s future, the hosts’ tragic-hero reading and Michelle’s account of creator Akimi Yoshida’s comments about consequences. Along the way, Henrique connects Banana Fish to New York crime stories such as Serpico, Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, while Michelle tests his reading against the manga and the 2018 anime adaptation.
This is still Michelle and Henrique, so a serious character study can become an HBO Oz comparison or a joke without warning. They return to Michelle’s vivid image of concrete being poured over the garden of Ash’s spirit, then preserve the original announcement that 86 [Eighty-Six] would be their next anime discussion. It is a thoughtful, argumentative and very personal farewell to Banana Fish.
Links Email Michelle: michelle.a.eem@gmail.com

]]>4085truefullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/chainsaw-man-episode-1-review-dog-chainsaw-denji-and-pochita--56706565Denji is buried under impossible Yakuza debt, selling pieces of his body and hunting devils with Pochita just to keep a roof over his head. Michelle follows his miserable routine through the Tomato Devil job, the cigarette stunt, his coughing fit and the all-important slice of white bread he shares with his chainsaw-dog companion. She also asks the practical question the anime refuses to answer: how is that lonely shack connected to public utilities? Her cat, meanwhile, is sleeping upstairs and contributing exactly nothing.
The story turns brutal when the Yakuza betray Denji and reveal their contract with the Zombie Devil. Michelle walks through the stabbing, the dumpster reunion, Pochita and Denji’s new contract and the first full Chainsaw Man transformation. The recap ends with Makima recognizing that Denji is not an ordinary devil and offering him a choice that is caring, controlling and extremely Makima.
This is also an animation review. Michelle examines MAPPA’s CG hallway, cars and chainsaw work; the opening theme "KICK BACK" by Kenshi Yonezu; and the ending song "CHAINSAW BLOOD" by Vaundy. She singles out Shinsaku Kozuma and Moaang among the episode’s animators, compares the production with Jujutsu Kaisen and Bocchi the Rock!, and gives the premiere the painstaking, funny scene-by-scene treatment promised in the original notes.
Links

• Email Michelle: Michelle.A.EEM@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/ae46c9fc-d3ee-41c6-a1ae-75e62b56b168Thu, 17 Nov 2022 19:44:34 +0000Henrique CoutoFull spoiler and content warning: Michelle recaps Chainsaw Man Episode 1, "Dog & Chainsaw," from its opening hallway to Makima’s final offer. Expect discussion of blood, dismemberment, body horror, exploitation and zombie violence in this sampler...Denji is buried under impossible Yakuza debt, selling pieces of his body and hunting devils with Pochita just to keep a roof over his head. Michelle follows his miserable routine through the Tomato Devil job, the cigarette stunt, his coughing fit and the all-important slice of white bread he shares with his chainsaw-dog companion. She also asks the practical question the anime refuses to answer: how is that lonely shack connected to public utilities? Her cat, meanwhile, is sleeping upstairs and contributing exactly nothing.
The story turns brutal when the Yakuza betray Denji and reveal their contract with the Zombie Devil. Michelle walks through the stabbing, the dumpster reunion, Pochita and Denji’s new contract and the first full Chainsaw Man transformation. The recap ends with Makima recognizing that Denji is not an ordinary devil and offering him a choice that is caring, controlling and extremely Makima.
This is also an animation review. Michelle examines MAPPA’s CG hallway, cars and chainsaw work; the opening theme "KICK BACK" by Kenshi Yonezu; and the ending song "CHAINSAW BLOOD" by Vaundy. She singles out Shinsaku Kozuma and Moaang among the episode’s animators, compares the production with Jujutsu Kaisen and Bocchi the Rock!, and gives the premiere the painstaking, funny scene-by-scene treatment promised in the original notes.
Links

• Email Michelle: Michelle.A.EEM@gmail.com

]]>1533true138fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/monthly-spooky-premiere-centralia-mine-fire-sharks-and-strange-news--56706572The strange-news round begins with a monster-hunting kit assembled by a six-year-old, complete with defenses against vampires, werewolves and witches. Michelle and Henrique also investigate whether spiders fear other spiders, revisit a cluster of sand tiger shark encounters near Long Island, descend into the story of an ancient forest found inside a giant sinkhole in China and meet Nala, the lost dog who slipped into a Tennessee couple’s house and climbed into bed during a storm. These stories are discussed as headlines from the original recording.
Centralia, Pennsylvania, supplies the main event. The hosts trace the underground coal-mine fire, competing accounts of how it began, evacuations and eminent-domain battles that emptied most of the town. They remember their own visit to Centralia several years earlier, its cemeteries and the abandoned stretch of Route 61 known as the Graffiti Highway. The episode also explores Centralia’s popular association with Silent Hill without treating that familiar comparison as a settled statement about the game’s single real-world inspiration.
There is even more tucked inside: Michelle introduces her WEBTOON Canvas zombie comic At the End of Everything; the hosts react to Rob Zombie’s The Munsters trailer and Jordan Peele’s Nope; and a Reddit "glitch in the matrix" story about a strangely groomed feral cat opens questions about memory, carbon monoxide and parallel worlds. Sharks, vampires, spiders, a town burning belowground and two friends making each other laugh—this is Monthly Spooky finding its voice.
Links

• Weekly Spooky Email Monthly Spooky: WeeklySpooky@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/3599b38e-ad73-44d0-9fef-6f38b25a07a2Thu, 11 Aug 2022 04:39:30 +0000Henrique CoutoThis 2022 crossover preserves the handoff from This Show is Awkward to Monthly Spooky. Henrique Couto and Michelle thank the Awkward listeners, settle into the crypt and introduce a longer mix of bizarre headlines, horror talk and dark history. It is...The strange-news round begins with a monster-hunting kit assembled by a six-year-old, complete with defenses against vampires, werewolves and witches. Michelle and Henrique also investigate whether spiders fear other spiders, revisit a cluster of sand tiger shark encounters near Long Island, descend into the story of an ancient forest found inside a giant sinkhole in China and meet Nala, the lost dog who slipped into a Tennessee couple’s house and climbed into bed during a storm. These stories are discussed as headlines from the original recording.
Centralia, Pennsylvania, supplies the main event. The hosts trace the underground coal-mine fire, competing accounts of how it began, evacuations and eminent-domain battles that emptied most of the town. They remember their own visit to Centralia several years earlier, its cemeteries and the abandoned stretch of Route 61 known as the Graffiti Highway. The episode also explores Centralia’s popular association with Silent Hill without treating that familiar comparison as a settled statement about the game’s single real-world inspiration.
There is even more tucked inside: Michelle introduces her WEBTOON Canvas zombie comic At the End of Everything; the hosts react to Rob Zombie’s The Munsters trailer and Jordan Peele’s Nope; and a Reddit "glitch in the matrix" story about a strangely groomed feral cat opens questions about memory, carbon monoxide and parallel worlds. Sharks, vampires, spiders, a town burning belowground and two friends making each other laugh—this is Monthly Spooky finding its voice.
Links

• Weekly Spooky Email Monthly Spooky: WeeklySpooky@gmail.com

]]>5499true137fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/final-episode-this-show-is-awkward-moves-to-monthly-spooky--56706578Before the farewell gets too dignified, real life barges in. Michelle describes the slow process of seeking a Philadelphia home-inspection license, while Henrique shares an update as he waits for Chicano’s veterinary surgery. They talk about exhaustion, work and the practical value of changing a demanding weekly routine into a planned monthly conversation. It is candid without pretending that either host has suddenly become organized.
Then the finale takes the only sensible route: an extended detour through shark movies. Henrique tries to convince Michelle to watch Jaws, celebrates the glorious problems of Jaws: The Revenge and sorts out a listener’s confusion between The Last Shark and Burt Reynolds’ Sharky’s Machine. The live chat expands the debate to Sharknado, Alligator and Piranha II: The Spawning, along with a James Cameron and Roger Corman tangent. Swimming pools, freshwater fears, sewers and increasingly questionable survival plans all join the conversation.
The ending returns to what matters. Henrique thanks Michelle for sitting down with him more than one hundred times, and both hosts thank the listeners who wrote, chatted and made the show part of their lives. This archived finale preserves a warm goodbye to one title and the beginning of Monthly Spooky—not a breakup, just Michelle and Henrique finding a roomier crypt for the same friendship.
Links

• Weekly Spooky Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/1e22e73a-c76b-42c6-9b11-49a03b5c78f0Wed, 03 Aug 2022 19:37:11 +0000Henrique CoutoThis is the final episode of This Show is Awkward, but it is not the end of Michelle and Henrique Couto podcasting together. After nearly three years and more than one hundred conversations, they explain why the weekly show is closing and look back at...Before the farewell gets too dignified, real life barges in. Michelle describes the slow process of seeking a Philadelphia home-inspection license, while Henrique shares an update as he waits for Chicano’s veterinary surgery. They talk about exhaustion, work and the practical value of changing a demanding weekly routine into a planned monthly conversation. It is candid without pretending that either host has suddenly become organized.
Then the finale takes the only sensible route: an extended detour through shark movies. Henrique tries to convince Michelle to watch Jaws, celebrates the glorious problems of Jaws: The Revenge and sorts out a listener’s confusion between The Last Shark and Burt Reynolds’ Sharky’s Machine. The live chat expands the debate to Sharknado, Alligator and Piranha II: The Spawning, along with a James Cameron and Roger Corman tangent. Swimming pools, freshwater fears, sewers and increasingly questionable survival plans all join the conversation.
The ending returns to what matters. Henrique thanks Michelle for sitting down with him more than one hundred times, and both hosts thank the listeners who wrote, chatted and made the show part of their lives. This archived finale preserves a warm goodbye to one title and the beginning of Monthly Spooky—not a breakup, just Michelle and Henrique finding a roomier crypt for the same friendship.
Links

• Weekly Spooky Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>3272true136fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/chicano-s-vet-update-hvac-maintenance-stone-foundations--56706583From there, the conversation turns to HVAC maintenance. Henrique recounts having his central air cleaned, learning that a dual capacitor might eventually need attention, and planning a furnace check before winter. He and Michelle compare frustrating experiences with service contracts, missed appointments, expensive filters, local repair companies, and the awkward realities of choosing someone to work on a home. Their stories remain first-person anecdotes rather than repair advice.
Michelle brings home-inspection stories of her own, including a sandstone foundation that seemed to crumble like sand in her hand. That launches a characteristically winding discussion of basements, split-level houses, flooding, and the wonderfully strange “Pittsburgh toilet”—a toilet sitting openly in a basement. Listener comments keep the detour moving while Michelle and Henrique joke about imaginary lollipop foundations.
The lighter sidebars range from the mannequin horror film Tourist Trap and Joe Bob Briggs on Shudder to Danhausen, AEW, new microphones, and the hosts’ pets. Henrique also looks back on Weekly Spooky joining Spreaker Prime and previews ideas that were in development then, including Terrifying and True. It is an unusually candid episode about worrying for a beloved dog, maintaining a house, running small businesses, and leaning on a best friend when the week gets heavy.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/5c3724ad-cb0e-41e7-a084-d8124b3275dbWed, 27 Jul 2022 19:31:42 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto opens with a personal vet update about Chicano, whose new skin tumor had been identified as cancerous. He explains that it appeared on the dog’s leg rather than at the site of an earlier tumor and shares the cautious, encouraging...From there, the conversation turns to HVAC maintenance. Henrique recounts having his central air cleaned, learning that a dual capacitor might eventually need attention, and planning a furnace check before winter. He and Michelle compare frustrating experiences with service contracts, missed appointments, expensive filters, local repair companies, and the awkward realities of choosing someone to work on a home. Their stories remain first-person anecdotes rather than repair advice.
Michelle brings home-inspection stories of her own, including a sandstone foundation that seemed to crumble like sand in her hand. That launches a characteristically winding discussion of basements, split-level houses, flooding, and the wonderfully strange “Pittsburgh toilet”—a toilet sitting openly in a basement. Listener comments keep the detour moving while Michelle and Henrique joke about imaginary lollipop foundations.
The lighter sidebars range from the mannequin horror film Tourist Trap and Joe Bob Briggs on Shudder to Danhausen, AEW, new microphones, and the hosts’ pets. Henrique also looks back on Weekly Spooky joining Spreaker Prime and previews ideas that were in development then, including Terrifying and True. It is an unusually candid episode about worrying for a beloved dog, maintaining a house, running small businesses, and leaning on a best friend when the week gets heavy.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>2741true135fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/joe-bob-briggs-jamboree-memphis-horror-hotel-trouble-car-repair--56706566The Jamboree itself was three days of drive-in movies, music, horror personalities, and Mutant-family energy. Henrique recalls landing in a mosh pit with Jonah Ray while Rock ’n’ Roll High School brought the Ramones to the screen; hearing The Lost Boys saxophonist Tim Cappello perform “I Still Believe” and a version of The Last Drive-In theme; and watching John Brennan’s band Bigfeet anchor loose, gleefully unrehearsed stage appearances. Tom Atkins, Danhausen, Dave Sheridan, and an increasingly unimpressed Elvis impersonator all enter the story.
The trip also brought a hotel nightmare. Henrique recounts arriving at a budget hotel that felt unsafe, finding damaged furniture, a dirty room, and a mousetrap, then deciding he did not want to spend four nights there. He relocated to the Hilton hosting the event and describes the extra expense, the relief of feeling secure, and the convenience of being on site. These are Henrique’s first-person impressions of that stay; the notes do not identify the property or treat suspected activity around it as verified fact.
Michelle fields home-inspection calls during the live show while the friends detour into vegan sausage, road-food mascots, Memphis barbecue spaghetti, and terrible hotels from their younger years. Henrique also acknowledges the worry he carried about a newly discovered growth on Chicano and thanks the people who made the weekend welcoming. The result is part horror-convention recap, part travel misadventure, and part celebration of unexpectedly good car news.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/a73f0151-3fb3-42e9-b828-7fb221858c44Wed, 13 Jul 2022 19:17:31 +0000Henrique CoutoMichelle is back, and Henrique Couto returns from the Joe Bob Briggs Jamboree in Memphis with two very different road-trip stories. Before the horror celebration, a worsening car noise and warning light had him expecting major brake or rotor work....The Jamboree itself was three days of drive-in movies, music, horror personalities, and Mutant-family energy. Henrique recalls landing in a mosh pit with Jonah Ray while Rock ’n’ Roll High School brought the Ramones to the screen; hearing The Lost Boys saxophonist Tim Cappello perform “I Still Believe” and a version of The Last Drive-In theme; and watching John Brennan’s band Bigfeet anchor loose, gleefully unrehearsed stage appearances. Tom Atkins, Danhausen, Dave Sheridan, and an increasingly unimpressed Elvis impersonator all enter the story.
The trip also brought a hotel nightmare. Henrique recounts arriving at a budget hotel that felt unsafe, finding damaged furniture, a dirty room, and a mousetrap, then deciding he did not want to spend four nights there. He relocated to the Hilton hosting the event and describes the extra expense, the relief of feeling secure, and the convenience of being on site. These are Henrique’s first-person impressions of that stay; the notes do not identify the property or treat suspected activity around it as verified fact.
Michelle fields home-inspection calls during the live show while the friends detour into vegan sausage, road-food mascots, Memphis barbecue spaghetti, and terrible hotels from their younger years. Henrique also acknowledges the worry he carried about a newly discovered growth on Chicano and thanks the people who made the weekend welcoming. The result is part horror-convention recap, part travel misadventure, and part celebration of unexpectedly good car news.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>3424true134fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/dark-80s-kids-movies-mio-in-the-land-of-faraway-more--56706571Then Henrique absolutely refuses to stop talking about Mio in the Land of Faraway (1987), the childhood fantasy he knew on VHS as The Land of Faraway. A lonely adopted boy reaches a magical kingdom, learns that he is the king’s long-lost son—and therefore might really be a prince—and sets out with his friend Jum-Jum to confront the knight Kato. Christian Bale plays Jum-Jum, while Christopher Lee gives Kato a genuinely frightening presence. Henrique revisits the flying spirit, white horse, invisible cloak, magic sword, stone hearts, and imprisoned children that made the movie unforgettable to him.
Michelle answers with One Magic Christmas, the Mary Steenburgen and Harry Dean Stanton holiday fantasy whose bank robbery, family tragedy, and North Pole journey left a powerful impression. The friends also roam through Home by Christmas with Linda Hamilton, The NeverEnding Story, The Monster Squad, WarGames, and Time Bandits, exploring why melancholy, danger, and odd imagery can make childhood viewing memories stick for decades.
As if the movies were not chaotic enough, Gigs attacks Michelle’s keyboard during the live stream, knocking out her audio and briefly taking over the broadcast. Henrique turns the technical failure into play-by-play while the chat declares the cat ready for a starring role. Later detours reach the antiwar holiday slasher Uncle Sam, Return of the Living Dead, and Maximum Overdrive, but the heart of the episode remains a funny, affectionate trip through the unsettling kids movies that helped shape the hosts.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/c5f8917d-85ba-47c4-953d-36a835e1e598Wed, 29 Jun 2022 19:39:45 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto and Michelle look back at kids movies that were darker, stranger, and more willing to endanger young characters than much of today’s family entertainment. Henrique starts with Cloak & Dagger (1984), in which a boy’s imaginary...Then Henrique absolutely refuses to stop talking about Mio in the Land of Faraway (1987), the childhood fantasy he knew on VHS as The Land of Faraway. A lonely adopted boy reaches a magical kingdom, learns that he is the king’s long-lost son—and therefore might really be a prince—and sets out with his friend Jum-Jum to confront the knight Kato. Christian Bale plays Jum-Jum, while Christopher Lee gives Kato a genuinely frightening presence. Henrique revisits the flying spirit, white horse, invisible cloak, magic sword, stone hearts, and imprisoned children that made the movie unforgettable to him.
Michelle answers with One Magic Christmas, the Mary Steenburgen and Harry Dean Stanton holiday fantasy whose bank robbery, family tragedy, and North Pole journey left a powerful impression. The friends also roam through Home by Christmas with Linda Hamilton, The NeverEnding Story, The Monster Squad, WarGames, and Time Bandits, exploring why melancholy, danger, and odd imagery can make childhood viewing memories stick for decades.
As if the movies were not chaotic enough, Gigs attacks Michelle’s keyboard during the live stream, knocking out her audio and briefly taking over the broadcast. Henrique turns the technical failure into play-by-play while the chat declares the cat ready for a starring role. Later detours reach the antiwar holiday slasher Uncle Sam, Return of the Living Dead, and Maximum Overdrive, but the heart of the episode remains a funny, affectionate trip through the unsettling kids movies that helped shape the hosts.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>3763true133fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/heat-seo-scammers-fake-scarcity-sales-tactics--56706573The main business detour concerns bold SEO scammers and sales calls. Michelle describes callers who claimed a connection to Google, promised first-page placement, and insisted that an opening had to be filled that day. She makes one caller explain the pitch, while Henrique connects it to countdown timers and other fake scarcity sales tactics. Their skepticism is presented as their experience with unsolicited marketing, not as a verified judgment about every SEO service.
Michelle also recounts paying for an Angi lead that turned out to be someone seeking a stucco contractor rather than a home inspector. The friends briefly anticipate seeing The Black Phone and discuss how hard Michelle has been working on her website. Because the native transcript ends in the middle of their stucco conversation, these notes cover only the material actually captured and make no inference about the missing remainder.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/628243e2-7a34-402d-a35a-fadbf86c1f04Wed, 22 Jun 2022 19:54:15 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto and Michelle try to beat the heat with cold drinks, air conditioning, and a decisive rematch in the great water-bottle rivalry: after measuring hers by hand, Michelle discovers that both bottles hold forty ounces. The friends compare a...The main business detour concerns bold SEO scammers and sales calls. Michelle describes callers who claimed a connection to Google, promised first-page placement, and insisted that an opening had to be filled that day. She makes one caller explain the pitch, while Henrique connects it to countdown timers and other fake scarcity sales tactics. Their skepticism is presented as their experience with unsolicited marketing, not as a verified judgment about every SEO service.
Michelle also recounts paying for an Angi lead that turned out to be someone seeking a stucco contractor rather than a home inspector. The friends briefly anticipate seeing The Black Phone and discuss how hard Michelle has been working on her website. Because the native transcript ends in the middle of their stucco conversation, these notes cover only the material actually captured and make no inference about the missing remainder.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>981true132fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/stranger-things-season-4-nightmare-on-elm-street-an-ohio-heatwave--56706584The main pop-culture discussion turns to Stranger Things Season 4, Part 1. Michelle explains why its dreamlike killings initially felt a little too close to A Nightmare on Elm Street, then shares how the season won her over as the Hawkins and California storylines developed. The hosts talk about Eleven, Dustin and Steve, the challenge of splitting the ensemble across locations, and why the third episode was the point when the new season began to click for them.
That horror connection leads Henrique and Michelle back to their own Nightmare on Elm Street marathon. During Michelle’s recovery from shoulder surgery, Henrique arrived with the complete movie set, introduced her to Freddy Krueger and turned A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 into part of an unexpectedly comforting two-day watch session. They also remember Dawn of the Dead, George A. Romero’s Pennsylvania legacy and the strange reality of showing a student the less glamorous office side of independent filmmaking.
The conversation closes with Michelle’s home-inspection business, Philadelphia licensing delays and the mysteries of search-engine optimization. They unpack useful keywords, old-school keyword stuffing and why good SEO has to read naturally, before drifting into Judge Dredd, movie impressions and an unlikely Limp Bizkit performance. It is an especially lively installment built around friendship, horror fandom, small-business frustration and keeping cool.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/c1b48a2b-5d61-46e0-b660-b40d0e11cf48Wed, 15 Jun 2022 19:48:59 +0000Henrique CoutoMichelle and Henrique face an Ohio Heatwave by debating whose water bottle is bigger, then comparing central air, window units, electric fans and plenty of ice water. They compare the very different ways their homes hold heat, describe pets clustering...The main pop-culture discussion turns to Stranger Things Season 4, Part 1. Michelle explains why its dreamlike killings initially felt a little too close to A Nightmare on Elm Street, then shares how the season won her over as the Hawkins and California storylines developed. The hosts talk about Eleven, Dustin and Steve, the challenge of splitting the ensemble across locations, and why the third episode was the point when the new season began to click for them.
That horror connection leads Henrique and Michelle back to their own Nightmare on Elm Street marathon. During Michelle’s recovery from shoulder surgery, Henrique arrived with the complete movie set, introduced her to Freddy Krueger and turned A Nightmare on Elm Street 4 into part of an unexpectedly comforting two-day watch session. They also remember Dawn of the Dead, George A. Romero’s Pennsylvania legacy and the strange reality of showing a student the less glamorous office side of independent filmmaking.
The conversation closes with Michelle’s home-inspection business, Philadelphia licensing delays and the mysteries of search-engine optimization. They unpack useful keywords, old-school keyword stuffing and why good SEO has to read naturally, before drifting into Judge Dredd, movie impressions and an unlikely Limp Bizkit performance. It is an especially lively installment built around friendship, horror fandom, small-business frustration and keeping cool.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>3398true131fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/slim-wallet-new-microphone-philadelphia-ecw-wrestling--56706590Then comes Henrique’s dramatic lifestyle change: a smaller Wallet and a stripped-down key ring. He asks Michelle to display her own everyday carry before explaining why he removed expired cards, spare keys and memberships that did not need to travel everywhere. The decluttering experiment expands into AAA cards, a battery-powered lawn mower, Michelle’s inspection insurance and the funny line between being prepared and carrying an entire filing cabinet in your pocket.
Henrique also introduces his new Electro-Voice RE20 microphone, a legendary broadcast model purchased through a carefully calculated no-interest payment plan. That opens another round of microphone collecting, audio quality and gear-acquisition jokes before the episode pivots toward Philadelphia history as the hosts know it: professional wrestling.
Michelle receives an energetic education in Extreme Championship Wrestling, better known as ECW, and Philadelphia’s reputation for hardcore wrestling. Henrique explains the city’s wrestling culture, the former ECW Arena and the appeal of performers crashing through tables, leaping from cages and turning dangerous-looking spectacle into a communal event. They watch a compilation, discuss Al Snow and related promotions, and leave Michelle with a vivid—if slightly alarming—portrait of her adopted city.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/ae20a0bd-5750-4fd0-a63d-d5bb2a5bfb64Wed, 08 Jun 2022 19:26:08 +0000Henrique CoutoMichelle and Henrique begin with freelance growing pains: Michelle has completed her first professional condo inspection but still needs reviews and qualified leads, while Henrique reflects on film work, collaboration and the value of making imperfect...Then comes Henrique’s dramatic lifestyle change: a smaller Wallet and a stripped-down key ring. He asks Michelle to display her own everyday carry before explaining why he removed expired cards, spare keys and memberships that did not need to travel everywhere. The decluttering experiment expands into AAA cards, a battery-powered lawn mower, Michelle’s inspection insurance and the funny line between being prepared and carrying an entire filing cabinet in your pocket.
Henrique also introduces his new Electro-Voice RE20 microphone, a legendary broadcast model purchased through a carefully calculated no-interest payment plan. That opens another round of microphone collecting, audio quality and gear-acquisition jokes before the episode pivots toward Philadelphia history as the hosts know it: professional wrestling.
Michelle receives an energetic education in Extreme Championship Wrestling, better known as ECW, and Philadelphia’s reputation for hardcore wrestling. Henrique explains the city’s wrestling culture, the former ECW Arena and the appeal of performers crashing through tables, leaping from cages and turning dangerous-looking spectacle into a communal event. They watch a compilation, discuss Al Snow and related promotions, and leave Michelle with a vivid—if slightly alarming—portrait of her adopted city.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>3221true130fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/england-british-banter-evs-american-infrastructure--56706588That live exchange turns Ep. 129 into a playful tour of England and the United States. Michelle and Henrique compare Pittsburgh’s bridges with London Bridge and the Channel Tunnel, joke about British cars and European Vacation, and explain why Henrique imagines arriving in England as a minor television celebrity after his family film A Bulldog for Christmas received UK television distribution. They also discuss public-access television franchise fees, infrastructure funding and the gap between paying taxes and seeing roads or bridges maintained.
Electric vehicles provide the next transatlantic comparison. Counselor of War describes home charging and quick acceleration, while Henrique explains the range and charging speed that would make an EV practical for his road trips. Michelle brings her home-inspection perspective to older American wiring, grounded outlets and the work required to install a higher-voltage charger. The conversation stays funny even as it touches on electrical safety, gasoline costs and the affordability of switching vehicles.
The final stretch moves through Henrique Couto’s Portuguese surname, friendly British teasing and a memorable Florida travel story involving an electric shock, an alligator and a narrowly avoided wedding. Michelle and Henrique compare Miami, West Palm Beach and the rest of Florida before closing a freewheeling discussion about British-American differences, friendship and the strange places a live chat can lead.
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]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/c8989ae1-1e8f-46f9-b75c-e84a850fe302Wed, 18 May 2022 19:53:20 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique is having an unexpectedly good day after weeks of house-buying anxiety, slow film-business paperwork and overdue distribution statements. He has finished his errands early, his office is finally clean and his latest microphone arm has...That live exchange turns Ep. 129 into a playful tour of England and the United States. Michelle and Henrique compare Pittsburgh’s bridges with London Bridge and the Channel Tunnel, joke about British cars and European Vacation, and explain why Henrique imagines arriving in England as a minor television celebrity after his family film A Bulldog for Christmas received UK television distribution. They also discuss public-access television franchise fees, infrastructure funding and the gap between paying taxes and seeing roads or bridges maintained.
Electric vehicles provide the next transatlantic comparison. Counselor of War describes home charging and quick acceleration, while Henrique explains the range and charging speed that would make an EV practical for his road trips. Michelle brings her home-inspection perspective to older American wiring, grounded outlets and the work required to install a higher-voltage charger. The conversation stays funny even as it touches on electrical safety, gasoline costs and the affordability of switching vehicles.
The final stretch moves through Henrique Couto’s Portuguese surname, friendly British teasing and a memorable Florida travel story involving an electric shock, an alligator and a narrowly avoided wedding. Michelle and Henrique compare Miami, West Palm Beach and the rest of Florida before closing a freewheeling discussion about British-American differences, friendship and the strange places a live chat can lead.
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]]>3784true129fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/film-set-safety-stories-doctor-strange-michelle-s-birthday--56706586The heart of the episode is an extended discussion of film-set safety. Henrique explains why he believes actors should never be expected to absorb avoidable injuries, how stunt performers assess risk and why even a small production needs clear responsibility for weapons, fire, heat and difficult locations. He recalls a documentary about Kane Hodder and a full-body burn that went wrong, then shares examples from his own low-budget sets involving rubber knives, controlled fire, cooling cloths, shade canopies and the all-important floppy hat.
Henrique also recalls getting heat stroke at nineteen and describes how the experience changed his approach as a director. Michelle challenges the ethics of risky stunts, leading both hosts to consider consent, financial pressure and the difference between a trained stunt professional and an ordinary cast or crew member. Their observations reflect personal experience and opinion, not professional medical, occupational-safety or stunt-coordination advice.
The conversation still makes room for movies and comedy. Henrique defends Jackass as a surprisingly creative, sentimental celebration of longtime friendship, then reviews Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness through the unmistakable horror style of director Sam Raimi. The hosts also touch on The Northman, The Green Knight and Everything Everywhere All at Once while debating long runtimes, fantasy fatigue and the difference between a bad movie and a movie that simply is not for you.
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]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/1bd86176-0f4d-46e2-afb4-400b07c7c8f4Wed, 11 May 2022 20:10:31 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in May 2022, Henrique Couto and Michelle compare a sudden burst of Ohio heat with the stubbornly cool weather near Philadelphia. The everyday weather check-in opens into a candid conversation about burnout, taking time off and the practical...The heart of the episode is an extended discussion of film-set safety. Henrique explains why he believes actors should never be expected to absorb avoidable injuries, how stunt performers assess risk and why even a small production needs clear responsibility for weapons, fire, heat and difficult locations. He recalls a documentary about Kane Hodder and a full-body burn that went wrong, then shares examples from his own low-budget sets involving rubber knives, controlled fire, cooling cloths, shade canopies and the all-important floppy hat.
Henrique also recalls getting heat stroke at nineteen and describes how the experience changed his approach as a director. Michelle challenges the ethics of risky stunts, leading both hosts to consider consent, financial pressure and the difference between a trained stunt professional and an ordinary cast or crew member. Their observations reflect personal experience and opinion, not professional medical, occupational-safety or stunt-coordination advice.
The conversation still makes room for movies and comedy. Henrique defends Jackass as a surprisingly creative, sentimental celebration of longtime friendship, then reviews Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness through the unmistakable horror style of director Sam Raimi. The hosts also touch on The Northman, The Green Knight and Everything Everywhere All at Once while debating long runtimes, fantasy fatigue and the difference between a bad movie and a movie that simply is not for you.
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]]>3804true128fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/one-sided-friendships-ghosting-the-hidden-costs-of-show-business--56706592The central question is what counts as a one-sided friendship. Henrique describes being accused of ghosting someone even though he had sent the last message and had simply stopped initiating every new conversation. He and Michelle talk about reciprocity, slow replies, emotional labor and the demoralizing discovery that a relationship disappears the moment one person stops doing all the work. Their disagreement is revealing: Henrique wants clearer mutual effort, while Michelle remembers being burned when she tried too hard and learned to pull back.
From there, the hosts explore the hidden frustrations of show business. Henrique uses an old circus joke to explain why even exhausting, unglamorous work can be difficult to leave, then discusses the power imbalance between directors and movie stars. Alfred Hitchcock, actors’ backstories and the pressure to keep a production moving lead to a broader conversation about control, creative collaboration and why playing make-believe for a living is rarely as carefree as it sounds.
The episode also detours through Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker and televangelism scandals; the tax complications of buying a family home; and the difficulty of turning enormous charitable promises into workable programs. These are personal reactions rather than professional financial or legal advice. Henrique closes with a recommendation for Nicolas Cage’s The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, while Michelle brings the Ice Age setting of the manga Fire Punch into one final, characteristically awkward exchange.
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]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/137c522f-3ff9-45b6-89d5-0436ee976debWed, 27 Apr 2022 19:17:49 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in April 2022, Henrique Couto and Michelle begin with the anxious wait for a beloved pet to come home from a veterinary dental procedure. Michelle’s cat Gigs is under anesthesia, which prompts the friends to compare how their cats and dogs...The central question is what counts as a one-sided friendship. Henrique describes being accused of ghosting someone even though he had sent the last message and had simply stopped initiating every new conversation. He and Michelle talk about reciprocity, slow replies, emotional labor and the demoralizing discovery that a relationship disappears the moment one person stops doing all the work. Their disagreement is revealing: Henrique wants clearer mutual effort, while Michelle remembers being burned when she tried too hard and learned to pull back.
From there, the hosts explore the hidden frustrations of show business. Henrique uses an old circus joke to explain why even exhausting, unglamorous work can be difficult to leave, then discusses the power imbalance between directors and movie stars. Alfred Hitchcock, actors’ backstories and the pressure to keep a production moving lead to a broader conversation about control, creative collaboration and why playing make-believe for a living is rarely as carefree as it sounds.
The episode also detours through Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker and televangelism scandals; the tax complications of buying a family home; and the difficulty of turning enormous charitable promises into workable programs. These are personal reactions rather than professional financial or legal advice. Henrique closes with a recommendation for Nicolas Cage’s The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, while Michelle brings the Ice Age setting of the manga Fire Punch into one final, characteristically awkward exchange.
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]]>3083true127fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/two-layoffs-starting-a-home-inspection-business-going-self-employed--56706593Michelle explains why she plans to revive Our Best Home Inspections and work independently. She has already trained as a home inspector and built a website, but needs to restore business infrastructure and reconnect with service partners before seeking clients. The hosts discuss insurance, business cards, networking at open houses and the appeal of setting your own schedule. Their conversation is personal experience, not business, insurance or licensing advice, and it reflects what they understood at the time of recording.
Henrique connects Michelle’s transition with his own firing nearly eight years earlier. What starts as a debate over the difference between being fired and being laid off becomes an account of what Henrique describes as workplace retaliation, precarious part-time status, burnout and the terror of suddenly losing income. Listener stories widen the discussion to jobs that consume family time and to the imperfect freedom of self-employment: you may control your day, but taxes, paperwork and insurance still interrupt the fun.
Before the career conversation, Henrique enthusiastically explains Project Zomboid, the survival simulation whose players keep inventing new challenges long after release. He describes characters managing food, shelter, mood, carpentry and vehicle repair while creators turn the zombie apocalypse into experiments such as building a house from scratch. That playful obsession balances the heavier news and preserves the episode’s supportive spirit: losing two jobs hurts, but Michelle has a plan, practical skills and a friend loudly insisting she can make it work.
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]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/7de90f19-2e77-4a4c-a8ef-f2514280747fWed, 20 Apr 2022 19:53:53 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in April 2022, Michelle shares a brutal one-two career shock: her primary employer is eliminating her region, while a second company no longer has enough home-inspection work to bring her on. These are business layoffs rather than performance...Michelle explains why she plans to revive Our Best Home Inspections and work independently. She has already trained as a home inspector and built a website, but needs to restore business infrastructure and reconnect with service partners before seeking clients. The hosts discuss insurance, business cards, networking at open houses and the appeal of setting your own schedule. Their conversation is personal experience, not business, insurance or licensing advice, and it reflects what they understood at the time of recording.
Henrique connects Michelle’s transition with his own firing nearly eight years earlier. What starts as a debate over the difference between being fired and being laid off becomes an account of what Henrique describes as workplace retaliation, precarious part-time status, burnout and the terror of suddenly losing income. Listener stories widen the discussion to jobs that consume family time and to the imperfect freedom of self-employment: you may control your day, but taxes, paperwork and insurance still interrupt the fun.
Before the career conversation, Henrique enthusiastically explains Project Zomboid, the survival simulation whose players keep inventing new challenges long after release. He describes characters managing food, shelter, mood, carpentry and vehicle repair while creators turn the zombie apocalypse into experiments such as building a house from scratch. That playful obsession balances the heavier news and preserves the episode’s supportive spirit: losing two jobs hurts, but Michelle has a plan, practical skills and a friend loudly insisting she can make it work.
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]]>3838true126fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/career-change-home-inspection-everything-everywhere-all-at-once--56706601The hosts talk through the appeal and fear of working for yourself, the difference between passion and conventional career expectations and the practical value of controlling your own schedule. Henrique remembers crying after he lost his last traditional job and argues that responsibility can become empowering when no one else is coming to rescue you. Michelle pushes back against easy optimism, while Henrique points to her training, her home, her music and her webcomic as evidence that she already knows how to pursue difficult goals.
That leads to a candid conversation about self-worth, authenticity and being a good friend to yourself. Henrique rejects the idea that adulthood requires conformity and tells Michelle that maintaining her creativity and identity counts as success. The discussion includes anxiety, tears and fear of failure, but it also demonstrates the practical tenderness of their friendship: Henrique secretly arranges a grocery delivery after Michelle realizes she forgot cookies and tortillas, then voices support for her next step.
The episode opens with Henrique’s enthusiastic recommendation of Everything Everywhere All at Once. He praises its multiverse story, immigrant-family drama and unexpected defense of kindness, and describes a rock-universe sequence that reminds him of his friendship with Michelle. Other tangents include anime posters, haunted houses, Fire Punch, the Andes survival story dramatized in Alive and the idea of hosting classic cartoons. Together, those detours turn a stressful career announcement into a funny, encouraging conversation about change, creativity and choosing yourself.
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]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/26057fd7-052a-46a6-8558-974d1ca5d985Wed, 13 Apr 2022 19:40:41 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in April 2022, Henrique Couto and Michelle confront a major change in Michelle’s working life. Her employment is shifting, and the uncertainty could force her to rely more heavily on self-employment as a home inspector. Henrique sees an...The hosts talk through the appeal and fear of working for yourself, the difference between passion and conventional career expectations and the practical value of controlling your own schedule. Henrique remembers crying after he lost his last traditional job and argues that responsibility can become empowering when no one else is coming to rescue you. Michelle pushes back against easy optimism, while Henrique points to her training, her home, her music and her webcomic as evidence that she already knows how to pursue difficult goals.
That leads to a candid conversation about self-worth, authenticity and being a good friend to yourself. Henrique rejects the idea that adulthood requires conformity and tells Michelle that maintaining her creativity and identity counts as success. The discussion includes anxiety, tears and fear of failure, but it also demonstrates the practical tenderness of their friendship: Henrique secretly arranges a grocery delivery after Michelle realizes she forgot cookies and tortillas, then voices support for her next step.
The episode opens with Henrique’s enthusiastic recommendation of Everything Everywhere All at Once. He praises its multiverse story, immigrant-family drama and unexpected defense of kindness, and describes a rock-universe sequence that reminds him of his friendship with Michelle. Other tangents include anime posters, haunted houses, Fire Punch, the Andes survival story dramatized in Alive and the idea of hosting classic cartoons. Together, those detours turn a stressful career announcement into a funny, encouraging conversation about change, creativity and choosing yourself.
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]]>3997true125fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/dog-nail-clipping-mishap-a-serrano-pepper-in-the-eye--56706567Recorded in April 2022, Henrique recounts holding pressure on Henwolf’s paw, ordering supplies and fruit through a delivery service and staying beside her until the crisis passes. He also describes the strange aftermath: the dogs sleep peacefully while he scrubs the carpet and periodically discovers another missed spot. Listener stories about stepping on pets, clipped nails and a farm cat hiding in a car engine turn the frightening experience into a larger conversation about the guilt and fear that come with caring for animals.
Michelle answers with a painful kitchen story of her own. A plant labeled as a sweet Asian pepper turned out to produce Serrano peppers, and a dried flake found its way into her eye while she prepared dinner. She describes trying to feed Gigs and search for help while unable to keep the affected eye open. Henrique compares the incident with accidentally touching his eyelid after handling habaneros and with unpacking a shattered bottle of extremely hot pepper sauce.
These stories include improvised responses to animal bleeding and eye irritation, but the hosts are sharing personal experiences—not medical or veterinary instructions. Around them, the friends debate browser-tab overload, Henrique’s diet and where people physically feel hunger before ranking bell peppers, poblanos and New Jersey long hots. The original dog-paws-and-peppers idea survives intact, now with the specific mishaps that made both halves of the conversation memorable.
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]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/a7febed4-fdd6-4903-b9ce-f58035688b28Wed, 06 Apr 2022 19:24:20 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto tries to save a trip to the groomer by trimming Chicano and Henwolf’s nails at home—and turns an ordinary chore into a late-night panic. Chicano’s dark nails make the quick difficult to see, but his small nick stops bleeding. Henwolf...Recorded in April 2022, Henrique recounts holding pressure on Henwolf’s paw, ordering supplies and fruit through a delivery service and staying beside her until the crisis passes. He also describes the strange aftermath: the dogs sleep peacefully while he scrubs the carpet and periodically discovers another missed spot. Listener stories about stepping on pets, clipped nails and a farm cat hiding in a car engine turn the frightening experience into a larger conversation about the guilt and fear that come with caring for animals.
Michelle answers with a painful kitchen story of her own. A plant labeled as a sweet Asian pepper turned out to produce Serrano peppers, and a dried flake found its way into her eye while she prepared dinner. She describes trying to feed Gigs and search for help while unable to keep the affected eye open. Henrique compares the incident with accidentally touching his eyelid after handling habaneros and with unpacking a shattered bottle of extremely hot pepper sauce.
These stories include improvised responses to animal bleeding and eye irritation, but the hosts are sharing personal experiences—not medical or veterinary instructions. Around them, the friends debate browser-tab overload, Henrique’s diet and where people physically feel hunger before ranking bell peppers, poblanos and New Jersey long hots. The original dog-paws-and-peppers idea survives intact, now with the specific mishaps that made both halves of the conversation memorable.
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]]>2808true124fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/bruce-willis-r-l-stine-star-trek-an-accidental-politics-debate--56706568That defense of commercial work leads to potboilers, young-adult horror and R.L. Stine’s extraordinary publishing pace. Henrique recounts how Stine moved from comedy and Eureka’s Castle to Fear Street and Goosebumps, sometimes producing new books on punishing schedules. He and Michelle debate formulas, sparse character descriptions, ghostwriters and whether declining quality is evidence of deception—or simply what happens when a publisher keeps demanding more.
Then Star Trek turns the episode into the accidental politics discussion promised in the original notes. The hosts disagree over whether casting political figure Stacey Abrams in Star Trek: Discovery is reason enough to avoid the series, compare Picard with Deep Space Nine and argue about when allegory becomes preaching. A listener’s comment about socialism in Star Trek expands the debate into capitalism, anarchism, taxation, healthcare, scarcity and the replicator economy. These are personal opinions from a 2022 livestream, not medical, legal, financial or political guidance.
Around those subjects, the friends discuss diet changes, vegan and Mexican food, intermittent fasting, the McDLT, birds nesting in hair, retail jobs at Hot Topic and Spencer’s Gifts and how they first met through mutual friends on MySpace. Even Michelle’s iPad alert makes its cameo. The conversation is messy, lively and surprisingly civil: hosts and listeners disagree sharply, clarify their positions and keep talking about Star Trek, creative work and the kind of future they hope people can build.
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]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/1a296675-8e1d-45cf-bec9-2f475e3830e4Wed, 30 Mar 2022 20:25:07 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded on March 30, 2022, Henrique Couto and Michelle react to the announcement that Bruce Willis was stepping away from acting after an aphasia diagnosis. Henrique revisits the criticism surrounding Willis’s many direct-to-video roles and the...That defense of commercial work leads to potboilers, young-adult horror and R.L. Stine’s extraordinary publishing pace. Henrique recounts how Stine moved from comedy and Eureka’s Castle to Fear Street and Goosebumps, sometimes producing new books on punishing schedules. He and Michelle debate formulas, sparse character descriptions, ghostwriters and whether declining quality is evidence of deception—or simply what happens when a publisher keeps demanding more.
Then Star Trek turns the episode into the accidental politics discussion promised in the original notes. The hosts disagree over whether casting political figure Stacey Abrams in Star Trek: Discovery is reason enough to avoid the series, compare Picard with Deep Space Nine and argue about when allegory becomes preaching. A listener’s comment about socialism in Star Trek expands the debate into capitalism, anarchism, taxation, healthcare, scarcity and the replicator economy. These are personal opinions from a 2022 livestream, not medical, legal, financial or political guidance.
Around those subjects, the friends discuss diet changes, vegan and Mexican food, intermittent fasting, the McDLT, birds nesting in hair, retail jobs at Hot Topic and Spencer’s Gifts and how they first met through mutual friends on MySpace. Even Michelle’s iPad alert makes its cameo. The conversation is messy, lively and surprisingly civil: hosts and listeners disagree sharply, clarify their positions and keep talking about Star Trek, creative work and the kind of future they hope people can build.
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]]>5506true123fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/diet-sprite-guitars-musical-memory-sodas-and-instruments--56706630The episode then becomes an informal tour of microphones and musical instruments. Henrique demonstrates a vintage Sennheiser broadcast mic, explains why some voice microphones also work well on drums and compares owning several microphones with a guitarist keeping instruments for different sounds, tunings and jobs. Listeners join in with guitar collections and session-work stories, while Henrique and Michelle discuss acoustic guitars, bass, ukulele, violin, mandolin, harmonica, banjo and keyboards. Yes, Michelle is still “too good” to play bass.
Henrique also explores musical memory. A trip to a former rock quarry brings Fiona Apple’s “Red Red Red” back into his head even though he has not played it in years, reminding him how quickly he learned orchestra pieces by ear. The hosts learn the word audiation for hearing music internally, compare songs that return without warning and discover that both can voluntarily tense an inner-ear muscle to create a low rumbling sound.
Around those themes are new glasses, browser problems, wind chimes, the dogs on camera and stories about learning instruments without chasing technical perfection. The hosts’ casual health and diet remarks are personal opinions from the recording, not medical guidance. What begins with a missing soft drink becomes a warm conversation about sound: how beverages and music acquire memories, why the right tool can make creativity more inviting and how even silly regional nicknames for mixed fountain drinks can carry a history.
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]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/cb5a3440-2ef1-407f-8268-a993916dcba5Wed, 16 Mar 2022 19:51:24 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in March 2022, Henrique Couto celebrates an unlikely grocery-store victory: after weeks without seeing Diet Sprite, he finally finds Sprite Zero in stock. That small discovery starts a wide-ranging soda conversation about pandemic-era supply...The episode then becomes an informal tour of microphones and musical instruments. Henrique demonstrates a vintage Sennheiser broadcast mic, explains why some voice microphones also work well on drums and compares owning several microphones with a guitarist keeping instruments for different sounds, tunings and jobs. Listeners join in with guitar collections and session-work stories, while Henrique and Michelle discuss acoustic guitars, bass, ukulele, violin, mandolin, harmonica, banjo and keyboards. Yes, Michelle is still “too good” to play bass.
Henrique also explores musical memory. A trip to a former rock quarry brings Fiona Apple’s “Red Red Red” back into his head even though he has not played it in years, reminding him how quickly he learned orchestra pieces by ear. The hosts learn the word audiation for hearing music internally, compare songs that return without warning and discover that both can voluntarily tense an inner-ear muscle to create a low rumbling sound.
Around those themes are new glasses, browser problems, wind chimes, the dogs on camera and stories about learning instruments without chasing technical perfection. The hosts’ casual health and diet remarks are personal opinions from the recording, not medical guidance. What begins with a missing soft drink becomes a warm conversation about sound: how beverages and music acquire memories, why the right tool can make creativity more inviting and how even silly regional nicknames for mixed fountain drinks can carry a history.
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]]>3723true122fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/finishing-creative-projects-filmmaking-albums-breaking-through-burnout--56706570The hosts compare their processes for declaring a project finished. Michelle recalls rerecording much of Sidewalks after an early version did not feel right, then explains why she checks mixes on different speakers and listens for problems rather than perfection. Henrique remembers panicking over the sound of his album Uke or Consequences before discovering that a loose iPod cable was playing only one channel. Together they discuss time management, deadline fatigue and the point where another revision stops helping.
A listener’s unfinished movie opens an extended conversation about independent filmmaking and found footage. Henrique argues that the format can turn limited gear and experience into part of the storytelling, comparing supposedly recovered video to novels framed as journals or diaries. The discussion ranges from Dracula and H. P. Lovecraft to Henrique’s own found-footage productions, while emphasizing the work required to complete even a deliberately rough-looking film.
Elsewhere, the pair revisit The Batman, Spider-Man: Homecoming and superhero stories with universe-sized stakes; celebrate the chemistry of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black; and coax a sick friend into attempting the movie’s rap on the livestream. Henrique closes with film-distribution history from Sam Sherman’s When Dracula Met Frankenstein, including stories about Al Adamson and distributor Jerry Gross.
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]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/87c793a4-dd9a-4a3a-a688-41351bdc5ba8Fri, 11 Mar 2022 20:32:20 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in March 2022, Henrique Couto and Michelle ask a deceptively simple question: what is the hardest thing you have ever had to finish? Henrique is closing out one long-term movie project while preparing to complete another, and he describes how...The hosts compare their processes for declaring a project finished. Michelle recalls rerecording much of Sidewalks after an early version did not feel right, then explains why she checks mixes on different speakers and listens for problems rather than perfection. Henrique remembers panicking over the sound of his album Uke or Consequences before discovering that a loose iPod cable was playing only one channel. Together they discuss time management, deadline fatigue and the point where another revision stops helping.
A listener’s unfinished movie opens an extended conversation about independent filmmaking and found footage. Henrique argues that the format can turn limited gear and experience into part of the storytelling, comparing supposedly recovered video to novels framed as journals or diaries. The discussion ranges from Dracula and H. P. Lovecraft to Henrique’s own found-footage productions, while emphasizing the work required to complete even a deliberately rough-looking film.
Elsewhere, the pair revisit The Batman, Spider-Man: Homecoming and superhero stories with universe-sized stakes; celebrate the chemistry of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black; and coax a sick friend into attempting the movie’s rap on the livestream. Henrique closes with film-distribution history from Sam Sherman’s When Dracula Met Frankenstein, including stories about Al Adamson and distributor Jerry Gross.
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]]>3719true121fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/blue-suede-moccasins-sandwich-debates-what-makes-a-pizza--56706632The poster story has everything a collector fears and loves. Henrique describes making a low offer online, discovering that the Italian double sheet was far larger than expected and then spending more on a custom frame than on the poster itself. Along the way, he explains why original movie posters should not be permanently mounted and recalls other favorites from Tourist Trap, Hard to Die, Not of This Earth, Chopping Mall and Scanner Cop.
Then the original notes’ sandwich mystery takes over. Is bread between bread still a sandwich? Does a hot dog count? What about a cheesesteak, calzone, open-faced pizza, cereal, oatmeal or ice cream? The hosts and livestream audience test each definition until Michelle again refuses to reveal what she thinks a pizza actually is. A food thermos filled with miso soup and macaroni, the infamous “fork sandwich” salad and favorite food aromas all join the increasingly hungry debate.
The conversation eventually reaches horror-comedy territory through Motel Hell, cannibal movies and the famous Farmer Vincent’s fritters. Henrique also recommends the music of Ray Mattis, whose credits include Ouija Room, Girl in the Crawlspace and Scarecrow County. The hour closes with food smells, garlic, Earl Grey tea and a characteristically awkward disagreement about whether cannibalism is ever acceptable.
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]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/2bc44ee2-10a9-4c53-ae4a-3f3396c53c85Wed, 02 Mar 2022 20:36:26 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in March 2022, Henrique Couto arrives with what he realizes are literal blue suede shoes: a new pair of turquoise suede moccasins. That small purchase sends Henrique and Michelle into a cheerful tour of collecting, fandom and the objects that...The poster story has everything a collector fears and loves. Henrique describes making a low offer online, discovering that the Italian double sheet was far larger than expected and then spending more on a custom frame than on the poster itself. Along the way, he explains why original movie posters should not be permanently mounted and recalls other favorites from Tourist Trap, Hard to Die, Not of This Earth, Chopping Mall and Scanner Cop.
Then the original notes’ sandwich mystery takes over. Is bread between bread still a sandwich? Does a hot dog count? What about a cheesesteak, calzone, open-faced pizza, cereal, oatmeal or ice cream? The hosts and livestream audience test each definition until Michelle again refuses to reveal what she thinks a pizza actually is. A food thermos filled with miso soup and macaroni, the infamous “fork sandwich” salad and favorite food aromas all join the increasingly hungry debate.
The conversation eventually reaches horror-comedy territory through Motel Hell, cannibal movies and the famous Farmer Vincent’s fritters. Henrique also recommends the music of Ray Mattis, whose credits include Ouija Room, Girl in the Crawlspace and Scarecrow County. The hour closes with food smells, garlic, Earl Grey tea and a characteristically awkward disagreement about whether cannibalism is ever acceptable.
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]]>4185true120fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/what-is-pizza-new-york-chicago-detroit-the-great-topping-debate--56706577The hosts test the boundaries with BLT pizza, taco pizza, pierogi pizza, loaded-baked-potato pizza and a Japanese restaurant’s sushi pizza. A Kitchen Nightmares compilation adds an enormous greasy pie advertised as thin crust, raw dough and more examples for Henrique and Michelle to judge. They agree that even disappointing pizza can still be enjoyable, but price, execution and expectations matter when a restaurant asks customers to treat it as something special.
Then the debate turns regional. Henrique and Michelle compare New York and New Jersey slices with Chicago deep dish, Detroit-style squares and the thin, square-cut pizzas associated with Dayton and nearby Midwestern chains. They discuss fresh versus canned mushrooms, black olives, anchovies, extra sauce and well-done crust, plus the abundance of neighborhood pizzerias and diners on the East Coast. Michelle remains willing to eat nearly any pizza, yet still refuses to offer a final universal definition.
The conversation closes with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze and its opening montage of New Yorkers eating pizza. Henrique remembers needing a pie whenever he watched the movie as a child, recalls Ernie Reyes Jr. as Keno and notes wrestler Kevin Nash’s turn as Super Shredder. It is a nostalgic finish to an hour spent asking whether pizza is a set recipe, a regional tradition or simply something you recognize when you see it.
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]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/9a4d803e-6bc4-419f-ad01-9a2e2419caa5Wed, 23 Feb 2022 20:26:15 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in February 2022, Henrique Couto says he is finally beginning to feel like himself again after being ill, then celebrates by recounting a run of movie-theater visits. His capsule reactions cover Jackass Forever, Moonfall, Licorice Pizza,...The hosts test the boundaries with BLT pizza, taco pizza, pierogi pizza, loaded-baked-potato pizza and a Japanese restaurant’s sushi pizza. A Kitchen Nightmares compilation adds an enormous greasy pie advertised as thin crust, raw dough and more examples for Henrique and Michelle to judge. They agree that even disappointing pizza can still be enjoyable, but price, execution and expectations matter when a restaurant asks customers to treat it as something special.
Then the debate turns regional. Henrique and Michelle compare New York and New Jersey slices with Chicago deep dish, Detroit-style squares and the thin, square-cut pizzas associated with Dayton and nearby Midwestern chains. They discuss fresh versus canned mushrooms, black olives, anchovies, extra sauce and well-done crust, plus the abundance of neighborhood pizzerias and diners on the East Coast. Michelle remains willing to eat nearly any pizza, yet still refuses to offer a final universal definition.
The conversation closes with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze and its opening montage of New Yorkers eating pizza. Henrique remembers needing a pie whenever he watched the movie as a child, recalls Ernie Reyes Jr. as Keno and notes wrestler Kevin Nash’s turn as Super Shredder. It is a nostalgic finish to an hour spent asking whether pizza is a set recipe, a regional tradition or simply something you recognize when you see it.
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]]>4097true119fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/covid-19-recovery-a-northern-michigan-snowmobile-trip-jackass-forever--56706585Before getting sick, Henrique had driven to northern Michigan for a writing retreat. He describes buying groceries away from the storm, then white-knuckling the long trip back to Dayton through ice, snow and poor visibility. The trip’s highlight was riding a Ski-Doo on Houghton Lake, a huge frozen expanse where he reached high speeds, stopped near shore for lunch and saw the Christmas trees local riders used to mark old ice-fishing holes.
Henrique also recalls walking on nearby Higgins Lake and how dramatically the scenery and temperature changed away from shore. The wide-open ice felt like a desert, while snowmobile access made restaurants and shops along Houghton Lake part of the day’s route. The story is presented as a 2022 travel memory—not frozen-lake or vehicle-safety advice—and Michelle’s fear of cold water offers an appropriately cautious counterpoint to his enthusiasm.
The conversation turns to Jackass Forever as Henrique prepares to return to a movie theater. He explains why he sees Jackass as creative stunt comedy with roots in carnival geek shows, praising Johnny Knoxville’s cannon-shot angel pose and Steve-O’s modern versions of old sideshow acts. Michelle remains unconvinced because watching real injuries makes her squeamish. Moonfall, Licorice Pizza and the Tom Green Show round out a short comeback episode about recovery, risk and the things each host considers fun.
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]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/0e0b74f3-ccad-46f5-8e1e-7df12ec42bb1Wed, 16 Feb 2022 19:42:49 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in February 2022 after a nearly three-week break, Henrique Couto recounts a second bout of COVID-19 and the slow return of his voice. He compares it with his much harder illness the year before, explains why a sore throat and congestion...Before getting sick, Henrique had driven to northern Michigan for a writing retreat. He describes buying groceries away from the storm, then white-knuckling the long trip back to Dayton through ice, snow and poor visibility. The trip’s highlight was riding a Ski-Doo on Houghton Lake, a huge frozen expanse where he reached high speeds, stopped near shore for lunch and saw the Christmas trees local riders used to mark old ice-fishing holes.
Henrique also recalls walking on nearby Higgins Lake and how dramatically the scenery and temperature changed away from shore. The wide-open ice felt like a desert, while snowmobile access made restaurants and shops along Houghton Lake part of the day’s route. The story is presented as a 2022 travel memory—not frozen-lake or vehicle-safety advice—and Michelle’s fear of cold water offers an appropriately cautious counterpoint to his enthusiasm.
The conversation turns to Jackass Forever as Henrique prepares to return to a movie theater. He explains why he sees Jackass as creative stunt comedy with roots in carnival geek shows, praising Johnny Knoxville’s cannon-shot angel pose and Steve-O’s modern versions of old sideshow acts. Michelle remains unconvinced because watching real injuries makes her squeamish. Moonfall, Licorice Pizza and the Tom Green Show round out a short comeback episode about recovery, risk and the things each host considers fun.
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]]>2656true118fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/michigan-writing-retreat-snowmobile-plans-dream-travel-destinations--56706598Preparing for a seven-day solo stay becomes its own project. Henrique inventories eggs, bread, tortillas, cheese, canned soup, bacon, pancake mix, maple syrup, soda and emergency caffeine while Michelle questions nearly every choice. Their planning session moves from pancakes and French toast to grilled cheese, quesadillas, breakfast burritos and the practical challenge of feeding yourself when every meal has to be anticipated in advance.
The food discussion expands into childhood cooking and comfort meals. Henrique recalls learning boxed macaroni and cheese, ramen, guacamole and hot sauce; Michelle remembers helping her mother cook; and both compare vegetarian chili, meat substitutes, V8 as a soup base and the creativity of transforming leftover pasta sauce into chili. Pieces of April, Primordial and Speed enter the conversation through stories about Thanksgiving cooking, deliberately bleak shelf-stable meals and movie scores.
Michelle jokes that she is not going anywhere and expects to keep working on the post-apocalyptic webcomic Stray Cats. The hosts also consider what a truly restorative trip might look like, whether a remote retreat can still count as work and how leaving Chicano and Henwolf behind complicates Henrique’s excitement. The result is an episode about dream destinations, creative solitude, cabin meal planning and all the small decisions that make leaving home feel real.
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]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/552d5275-76c2-41d8-ac23-6debcfe55205Wed, 26 Jan 2022 20:41:22 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in January 2022, Henrique Couto asks listeners where they hope to go after two years of limited travel. His own answer is northern Michigan, where he plans to spend five days writing in a secluded house followed by two days off. The...Preparing for a seven-day solo stay becomes its own project. Henrique inventories eggs, bread, tortillas, cheese, canned soup, bacon, pancake mix, maple syrup, soda and emergency caffeine while Michelle questions nearly every choice. Their planning session moves from pancakes and French toast to grilled cheese, quesadillas, breakfast burritos and the practical challenge of feeding yourself when every meal has to be anticipated in advance.
The food discussion expands into childhood cooking and comfort meals. Henrique recalls learning boxed macaroni and cheese, ramen, guacamole and hot sauce; Michelle remembers helping her mother cook; and both compare vegetarian chili, meat substitutes, V8 as a soup base and the creativity of transforming leftover pasta sauce into chili. Pieces of April, Primordial and Speed enter the conversation through stories about Thanksgiving cooking, deliberately bleak shelf-stable meals and movie scores.
Michelle jokes that she is not going anywhere and expects to keep working on the post-apocalyptic webcomic Stray Cats. The hosts also consider what a truly restorative trip might look like, whether a remote retreat can still count as work and how leaving Chicano and Henwolf behind complicates Henrique’s excitement. The result is an episode about dream destinations, creative solitude, cabin meal planning and all the small decisions that make leaving home feel real.
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]]>3784true117fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/chicken-and-dumplings-kay-s-cooking-reactions-snow-day-comfort-food--56706605Snow-day entertainment includes Until Dawn, the interactive horror game in which player decisions determine who survives. Henrique explains the quick-time controls, the challenge of holding the controller still and the deaths already caused during a new playthrough, while noting co-writer Larry Fessenden’s independent-horror background. The hosts also celebrate stovetop popcorn, Jiffy Pop and Henrique’s use of Flavacol to recreate a movie-theater flavor at home.
Then Henrique and Michelle watch Kay’s Cooking videos featuring spaghetti, lasagna, Mexican-inspired food and two attempts at egg fried rice. Their reactions move between concern, curiosity and Michelle’s reluctance to judge a meal she cannot taste. The discussion examines presentation, technique and the strange intimacy of watching someone learn publicly, without treating the hosts’ improvised observations as cooking or food-safety advice.
A longtime listener’s arrival shifts the final stretch into podcast nostalgia. Henrique recalls The Freak Forum, The Hen House, Ustream broadcasts, Skype callers, music-and-comedy formats and the old Podsafe Music Network. Memories of a pumpkin-themed horror story and the recurring “political bear” sketch reveal how much of his present audio work grew from those early experiments. What begins as chicken and dumplings becomes a two-hour conversation about family recipes, online creativity and the communities that form around live shows.
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]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/4c22d8b3-1308-4d0b-900a-e26c67722ebfWed, 19 Jan 2022 22:17:39 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in January 2022 after an Ohio snowstorm, Henrique Couto turns a chosen snow day into an excuse for comfort food. He walks Chicano and Henwolf, makes grilled cheese and revisits the chicken-and-dumplings recipe associated with his late aunt...Snow-day entertainment includes Until Dawn, the interactive horror game in which player decisions determine who survives. Henrique explains the quick-time controls, the challenge of holding the controller still and the deaths already caused during a new playthrough, while noting co-writer Larry Fessenden’s independent-horror background. The hosts also celebrate stovetop popcorn, Jiffy Pop and Henrique’s use of Flavacol to recreate a movie-theater flavor at home.
Then Henrique and Michelle watch Kay’s Cooking videos featuring spaghetti, lasagna, Mexican-inspired food and two attempts at egg fried rice. Their reactions move between concern, curiosity and Michelle’s reluctance to judge a meal she cannot taste. The discussion examines presentation, technique and the strange intimacy of watching someone learn publicly, without treating the hosts’ improvised observations as cooking or food-safety advice.
A longtime listener’s arrival shifts the final stretch into podcast nostalgia. Henrique recalls The Freak Forum, The Hen House, Ustream broadcasts, Skype callers, music-and-comedy formats and the old Podsafe Music Network. Memories of a pumpkin-themed horror story and the recurring “political bear” sketch reveal how much of his present audio work grew from those early experiments. What begins as chicken and dumplings becomes a two-hour conversation about family recipes, online creativity and the communities that form around live shows.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>7315true116fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/star-trek-the-next-generation-terminator-2-sad-paul-giamatti--56706579A bottle of Clearly Canadian opens a tour of nostalgic drinks and treats. Henrique investigates why the sparkling beverage disappeared from view, remembers TCBY frozen yogurt and talks with listeners about Royal Crown Cola, Diet Rite, maple candy and candy-cane hazards. His love of sour flavors leads to a vivid childhood story about eating so many Warheads that he damaged his tongue, while Michelle argues that tartness is simply a sad flavor.
Movies steer the conversation from the revenge-android oddity Steel and Lace to Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Henrique explains an extended scene involving the Terminator’s learning chip and why John Connor’s relationship with machines matters across the franchise. That becomes a bridge to Star Trek: The Next Generation, Data’s legal personhood, his daughter Lal and the way synthetic life stories ask audiences to reconsider consciousness and ownership.
The original notes’ comedy-Twitter rabbit hole takes over with TNG Season 8, a parody account built from imaginary episode summaries involving Picard, Worf, Riker, Geordi, Data and Barclay. Henrique then introduces Sad Paul Giamatti, whose fictional version of the actor documents meals, money trouble and low expectations with relentless melancholy. The playful feeds give the title its “Next Giamatti” joke and turn an episode about pets and candy into a celebration of deeply specific internet comedy.
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]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/b62c19d7-a40c-46b6-91c6-e32c4aa45e20Wed, 12 Jan 2022 21:08:24 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in January 2022, Henrique Couto and Michelle begin with an expensive but reassuring round of pet updates. Henwolf’s hard bump turns out to be an infected nodule, Chicano remains under observation after an earlier tumor, and Michelle discusses...A bottle of Clearly Canadian opens a tour of nostalgic drinks and treats. Henrique investigates why the sparkling beverage disappeared from view, remembers TCBY frozen yogurt and talks with listeners about Royal Crown Cola, Diet Rite, maple candy and candy-cane hazards. His love of sour flavors leads to a vivid childhood story about eating so many Warheads that he damaged his tongue, while Michelle argues that tartness is simply a sad flavor.
Movies steer the conversation from the revenge-android oddity Steel and Lace to Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Henrique explains an extended scene involving the Terminator’s learning chip and why John Connor’s relationship with machines matters across the franchise. That becomes a bridge to Star Trek: The Next Generation, Data’s legal personhood, his daughter Lal and the way synthetic life stories ask audiences to reconsider consciousness and ownership.
The original notes’ comedy-Twitter rabbit hole takes over with TNG Season 8, a parody account built from imaginary episode summaries involving Picard, Worf, Riker, Geordi, Data and Barclay. Henrique then introduces Sad Paul Giamatti, whose fictional version of the actor documents meals, money trouble and low expectations with relentless melancholy. The playful feeds give the title its “Next Giamatti” joke and turn an episode about pets and candy into a celebration of deeply specific internet comedy.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>4638true115fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/parasite-movie-review-troll-2-a-waifu-dating-sim-disaster--56706597The movie talk branches into Snowpiercer, Okja, Cobra Kai and the circular exchange between Japanese manga, anime and international film. Then Henrique discovers the Italian sword-and-sorcery Ator series with the audience before revisiting Troll 2, Claudio Fragasso’s famously strange story of vegetarian goblins turning people into plants. The hosts react to selected clips, including Grandpa Seth, the family’s poisoned meal and the immortal argument over hospitality.
During the livestream, the YouTube feed is briefly interrupted after the Troll 2 excerpts. Henrique interprets it as an automated copyright action and argues that their commentary should qualify as fair use; the episode does not independently establish which rights holder or system caused the interruption. That confusion preserves the original notes’ point that watching Troll 2 clips created platform trouble, while keeping a 2022 incident from becoming a current claim about YouTube or MGM.
The final act is a search for a “waifu simulator” that becomes an impromptu playthrough of Katawa Shoujo. Instead of quick dating choices, Henrique finds a long visual novel about Hisao, a teenager with a heart condition who transfers to Yamaku Academy for students with disabilities. He reads through the hospital backstory while Michelle chooses the library over an intrusive question about a classmate. The game’s disability language and the hosts’ improvised jokes can be insensitive; the segment is presented as a chaotic artifact of the livestream, not a medical or disability resource.
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]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/e864a1f4-4b71-42b9-9842-d8171145da3bThu, 06 Jan 2022 23:25:00 +0000Henrique CoutoSpoiler warning for Parasite: recorded in January 2022, Henrique Couto and Michelle finally compare reactions to Bong Joon Ho’s Academy Award-winning thriller. Michelle is struck by the humiliating “basement smell,” the flood and the working family...The movie talk branches into Snowpiercer, Okja, Cobra Kai and the circular exchange between Japanese manga, anime and international film. Then Henrique discovers the Italian sword-and-sorcery Ator series with the audience before revisiting Troll 2, Claudio Fragasso’s famously strange story of vegetarian goblins turning people into plants. The hosts react to selected clips, including Grandpa Seth, the family’s poisoned meal and the immortal argument over hospitality.
During the livestream, the YouTube feed is briefly interrupted after the Troll 2 excerpts. Henrique interprets it as an automated copyright action and argues that their commentary should qualify as fair use; the episode does not independently establish which rights holder or system caused the interruption. That confusion preserves the original notes’ point that watching Troll 2 clips created platform trouble, while keeping a 2022 incident from becoming a current claim about YouTube or MGM.
The final act is a search for a “waifu simulator” that becomes an impromptu playthrough of Katawa Shoujo. Instead of quick dating choices, Henrique finds a long visual novel about Hisao, a teenager with a heart condition who transfers to Yamaku Academy for students with disabilities. He reads through the hospital backstory while Michelle chooses the library over an intrusive question about a classmate. The game’s disability language and the hosts’ improvised jokes can be insensitive; the segment is presented as a chaotic artifact of the livestream, not a medical or disability resource.
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]]>6582true114fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/link-1986-fatman-a-holiday-year-end-catch-up--56706580The monkey talk begins with Link, the 1986 British horror film starring Elisabeth Shue and Terence Stamp. Henrique describes discovering its unusually polished killer-ape thriller setup, while Michelle explains why monkeys frighten her and reacts to the trailer. Their search expands to the orangutan performers behind Link and Clint Eastwood’s Every Which Way but Loose and Any Which Way You Can. Claims about animal treatment raised during their improvised research are not repeated here because the episode does not verify them.
Michelle also reports back on Fatman, the dark Christmas movie with Mel Gibson as Santa Claus and Walton Goggins as the hitman pursuing him. She likes the film’s world-building and the assassin’s affection for his hamster, although both hosts find the third act less compelling than the premise. Henrique adds a spoiler-light reaction to Spider-Man: No Way Home, praising its fan service, character work and readable action while separating his enthusiasm as a Spider-Man fan from his assessment of the film on its own.
Live-chat questions widen the conversation into Michelle’s music and webcomics, including At the End of Everything, as well as anime, streaming recommendations and the economics of independent horror distribution. Henrique discusses those platforms only from his experience at the time; no service availability or payment figure should be treated as current. A listener’s COVID-19 quarantine also prompts personal illness stories and viewing suggestions, not medical advice. It is a warm, wandering holiday hangout built around movies, pets, audience banter and considerably more monkey talk than year-end analysis.
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]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/4ce252ee-3e2f-4793-9708-a043ea832e05Wed, 29 Dec 2021 23:26:02 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded on December 29, 2021, this loose year-end episode keeps the original notes’ joke: Henrique Couto and Michelle announce a review of the year, then mostly avoid reviewing it. Instead, they compare Christmas celebrations, from Henrique’s...The monkey talk begins with Link, the 1986 British horror film starring Elisabeth Shue and Terence Stamp. Henrique describes discovering its unusually polished killer-ape thriller setup, while Michelle explains why monkeys frighten her and reacts to the trailer. Their search expands to the orangutan performers behind Link and Clint Eastwood’s Every Which Way but Loose and Any Which Way You Can. Claims about animal treatment raised during their improvised research are not repeated here because the episode does not verify them.
Michelle also reports back on Fatman, the dark Christmas movie with Mel Gibson as Santa Claus and Walton Goggins as the hitman pursuing him. She likes the film’s world-building and the assassin’s affection for his hamster, although both hosts find the third act less compelling than the premise. Henrique adds a spoiler-light reaction to Spider-Man: No Way Home, praising its fan service, character work and readable action while separating his enthusiasm as a Spider-Man fan from his assessment of the film on its own.
Live-chat questions widen the conversation into Michelle’s music and webcomics, including At the End of Everything, as well as anime, streaming recommendations and the economics of independent horror distribution. Henrique discusses those platforms only from his experience at the time; no service availability or payment figure should be treated as current. A listener’s COVID-19 quarantine also prompts personal illness stories and viewing suggestions, not medical advice. It is a warm, wandering holiday hangout built around movies, pets, audience banter and considerably more monkey talk than year-end analysis.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>4928true113fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/finding-the-christmas-spirit-fatman-holiday-traditions-hope--56706594That search opens into the episode’s heartfelt center: Henrique describes Christmas as a celebration of hope and an excuse to notice what is good before life moves on. After a difficult change in his own plans, he remembers that adults can build traditions around the friends, food, films and generosity that matter to them. Michelle may not share every part of his philosophy, but she recognizes its warmth. Their exchange turns the “true meaning of Christmas” premise into an honest conversation about making a holiday your own.
Movies and music provide the comic route back toward cheer. Henrique enthusiastically explains Fatman, the dark Christmas action comedy starring Mel Gibson as Santa Claus and Walton Goggins as the man hunting him, focusing on the film’s inventive world-building rather than promising current availability. The hosts compare favorite sad and old-fashioned Christmas songs, touch on Scrooged and other seasonal movies, and let the chat propose increasingly ridiculous solutions for Michelle’s holiday slump.
The original notes’ dog joke also gets a full payoff. Doggo cam follows Henwolf and a dreaming Chicano, while Henrique repeatedly argues that both dogs should accompany him to Michelle’s house. Michelle protects her cat Gigs’s peace and refuses. Beneath the bit is real affection for pets, chosen family and the people who show up. Technical glitches, a surprise package and one very dark Santa video keep the livestream loose, but the closing message stays kind: celebrate if you want, skip what does not fit and look for whatever hope the season can still hold.
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]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/6f1678ad-e984-4dcf-89dd-8f65d8ec8e72Wed, 22 Dec 2021 22:01:11 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded just before Christmas 2021, Henrique Couto and Michelle compare holiday-spirit levels while preparing for a celebration that may not look the way either expected. The catch-up moves through homemade cookies, a Christmas sweatshirt, eggnog...That search opens into the episode’s heartfelt center: Henrique describes Christmas as a celebration of hope and an excuse to notice what is good before life moves on. After a difficult change in his own plans, he remembers that adults can build traditions around the friends, food, films and generosity that matter to them. Michelle may not share every part of his philosophy, but she recognizes its warmth. Their exchange turns the “true meaning of Christmas” premise into an honest conversation about making a holiday your own.
Movies and music provide the comic route back toward cheer. Henrique enthusiastically explains Fatman, the dark Christmas action comedy starring Mel Gibson as Santa Claus and Walton Goggins as the man hunting him, focusing on the film’s inventive world-building rather than promising current availability. The hosts compare favorite sad and old-fashioned Christmas songs, touch on Scrooged and other seasonal movies, and let the chat propose increasingly ridiculous solutions for Michelle’s holiday slump.
The original notes’ dog joke also gets a full payoff. Doggo cam follows Henwolf and a dreaming Chicano, while Henrique repeatedly argues that both dogs should accompany him to Michelle’s house. Michelle protects her cat Gigs’s peace and refuses. Beneath the bit is real affection for pets, chosen family and the people who show up. Technical glitches, a surprise package and one very dark Santa video keep the livestream loose, but the closing message stays kind: celebrate if you want, skip what does not fit and look for whatever hope the season can still hold.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>4097true112fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/tiny-tim-roddy-piper-unconventional-christmas-cheer--56706575His first plan is a tour through Tiny Tim performances. They watch the singer move from sincere falsetto and ukulele standards such as “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” and “Livin’ in the Sunlight, Lovin’ in the Moonlight” to eccentric later appearances. Some material relies on stigmatizing illness-based shock humor and has aged badly, so the episode’s language is not reproduced here. The musical detour eventually reaches Roddy Piper’s wrestling-themed version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” along with Henrique’s warm memory of meeting his childhood hero.
The conversation then develops into a thoughtful discussion of outsider music and artistic influence. Wild Man Fischer and Daniel Johnston prompt questions about work created by people facing serious mental-health challenges, while Jad Fair and Mojo Nixon lead the hosts to compare inspiration with imitation. Henrique objects to performers copying another artist’s visible struggles as an aesthetic. He and Michelle trace how their own voices changed through filmmaking, live music and comics, including Michelle’s early magical-girl stories and Henrique’s move beyond horror comedy.
Holiday movies, dark seasonal stories and Chicano’s strategically timed naps keep the tone playful between those deeper subjects. Henrique offers increasingly elaborate movie and music suggestions; Michelle remains honest that she is doing the expected activities without quite feeling Christmas. The result preserves the original notes’ promise of fun songs and pro wrestling while adding the episode’s more surprising creative theme: artists may begin by echoing their heroes, but sustained work can reveal a voice of their own.
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]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/68c9f897-3afc-45e5-b414-487eb30289f7Thu, 16 Dec 2021 20:17:40 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in December 2021, Henrique Couto is finally feeling festive after wrapping gifts and preparing for a Christmas party, but Michelle is still waiting for the holiday mood to arrive. The livestream begins with last-minute presents, Henrique...His first plan is a tour through Tiny Tim performances. They watch the singer move from sincere falsetto and ukulele standards such as “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” and “Livin’ in the Sunlight, Lovin’ in the Moonlight” to eccentric later appearances. Some material relies on stigmatizing illness-based shock humor and has aged badly, so the episode’s language is not reproduced here. The musical detour eventually reaches Roddy Piper’s wrestling-themed version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” along with Henrique’s warm memory of meeting his childhood hero.
The conversation then develops into a thoughtful discussion of outsider music and artistic influence. Wild Man Fischer and Daniel Johnston prompt questions about work created by people facing serious mental-health challenges, while Jad Fair and Mojo Nixon lead the hosts to compare inspiration with imitation. Henrique objects to performers copying another artist’s visible struggles as an aesthetic. He and Michelle trace how their own voices changed through filmmaking, live music and comics, including Michelle’s early magical-girl stories and Henrique’s move beyond horror comedy.
Holiday movies, dark seasonal stories and Chicano’s strategically timed naps keep the tone playful between those deeper subjects. Henrique offers increasingly elaborate movie and music suggestions; Michelle remains honest that she is doing the expected activities without quite feeling Christmas. The result preserves the original notes’ promise of fun songs and pro wrestling while adding the episode’s more surprising creative theme: artists may begin by echoing their heroes, but sustained work can reveal a voice of their own.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>4212true111fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-dog-cancer-scare-hanukkah-stress-dream-stories--56706615The story is as much about loving a rescue dog as it is about treatment decisions. Henrique recalls fearful reactions that he interprets as signs of Chicano’s past mistreatment, along with the dog’s growing trust and determination to befriend visitors anyway. A live doggo cam shows Chicano sleeping on his favorite couch while Henrique processes the exhaustion of waiting through the appointment. The details preserve the original notes’ reassuring tone without repeating private costs, fundraising totals or clinical percentages that could be mistaken for general guidance.
From there, Henrique and Michelle compare unusually vivid stress dreams. Their examples include an unwanted tattoo performed by a dentist, an inexplicably angry parent, forgotten items after a long drive, endless falling or bouncing, trying to run without speed, fighting a pillow and being unable to keep one’s eyes open. They distinguish ordinary nightmares from sleepwalking and sleep paralysis through personal experience only; joking references to disability and mental health are not treated as diagnoses.
The final stretch turns to Jewish identity and the end of Hanukkah. Henrique asks how the noun “Jew” and the adjective “Jewish” can sound in different contexts, while Michelle offers her own perspective rather than a universal rule. They also touch on candles, latkes and the holiday’s final night before Gigs tries to eat wallpaper. Some jokes and terminology are dated or insensitive, but the grounded through-line is friendship: one host worried about his dog, both hosts trading anxiety stories and Michelle supplying personal context where Henrique’s questions outrun his knowledge.
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]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/74a84852-1d19-427e-97cd-b128b0dce1a6Mon, 13 Dec 2021 09:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in December 2021, Henrique Couto opens with the update listeners awaited: Chicano had visited a veterinary oncologist after a removed tumor proved cancerous, and the news at that appointment was cautiously hopeful. Earlier heart testing...The story is as much about loving a rescue dog as it is about treatment decisions. Henrique recalls fearful reactions that he interprets as signs of Chicano’s past mistreatment, along with the dog’s growing trust and determination to befriend visitors anyway. A live doggo cam shows Chicano sleeping on his favorite couch while Henrique processes the exhaustion of waiting through the appointment. The details preserve the original notes’ reassuring tone without repeating private costs, fundraising totals or clinical percentages that could be mistaken for general guidance.
From there, Henrique and Michelle compare unusually vivid stress dreams. Their examples include an unwanted tattoo performed by a dentist, an inexplicably angry parent, forgotten items after a long drive, endless falling or bouncing, trying to run without speed, fighting a pillow and being unable to keep one’s eyes open. They distinguish ordinary nightmares from sleepwalking and sleep paralysis through personal experience only; joking references to disability and mental health are not treated as diagnoses.
The final stretch turns to Jewish identity and the end of Hanukkah. Henrique asks how the noun “Jew” and the adjective “Jewish” can sound in different contexts, while Michelle offers her own perspective rather than a universal rule. They also touch on candles, latkes and the holiday’s final night before Gigs tries to eat wallpaper. Some jokes and terminology are dated or insensitive, but the grounded through-line is friendship: one host worried about his dog, both hosts trading anxiety stories and Michelle supplying personal context where Henrique’s questions outrun his knowledge.
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]]>2398true110fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/hanukkah-candle-hunt-latkes-90s-commercial-nostalgia--56706638That setup preserves the original notes’ joke about Henrique finding everything Jewish funny, but the humor comes with a warning. Their improvised searches wander into novelty merchandise, wordplay and stereotypes that can be insensitive or offensive. Rather than reproduce slogans or slurs, these notes foreground Michelle’s personal Hanukkah experience: finding the right candles, choosing colors, counting what the holiday requires and hoping to make potato pancakes before it ends. Her answers describe her traditions, not rules for every Jewish listener.
The episode’s other major discovery hook is a reaction tour through strange 1990s commercials. Henrique and Michelle revisit Pop-Tarts flavor clouds, Duracell’s plastic people, a surreal Pokémon live event, baby dolls with bodily functions, classic Super Soakers, Burger King choices, animated pizza, Mentos, Capri Sun and a Casio label maker. The brand names identify archival ads discussed in the recording; the segment does not claim those products, prices or promotions are current.
Label-maker envy leads to QR codes, personalized household labels and the ethics of stealing office equipment, all firmly in joke territory. The live-show experiment then drifts through pajamas versus “soft pants,” holiday-horror atmosphere and videos of unusually calm robbery victims and failed thefts. An early pet update also contains Henrique’s premature belief that Chicano’s tumor was benign; the following episode corrects that assumption, so it is not repeated here as fact. The result is a loose holiday livestream mixing Hanukkah frustration, commercial nostalgia, pets and increasingly elaborate internet detours.
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]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/f9eae58f-a6a1-4181-b1b7-793417504c4aMon, 06 Dec 2021 09:30:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded during Hanukkah 2021, Michelle finally finds menorah candles after searching four grocery stores. The victory comes halfway through the holiday, and her next challenge is remembering the potatoes and onions for latkes. Henrique Couto asks how...That setup preserves the original notes’ joke about Henrique finding everything Jewish funny, but the humor comes with a warning. Their improvised searches wander into novelty merchandise, wordplay and stereotypes that can be insensitive or offensive. Rather than reproduce slogans or slurs, these notes foreground Michelle’s personal Hanukkah experience: finding the right candles, choosing colors, counting what the holiday requires and hoping to make potato pancakes before it ends. Her answers describe her traditions, not rules for every Jewish listener.
The episode’s other major discovery hook is a reaction tour through strange 1990s commercials. Henrique and Michelle revisit Pop-Tarts flavor clouds, Duracell’s plastic people, a surreal Pokémon live event, baby dolls with bodily functions, classic Super Soakers, Burger King choices, animated pizza, Mentos, Capri Sun and a Casio label maker. The brand names identify archival ads discussed in the recording; the segment does not claim those products, prices or promotions are current.
Label-maker envy leads to QR codes, personalized household labels and the ethics of stealing office equipment, all firmly in joke territory. The live-show experiment then drifts through pajamas versus “soft pants,” holiday-horror atmosphere and videos of unusually calm robbery victims and failed thefts. An early pet update also contains Henrique’s premature belief that Chicano’s tumor was benign; the following episode corrects that assumption, so it is not repeated here as fact. The result is a loose holiday livestream mixing Hanukkah frustration, commercial nostalgia, pets and increasingly elaborate internet detours.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>3403true109fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/thanksgiving-food-traditions-holiday-movies-a-live-stream-update--56706616Henrique’s exhausting holiday continues through two family dinners and a late movie night with friends. The annual double feature pairs Planes, Trains and Automobiles with Dutch, then everyone stays for the 2021 horror comedy Black Friday. He explains why the retail-worker setting hit home, why the gathering lasted until 3:30 a.m. and why making potato latkes was less appealing when they could not be served straight from the stove.
Then the title’s “talk” becomes a real announcement. After 108 conversations, the hosts explain that this was the final episode in the show’s original podcast-first format. Their 100th-episode livestream had been fun enough to inspire a looser interactive version built around audience participation and reaction videos. As described in this 2021 recording, live video would happen when their schedules allowed, archived video would remain available and edited audio would continue on the podcast feed.
The episode also checks in on Michelle finishing Squid Game after a social-media tease spoiled part of its mystery. A final Hanukkah tangent finds her searching Wegmans for menorah candles and explaining that the holiday begins the previous evening on the Jewish calendar. Thanksgiving food, seasonal movies and a format experiment make this a transition episode that still sounds unmistakably like Michelle and Henrique.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/18cdf598-d4a4-46d8-a40a-6a798c059c87Mon, 29 Nov 2021 09:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded just after Thanksgiving 2021, Michelle and Henrique Couto compare two very different holiday tables. Michelle maps out stuffing, rice pilaf, broccoli casserole, marshmallow-topped yams and a crowded dessert spread, while Henrique champions...Henrique’s exhausting holiday continues through two family dinners and a late movie night with friends. The annual double feature pairs Planes, Trains and Automobiles with Dutch, then everyone stays for the 2021 horror comedy Black Friday. He explains why the retail-worker setting hit home, why the gathering lasted until 3:30 a.m. and why making potato latkes was less appealing when they could not be served straight from the stove.
Then the title’s “talk” becomes a real announcement. After 108 conversations, the hosts explain that this was the final episode in the show’s original podcast-first format. Their 100th-episode livestream had been fun enough to inspire a looser interactive version built around audience participation and reaction videos. As described in this 2021 recording, live video would happen when their schedules allowed, archived video would remain available and edited audio would continue on the podcast feed.
The episode also checks in on Michelle finishing Squid Game after a social-media tease spoiled part of its mystery. A final Hanukkah tangent finds her searching Wegmans for menorah candles and explaining that the holiday begins the previous evening on the Jewish calendar. Thanksgiving food, seasonal movies and a format experiment make this a transition episode that still sounds unmistakably like Michelle and Henrique.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>2068true108fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/childhood-bullying-stories-adult-bullies-backhanded-compliments--56706599Michelle remembers confronting two classmates through angry voicemail messages, but she also describes how difficult it can be to decide whether an experience “counts” as bullying. Together the hosts compare physical intimidation with psychological cruelty and ask what bullying looks like after school. Henrique argues that adult bullies often present themselves as outsiders while using lies, gaslighting and backhanded compliments against friends or coworkers. Michelle recognizes similar dynamics without naming private people or treating disputed workplace stories as settled fact.
Henrique applies that lens to independent filmmaking. When A Bulldog for Christmas reached Walmart, some colleagues framed their congratulations as moral criticism or accusations of selling out. He distinguishes a stranger’s negative review from personal manipulation by someone who knows you, then credits sincere messages from viewers and friends with helping him continue through financial and creative uncertainty. Former classmates who later apologized for bullying also earn his respect for acknowledging the harm and risking rejection.
The episode opens while Chicano is undergoing growth-removal surgery. Earlier heart monitoring had changed the anesthesia plan, and pathology had not yet established whether the growth was benign or malignant. Community help with unexpected veterinary bills and Michelle clearing time to keep Henrique company provide an immediate contrast to the bullying discussion. A recent visit with a longtime friend in Georgia reinforces the same conclusion: cruelty can follow people into adulthood, but dependable friendship and specific encouragement still matter.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/87da9e3f-653b-4eb3-b7f3-5bcdeb82d946Mon, 22 Nov 2021 09:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoContent warning: this 2021 conversation includes childhood bullying, homophobic harassment, physical assaults, school-shooting context and discussion of pet surgery. Henrique Couto recalls being pushed down stairs, struck by a heavy library door, spat...Michelle remembers confronting two classmates through angry voicemail messages, but she also describes how difficult it can be to decide whether an experience “counts” as bullying. Together the hosts compare physical intimidation with psychological cruelty and ask what bullying looks like after school. Henrique argues that adult bullies often present themselves as outsiders while using lies, gaslighting and backhanded compliments against friends or coworkers. Michelle recognizes similar dynamics without naming private people or treating disputed workplace stories as settled fact.
Henrique applies that lens to independent filmmaking. When A Bulldog for Christmas reached Walmart, some colleagues framed their congratulations as moral criticism or accusations of selling out. He distinguishes a stranger’s negative review from personal manipulation by someone who knows you, then credits sincere messages from viewers and friends with helping him continue through financial and creative uncertainty. Former classmates who later apologized for bullying also earn his respect for acknowledging the harm and risking rejection.
The episode opens while Chicano is undergoing growth-removal surgery. Earlier heart monitoring had changed the anesthesia plan, and pathology had not yet established whether the growth was benign or malignant. Community help with unexpected veterinary bills and Michelle clearing time to keep Henrique company provide an immediate contrast to the bullying discussion. A recent visit with a longtime friend in Georgia reinforces the same conclusion: cruelty can follow people into adulthood, but dependable friendship and specific encouragement still matter.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>2919true107fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/childhood-bullying-stories-adult-bullies-backhanded-compliments--56706582Michelle remembers confronting two classmates through angry voicemail messages, but she also describes how difficult it can be to decide whether an experience “counts” as bullying. Together the hosts compare physical intimidation with psychological cruelty and ask what bullying looks like after school. Henrique argues that adult bullies often present themselves as outsiders while using lies, gaslighting and backhanded compliments against friends or coworkers. Michelle recognizes similar dynamics without naming private people or treating disputed workplace stories as settled fact.
Henrique applies that lens to independent filmmaking. When A Bulldog for Christmas reached Walmart, some colleagues framed their congratulations as moral criticism or accusations of selling out. He distinguishes a stranger’s negative review from personal manipulation by someone who knows you, then credits sincere messages from viewers and friends with helping him continue through financial and creative uncertainty. Former classmates who later apologized for bullying also earn his respect for acknowledging the harm and risking rejection.
The episode opens while Chicano is undergoing growth-removal surgery. Earlier heart monitoring had changed the anesthesia plan, and pathology had not yet established whether the growth was benign or malignant. Community help with unexpected veterinary bills and Michelle clearing time to keep Henrique company provide an immediate contrast to the bullying discussion. A recent visit with a longtime friend in Georgia reinforces the same conclusion: cruelty can follow people into adulthood, but dependable friendship and specific encouragement still matter.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/d1111b4c-6d4f-43b3-83e0-3b7ad5da022aMon, 22 Nov 2021 09:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoContent warning: this 2021 conversation includes childhood bullying, homophobic harassment, physical assaults, school-shooting context and discussion of pet surgery. Henrique Couto recalls being pushed down stairs, struck by a heavy library door, spat...Michelle remembers confronting two classmates through angry voicemail messages, but she also describes how difficult it can be to decide whether an experience “counts” as bullying. Together the hosts compare physical intimidation with psychological cruelty and ask what bullying looks like after school. Henrique argues that adult bullies often present themselves as outsiders while using lies, gaslighting and backhanded compliments against friends or coworkers. Michelle recognizes similar dynamics without naming private people or treating disputed workplace stories as settled fact.
Henrique applies that lens to independent filmmaking. When A Bulldog for Christmas reached Walmart, some colleagues framed their congratulations as moral criticism or accusations of selling out. He distinguishes a stranger’s negative review from personal manipulation by someone who knows you, then credits sincere messages from viewers and friends with helping him continue through financial and creative uncertainty. Former classmates who later apologized for bullying also earn his respect for acknowledging the harm and risking rejection.
The episode opens while Chicano is undergoing growth-removal surgery. Earlier heart monitoring had changed the anesthesia plan, and pathology had not yet established whether the growth was benign or malignant. Community help with unexpected veterinary bills and Michelle clearing time to keep Henrique company provide an immediate contrast to the bullying discussion. A recent visit with a longtime friend in Georgia reinforces the same conclusion: cruelty can follow people into adulthood, but dependable friendship and specific encouragement still matter.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>2919true107fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/squid-game-parasite-henwolf-s-surprising-dog-dna-results--56706591Parasite becomes the next Korean screen-story flashpoint when Henrique discovers Michelle has never seen it. He insists on sending her a copy and praises its class conflict without revealing the plot. Their exchange turns the source note’s vague “Korean cinema” promise into a specific conversation about Squid Game, Parasite, subtitles and why both stories connect economic pressure to character choices. The hosts’ opinions belong to this 2021 recording, not a definitive survey of Korean film or television.
A separate movie tangent finds Henrique reviewing Marvel’s Eternals. He finds the large cast difficult to connect with and interrogates the story’s rule that its heroes may fight alien Deviants but cannot intervene in human history. References to the Holocaust and Hiroshima make this section potentially sensitive, while discussion of the film’s international edits and theatrical prospects is preserved only as dated commentary. Michelle also describes transferring to a more supportive workplace and relearning how much authority her supervisor role actually carries.
Finally, a consumer dog-DNA test rewrites Henwolf’s origin story. Despite repeated guesses that she was part Saint Bernard, Collie or Australian Shepherd, the reported four-breed result identifies Boxer, pit bull, Chow Chow and German Shepherd ancestry. Henrique studies possible relatives, coat traits, her barrel chest and a family tree dominated by breeds she barely resembles. He treats his explanation as amateur speculation, gives Wolfie the new nickname Bruiser and abandons confident predictions before Chicano’s results arrive.
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]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/6c9f5981-532d-4c7b-b7b9-c04ad56e0945Mon, 15 Nov 2021 09:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in November 2021, Henrique Couto has finally started Squid Game and Michelle is several episodes ahead. They discuss the show’s early portrait of debt, gambling and desperation without revealing its later twists, then compare its present-day...Parasite becomes the next Korean screen-story flashpoint when Henrique discovers Michelle has never seen it. He insists on sending her a copy and praises its class conflict without revealing the plot. Their exchange turns the source note’s vague “Korean cinema” promise into a specific conversation about Squid Game, Parasite, subtitles and why both stories connect economic pressure to character choices. The hosts’ opinions belong to this 2021 recording, not a definitive survey of Korean film or television.
A separate movie tangent finds Henrique reviewing Marvel’s Eternals. He finds the large cast difficult to connect with and interrogates the story’s rule that its heroes may fight alien Deviants but cannot intervene in human history. References to the Holocaust and Hiroshima make this section potentially sensitive, while discussion of the film’s international edits and theatrical prospects is preserved only as dated commentary. Michelle also describes transferring to a more supportive workplace and relearning how much authority her supervisor role actually carries.
Finally, a consumer dog-DNA test rewrites Henwolf’s origin story. Despite repeated guesses that she was part Saint Bernard, Collie or Australian Shepherd, the reported four-breed result identifies Boxer, pit bull, Chow Chow and German Shepherd ancestry. Henrique studies possible relatives, coat traits, her barrel chest and a family tree dominated by breeds she barely resembles. He treats his explanation as amateur speculation, gives Wolfie the new nickname Bruiser and abandons confident predictions before Chicano’s results arrive.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>2773true106fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/halloween-trick-or-treaters-horror-movies-anime-ghosts--56706595Henrique recounts an all-night local horror event followed by a Halloween spent answering the door in a bloodied hospital-patient costume. Fog, green lighting and his position behind the window made the effect scarier than intended, although one fearless child proudly announced that scary movies could not frighten him. Four rolls of gauze also left Henrique sore and hiding a real forehead cut beneath the fake blood—a discovery he made only after repeatedly trying to scrub the “makeup” away.
Technology supplies a second nostalgia thread. A noisy printer revives Michelle’s story about once mistaking printer sounds for an intruder, while a garage hard drive unexpectedly reveals digital photos last saved in 2004. Henrique remembers paying extra for Kodak Picture CDs so he could build websites before scanners and camera phones were commonplace. The hosts also check in on Michelle’s home-inspection plans, including historical coursework in termites and radon, without turning the conversation into professional advice.
Michelle’s Halloween viewing includes an unnamed comedy-horror anime about a girl who sees spirits and survives by pretending she cannot. She also finally watches Trick ’r Treat after Henrique sends it to her, prompting memories of a compressed Freddy Krueger marathon during her shoulder recovery. Anime gives way to Star Trek: The Next Generation, the Pluto TV rotation and Jean-Luc Picard’s repeated torture stories. Candy, costumes, aging technology and comfort viewing make this a distinctly post-Halloween catch-up.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/087e7f2a-df7f-4cdf-b0c9-9425a9f432cfMon, 08 Nov 2021 09:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded after Halloween 2021 and the season’s first Ohio frost, Michelle and Henrique Couto compare trick-or-treat turnout in their neighborhoods. Michelle welcomes younger families and celebrates her mother finally exhausting a huge candy supply...Henrique recounts an all-night local horror event followed by a Halloween spent answering the door in a bloodied hospital-patient costume. Fog, green lighting and his position behind the window made the effect scarier than intended, although one fearless child proudly announced that scary movies could not frighten him. Four rolls of gauze also left Henrique sore and hiding a real forehead cut beneath the fake blood—a discovery he made only after repeatedly trying to scrub the “makeup” away.
Technology supplies a second nostalgia thread. A noisy printer revives Michelle’s story about once mistaking printer sounds for an intruder, while a garage hard drive unexpectedly reveals digital photos last saved in 2004. Henrique remembers paying extra for Kodak Picture CDs so he could build websites before scanners and camera phones were commonplace. The hosts also check in on Michelle’s home-inspection plans, including historical coursework in termites and radon, without turning the conversation into professional advice.
Michelle’s Halloween viewing includes an unnamed comedy-horror anime about a girl who sees spirits and survives by pretending she cannot. She also finally watches Trick ’r Treat after Henrique sends it to her, prompting memories of a compressed Freddy Krueger marathon during her shoulder recovery. Anime gives way to Star Trek: The Next Generation, the Pluto TV rotation and Jean-Luc Picard’s repeated torture stories. Candy, costumes, aging technology and comfort viewing make this a distinctly post-Halloween catch-up.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>1952true105fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/halloween-kills-spoiler-review-michael-myers-mob-mentality-fan-service--56706635The hospital pursuit supplies their biggest thematic debate. Haddonfield residents turn fear into a mob, mistake another escaped patient for Michael and help drive an innocent person to his death. Henrique defends the repeated “Evil dies tonight” chant as purposeful rather than accidental camp, tracing it to a “Love lives today” donation sign earlier in the film. Michelle appreciates seeing how the town responds to decades of trauma but hopes the franchise has completed this part of the mob story.
Franchise fan service becomes both evidence and reward. The hosts discuss returning characters, callbacks to earlier Halloween timelines, the Silver Shamrock masks from Halloween III, the alternate history of Tommy Doyle and the recreated Dr. Loomis. Big John and Little John stand out because the film lets them become funny, affectionate residents of the Myers house before killing them. Michelle agrees that making victims quickly likable gives the violence weight instead of treating every death as disposable spectacle.
That care explains why Henrique embraces the movie despite its unevenness. He compares the approach with reboots that borrow a famous title while discarding the source’s identity, including the Rob Zombie Halloween films and a later Friday the 13th adaptation. Michelle connects the problem to manga-to-anime projects made without affection for the original work. A closing candy update identifies strawberry bonbons and peanut butter kisses from their prior Halloween conversation, providing a sweet exit from a long discussion of Michael Myers, grief and murder.
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]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/a5a8e9a0-efd7-44a2-8e8e-69fda62ae807Mon, 01 Nov 2021 08:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoFull spoiler and content warning: Michelle and Henrique Couto dissect Halloween Kills from its 2021 release through the ending, including graphic fictional murder, mob violence and suicide. Michelle likes the film but prefers Halloween (2018),...The hospital pursuit supplies their biggest thematic debate. Haddonfield residents turn fear into a mob, mistake another escaped patient for Michael and help drive an innocent person to his death. Henrique defends the repeated “Evil dies tonight” chant as purposeful rather than accidental camp, tracing it to a “Love lives today” donation sign earlier in the film. Michelle appreciates seeing how the town responds to decades of trauma but hopes the franchise has completed this part of the mob story.
Franchise fan service becomes both evidence and reward. The hosts discuss returning characters, callbacks to earlier Halloween timelines, the Silver Shamrock masks from Halloween III, the alternate history of Tommy Doyle and the recreated Dr. Loomis. Big John and Little John stand out because the film lets them become funny, affectionate residents of the Myers house before killing them. Michelle agrees that making victims quickly likable gives the violence weight instead of treating every death as disposable spectacle.
That care explains why Henrique embraces the movie despite its unevenness. He compares the approach with reboots that borrow a famous title while discarding the source’s identity, including the Rob Zombie Halloween films and a later Friday the 13th adaptation. Michelle connects the problem to manga-to-anime projects made without affection for the original work. A closing candy update identifies strawberry bonbons and peanut butter kisses from their prior Halloween conversation, providing a sweet exit from a long discussion of Michael Myers, grief and murder.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>2503true104fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/new-samsung-qled-tv-halloween-scares-michelle-s-home-inspector-job--56706660A search for what makes OLED displays “organic” sends Michelle and Henrique into chemistry they openly do not understand, eventually producing the episode’s joke that televisions must be made of people. Michelle’s real news is more grounded: a former instructor has offered her home-inspection work in Pennsylvania. The opportunity gives her an email address, a path to field experience and a reason to pause plans for her own company, but it also activates her fear of disappointing an employer before she has completed a single inspection.
Halloween planning takes over from there. Henrique has stocked four giant bags of candy, programmable lights, colored floods, fog and barking dogs for a front-door scare. He remembers past costumes inspired by Tourist Trap, Leatherface, Ghostface, The Purge and Dr. Giggles, plus the year he sat motionless beside the candy until a young ninja approached. Michelle prefers handing out candy beside ghosts and fake spiderwebs, and the hosts compare nostalgic strawberry-wrapped sweets, orange-and-black taffy and neighborhood trick-or-treat traditions.
For seasonal viewing, Henrique rotates Trick ’r Treat, Murder Party and John Carpenter’s Halloween while waiting for visitors. He also reviews the 2021 Slumber Party Massacre remake, praising its playful reversal of slasher conventions while distinguishing a loose reboot from a scene-for-scene remake. Michelle contributes a haunted-house story about an insurance adjuster calling a landline that an unseen older woman seems to answer. New screens, a new career and old-fashioned Halloween mischief make this a technology-heavy spooky-season catch-up.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/d5121534-7c2c-4d18-94db-7e741c3c8ed1Mon, 25 Oct 2021 08:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in October 2021, Henrique Couto celebrates replacing an off-brand 65-inch television with his first name-brand set, a 65-inch Samsung QLED. The smart remote automatically recognizes his 4K Blu-ray player, Roku and soundbar, while HDR makes...A search for what makes OLED displays “organic” sends Michelle and Henrique into chemistry they openly do not understand, eventually producing the episode’s joke that televisions must be made of people. Michelle’s real news is more grounded: a former instructor has offered her home-inspection work in Pennsylvania. The opportunity gives her an email address, a path to field experience and a reason to pause plans for her own company, but it also activates her fear of disappointing an employer before she has completed a single inspection.
Halloween planning takes over from there. Henrique has stocked four giant bags of candy, programmable lights, colored floods, fog and barking dogs for a front-door scare. He remembers past costumes inspired by Tourist Trap, Leatherface, Ghostface, The Purge and Dr. Giggles, plus the year he sat motionless beside the candy until a young ninja approached. Michelle prefers handing out candy beside ghosts and fake spiderwebs, and the hosts compare nostalgic strawberry-wrapped sweets, orange-and-black taffy and neighborhood trick-or-treat traditions.
For seasonal viewing, Henrique rotates Trick ’r Treat, Murder Party and John Carpenter’s Halloween while waiting for visitors. He also reviews the 2021 Slumber Party Massacre remake, praising its playful reversal of slasher conventions while distinguishing a loose reboot from a scene-for-scene remake. Michelle contributes a haunted-house story about an insurance adjuster calling a landline that an unseen older woman seems to answer. New screens, a new career and old-fashioned Halloween mischief make this a technology-heavy spooky-season catch-up.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>2995true103fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/making-beggar-s-night-battery-powered-horror-filmmaking-after-dark--56706596The behind-the-scenes centerpiece is Henrique’s attempt to power modern LED film lights with portable battery banks. He describes the brighter hard-source lighting, the tradeoffs of working far from an outlet and the practical frustration of navigating a dark set between takes. A garage cleanup full of costumes, props and equipment extends the filmmaking conversation, as does his hope of eventually reviving Popcorn Fodder. These are personal production recollections, not electrical or set-safety guidance.
Michelle and Henrique then turn toward Halloween traditions: pumpkin patches, squirrels that attack jack-o’-lanterns, competing trick-or-treat dates, trunk-or-treat events and the ambition to become the house that gives away the best candy. Their jokes about Mischief Night, egging and smashed pumpkins lead to the spontaneous phrase “pipsqueaks and Melvins,” which became the podcast title but is not the name of Henrique’s film.
The episode also captures Michelle’s slow 2021 home-inspector licensing process, including a request to clarify errors-and-omissions insurance paperwork. Henrique anticipates Halloween Kills, while Michelle recommends the found-audio podcast Within the Wires. A 1988 Nickelodeon Halloween special featuring Marc Summers and magician Lance Burton completes this lively mix of independent horror filmmaking, seasonal nostalgia and creative friendship.
Links

• Watch Beggar’s Night Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/42d2d509-0018-4e3b-83fa-2e3259b10c86Mon, 18 Oct 2021 08:22:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in October 2021, Henrique Couto shares the making of Beggar’s Night, a six-minute Halloween horror short created as he began easing back into production after a long interruption. He explains why his supporters had asked for more short films,...The behind-the-scenes centerpiece is Henrique’s attempt to power modern LED film lights with portable battery banks. He describes the brighter hard-source lighting, the tradeoffs of working far from an outlet and the practical frustration of navigating a dark set between takes. A garage cleanup full of costumes, props and equipment extends the filmmaking conversation, as does his hope of eventually reviving Popcorn Fodder. These are personal production recollections, not electrical or set-safety guidance.
Michelle and Henrique then turn toward Halloween traditions: pumpkin patches, squirrels that attack jack-o’-lanterns, competing trick-or-treat dates, trunk-or-treat events and the ambition to become the house that gives away the best candy. Their jokes about Mischief Night, egging and smashed pumpkins lead to the spontaneous phrase “pipsqueaks and Melvins,” which became the podcast title but is not the name of Henrique’s film.
The episode also captures Michelle’s slow 2021 home-inspector licensing process, including a request to clarify errors-and-omissions insurance paperwork. Henrique anticipates Halloween Kills, while Michelle recommends the found-audio podcast Within the Wires. A 1988 Nickelodeon Halloween special featuring Marc Summers and magician Lance Burton completes this lively mix of independent horror filmmaking, seasonal nostalgia and creative friendship.
Links

• Watch Beggar’s Night Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>1735true102fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/midnight-mass-within-the-wires-spooky-season-streaming-picks--56706608That review opens a broader Mike Flanagan conversation spanning Hush, Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep, The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor. The hosts debate long episodes, binge-watching and the strange claim that modern audiences lack attention spans when popular movies keep growing longer. No Time to Die, Venom: Let There Be Carnage and the approaching release of Halloween Kills all enter the discussion as 2021 viewing plans rather than current availability advice.
Michelle recommends Within the Wires, the found-audio anthology set across an alternate world and connected to the creators behind Welcome to Night Vale. Henrique’s enthusiasm for hidden stories inside ordinary media leads to alternate-reality games and an idea for a multipart Weekly Spooky production. Their watch list also includes American Horror Stories, Creepshow on Shudder and Only Murders in the Building, the comedy-mystery starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez.
The conversation closes with a snapshot of Michelle’s home-inspection business preparations. She had arranged Pennsylvania radon-inspection support while waiting on a New Jersey application that required additional proof of her exam and insurance. The hosts’ remarks about radon are jokes, not health or professional guidance. Together, the episode offers a 2021 time capsule of horror streaming, audio fiction, true-crime comedy and two friends trading recommendations.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/9d086f0a-8402-433f-b792-a42d320f18beMon, 11 Oct 2021 08:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in October 2021, Henrique Couto and Michelle follow their live 100th episode by comparing the movies, television and podcasts carrying them into spooky season. Henrique has just returned from Cinema Wasteland and settles into a spoiler-light...That review opens a broader Mike Flanagan conversation spanning Hush, Gerald’s Game, Doctor Sleep, The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor. The hosts debate long episodes, binge-watching and the strange claim that modern audiences lack attention spans when popular movies keep growing longer. No Time to Die, Venom: Let There Be Carnage and the approaching release of Halloween Kills all enter the discussion as 2021 viewing plans rather than current availability advice.
Michelle recommends Within the Wires, the found-audio anthology set across an alternate world and connected to the creators behind Welcome to Night Vale. Henrique’s enthusiasm for hidden stories inside ordinary media leads to alternate-reality games and an idea for a multipart Weekly Spooky production. Their watch list also includes American Horror Stories, Creepshow on Shudder and Only Murders in the Building, the comedy-mystery starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez.
The conversation closes with a snapshot of Michelle’s home-inspection business preparations. She had arranged Pennsylvania radon-inspection support while waiting on a New Jersey application that required additional proof of her exam and insurance. The hosts’ remarks about radon are jokes, not health or professional guidance. Together, the episode offers a 2021 time capsule of horror streaming, audio fiction, true-crime comedy and two friends trading recommendations.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>2094true101fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/live-listener-q-a-anime-movies-100-awkward-conversations--56706606The questions turn Michelle’s difficulty choosing “starter anime” into a lively recommendation list. Attack on Titan, Death Note, Cowboy Bebop, the first season of My Hero Academia, Erased and Steins;Gate all enter the debate, with Re:Zero offered as an example of a more demanding starting point. Michelle also tells the story behind her song Banned at Mugshots, inspired in part by the Crass song Banned from the Roxy and a memorable Philadelphia café performance.
Movies, food and creativity keep the live show moving. The hosts revisit Phantasm, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Gone Girl and Planes, Trains and Automobiles; compare favorite dishes including Mexican rice and beans, soup, pesto and udon; and discuss Inktober and conversational improv. Henrique reflects on his early Ustream broadcasts and explains why this informal podcast gives him a creative outlet distinct from the more produced Weekly Spooky.
A filmmaking question brings practical perspective from Henrique’s directing career: be friendly, arrive on time, stay sober and understand that a screen actor often performs for the director rather than a responsive crowd. He contrasts stage feedback with the quiet concentration of a film set and names Nothing Good Ever Happens among his proudest projects. Audience identities, health claims and stale promotions have been omitted, leaving an energetic milestone built around friendship, anime, movies and making art for its own sake.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/6ac671bb-54d9-40ce-bb0e-8cc87004eddbMon, 04 Oct 2021 05:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded live in September 2021, Henrique Couto and Michelle celebrate 100 installments of This Show is Awkward with listener questions, technical mishaps and the unpredictable rhythm of audience chat. Looking back to the podcast’s November 2019...The questions turn Michelle’s difficulty choosing “starter anime” into a lively recommendation list. Attack on Titan, Death Note, Cowboy Bebop, the first season of My Hero Academia, Erased and Steins;Gate all enter the debate, with Re:Zero offered as an example of a more demanding starting point. Michelle also tells the story behind her song Banned at Mugshots, inspired in part by the Crass song Banned from the Roxy and a memorable Philadelphia café performance.
Movies, food and creativity keep the live show moving. The hosts revisit Phantasm, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Gone Girl and Planes, Trains and Automobiles; compare favorite dishes including Mexican rice and beans, soup, pesto and udon; and discuss Inktober and conversational improv. Henrique reflects on his early Ustream broadcasts and explains why this informal podcast gives him a creative outlet distinct from the more produced Weekly Spooky.
A filmmaking question brings practical perspective from Henrique’s directing career: be friendly, arrive on time, stay sober and understand that a screen actor often performs for the director rather than a responsive crowd. He contrasts stage feedback with the quiet concentration of a film set and names Nothing Good Ever Happens among his proudest projects. Audience identities, health claims and stale promotions have been omitted, leaving an energetic milestone built around friendship, anime, movies and making art for its own sake.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>3970true100fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/termite-inspections-robocall-scams-spooky-movie-nights--56706581Michelle’s home-inspection studies supply the episode’s most practical subject: recognizing termites and other wood-destroying organisms. She explains that she was midway through a course focused partly on pesticide application, even though her goal was identifying visible signs of damage rather than treating a property. These remarks describe her training at the time, not pest-control, pesticide or licensing advice.
A perfectly timed spam call interrupts the termite discussion. Henrique politely tells a caller promoting a Medicare supplement plan that he is not eligible, then describes receiving several senior-benefit and final-expense calls each day. From there, a joke about addressing government paperwork becomes “to your mom, care of New Jersey,” the phrase behind the original episode title. No phone numbers, companies or claims from the caller are repeated.
The second half moves from contract fatigue to lawyers on television. Henrique discusses Goliath, Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad while the hosts debate legal billing, courtroom drama and constitutional protections as personal opinions rather than legal guidance. A lighter finale recalls homemade iron-on shirts: Michelle printed her own characters, while Henrique recreated a wrestler’s design in MS Paint and took it to Sir Speedy. Horror favorites, scam-call overload and the awkward path toward a new profession make this a distinctly 2021 snapshot.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/687fc688-38d0-4b57-9a95-9d897e9f97fdMon, 27 Sep 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in September 2021 during a thunderstorm, Henrique Couto and Michelle settle into fall with a run of spooky movie nights. Henrique recalls choosing Jaws: The Revenge and A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master for his belated birthday...Michelle’s home-inspection studies supply the episode’s most practical subject: recognizing termites and other wood-destroying organisms. She explains that she was midway through a course focused partly on pesticide application, even though her goal was identifying visible signs of damage rather than treating a property. These remarks describe her training at the time, not pest-control, pesticide or licensing advice.
A perfectly timed spam call interrupts the termite discussion. Henrique politely tells a caller promoting a Medicare supplement plan that he is not eligible, then describes receiving several senior-benefit and final-expense calls each day. From there, a joke about addressing government paperwork becomes “to your mom, care of New Jersey,” the phrase behind the original episode title. No phone numbers, companies or claims from the caller are repeated.
The second half moves from contract fatigue to lawyers on television. Henrique discusses Goliath, Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad while the hosts debate legal billing, courtroom drama and constitutional protections as personal opinions rather than legal guidance. A lighter finale recalls homemade iron-on shirts: Michelle printed her own characters, while Henrique recreated a wrestler’s design in MS Paint and took it to Sir Speedy. Horror favorites, scam-call overload and the awkward path toward a new profession make this a distinctly 2021 snapshot.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>2109true99fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/cabin-black-bear-scare-weekly-spooky-halloween-traditions--56706587The cabin story makes room for the gentler side of the trip: tiny frogs, dragonflies, fish, turtles and a stream-fed wetland explored by kayak. Back home, Henrique marks his 35th birthday and shows off a Dr. Stone shirt featuring Senku that Michelle gave him. Michelle, meanwhile, describes the 2021 paperwork she was assembling for her home-inspection business, including insurance documentation and a New Jersey application.
Another milestone belongs to Weekly Spooky, which had reached 100 episodes with a two-part collection of new stories. Henrique praises Michelle’s compact horror contribution, Normal Shit, and compares its campfire-story economy with her earlier writing. He also reflects on introducing convention visitors to an anthology podcast they could sample in any order as its seasonal audience began growing again.
The final stretch is a spirited tour of Halloween traditions. Henrique compares Ohio’s shifting Beggars Night schedule with Mischief Night, then describes fog at the front door, generous bowls of candy, familiar scary movies and a jack-o’-lantern pizza. The hosts discuss Shudder’s Ghoul Log, Joe Bob Briggs, Elvira’s anniversary marathon, Trick ’r Treat and scary stories from online communities. Wildlife theories, platform schedules, business status and event details are all preserved as personal memories from 2021, not present-day guidance.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/ec5a089d-8726-4020-8943-e42bfd916a1aMon, 20 Sep 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in September 2021 after a two-week break, Henrique Couto returns from a cabin vacation and HorrorHound Weekend in Cincinnati. His quiet getaway included kayaking, campfires and late-night movies—until distant dogs and a deep sound in the...The cabin story makes room for the gentler side of the trip: tiny frogs, dragonflies, fish, turtles and a stream-fed wetland explored by kayak. Back home, Henrique marks his 35th birthday and shows off a Dr. Stone shirt featuring Senku that Michelle gave him. Michelle, meanwhile, describes the 2021 paperwork she was assembling for her home-inspection business, including insurance documentation and a New Jersey application.
Another milestone belongs to Weekly Spooky, which had reached 100 episodes with a two-part collection of new stories. Henrique praises Michelle’s compact horror contribution, Normal Shit, and compares its campfire-story economy with her earlier writing. He also reflects on introducing convention visitors to an anthology podcast they could sample in any order as its seasonal audience began growing again.
The final stretch is a spirited tour of Halloween traditions. Henrique compares Ohio’s shifting Beggars Night schedule with Mischief Night, then describes fog at the front door, generous bowls of candy, familiar scary movies and a jack-o’-lantern pizza. The hosts discuss Shudder’s Ghoul Log, Joe Bob Briggs, Elvira’s anniversary marathon, Trick ’r Treat and scary stories from online communities. Wildlife theories, platform schedules, business status and event details are all preserved as personal memories from 2021, not present-day guidance.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>2379true98fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/launching-a-home-inspection-business-insurance-websites-gear--56706602Their conversation follows Michelle’s startup checklist as she understood it at the time: a Pennsylvania tax form, insurance, a business bank account, New Jersey licensing paperwork, a website and business cards. She and Henrique compare do-it-yourself website builders with hiring a designer, consider domain ownership and professional email addresses, and joke about social media, a car magnet and a deliberately terrible advertising jingle. This is a historical account, not business, tax, insurance or licensing advice.
Michelle also inventories the equipment she expected to carry: backup flashlights, a tape measure, an infrared thermometer, a reversible screwdriver, a GFCI outlet tester and a collapsible ladder. For roof observations, she mentions a drone, binoculars or direct access depending on the situation. The hosts’ loose exchange reflects preparation in progress; it should not be treated as a complete professional toolkit or as safety guidance for roofs, electrical systems or drone use.
Around that central startup story, Henrique reflects on recording two shows in a row for the first time since his COVID-19 recovery and solicits ideas for the approaching 100th conversation. The friends also trade birthday jokes, discuss travel plans and compare the frustration of specialty insurance with Henrique’s complaints about a hybrid-car fee. Grounded in 2021, the episode captures the uncertainty, research and humor behind turning a new credential into a real small business.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/f7496677-5b24-4dea-9806-d954e0c16523Mon, 13 Sep 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in September 2021, Henrique Couto approaches his 35th birthday by asking Michelle for life advice—only to discover she is busy navigating a milestone of her own. Michelle had just received the Pennsylvania DBA for Our Best Home Inspections...Their conversation follows Michelle’s startup checklist as she understood it at the time: a Pennsylvania tax form, insurance, a business bank account, New Jersey licensing paperwork, a website and business cards. She and Henrique compare do-it-yourself website builders with hiring a designer, consider domain ownership and professional email addresses, and joke about social media, a car magnet and a deliberately terrible advertising jingle. This is a historical account, not business, tax, insurance or licensing advice.
Michelle also inventories the equipment she expected to carry: backup flashlights, a tape measure, an infrared thermometer, a reversible screwdriver, a GFCI outlet tester and a collapsible ladder. For roof observations, she mentions a drone, binoculars or direct access depending on the situation. The hosts’ loose exchange reflects preparation in progress; it should not be treated as a complete professional toolkit or as safety guidance for roofs, electrical systems or drone use.
Around that central startup story, Henrique reflects on recording two shows in a row for the first time since his COVID-19 recovery and solicits ideas for the approaching 100th conversation. The friends also trade birthday jokes, discuss travel plans and compare the frustration of specialty insurance with Henrique’s complaints about a hybrid-car fee. Grounded in 2021, the episode captures the uncertainty, research and humor behind turning a new credential into a real small business.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>1856true97fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/facebook-ad-shopping-risks-horror-conventions-dream-vacations--56706604The shopping discussion reflects the hosts’ personal experiences, not a verified finding about any named seller or financial advice. Henrique compares Etsy and Amazon listings and explains why he preferred familiar payment protections, but those 2021 policies and prices may have changed. The conversation is repeatedly interrupted by Michelle’s computer freezing, transforming an online-shopping story into an unplanned technology comedy.
Henrique then prepares for a birthday cabin trip and HorrorHound Weekend in Cincinnati, his first convention since the COVID-19 disruption. He recalls inducting his late friend Andy Copp into the Horror Host Hall of Fame for directing Shock Theatre and discusses returning as the ceremony’s host while representing Popcorn Fodder. Cinema Wasteland was next on his calendar, though every event detail is presented historically rather than as a current listing.
A long vacation debate completes the episode. Henrique imagines a beach trip to El Salvador, while Michelle prefers a remote Pennsylvania cabin or a journey through Japan, especially Hokkaido. They compare heat, crowds, language learning, termites and destinations with their usual dark humor. Crucially, Henrique is urging Michelle to consider a vacation—not proposing that she relocate somewhere dangerous. Crime, public-health, airfare and cryptocurrency claims from the conversation were omitted because they were speculative, sensitive or tied to 2021 conditions.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/df393300-0f34-4348-9c22-343b26101508Mon, 06 Sep 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in September 2021, Henrique Couto spots a Facebook ad for a Hawaiian shirt covered with Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers and Leatherface. His search for a trustworthy seller uncovers the same design across unfamiliar storefronts,...The shopping discussion reflects the hosts’ personal experiences, not a verified finding about any named seller or financial advice. Henrique compares Etsy and Amazon listings and explains why he preferred familiar payment protections, but those 2021 policies and prices may have changed. The conversation is repeatedly interrupted by Michelle’s computer freezing, transforming an online-shopping story into an unplanned technology comedy.
Henrique then prepares for a birthday cabin trip and HorrorHound Weekend in Cincinnati, his first convention since the COVID-19 disruption. He recalls inducting his late friend Andy Copp into the Horror Host Hall of Fame for directing Shock Theatre and discusses returning as the ceremony’s host while representing Popcorn Fodder. Cinema Wasteland was next on his calendar, though every event detail is presented historically rather than as a current listing.
A long vacation debate completes the episode. Henrique imagines a beach trip to El Salvador, while Michelle prefers a remote Pennsylvania cabin or a journey through Japan, especially Hokkaido. They compare heat, crowds, language learning, termites and destinations with their usual dark humor. Crucially, Henrique is urging Michelle to consider a vacation—not proposing that she relocate somewhere dangerous. Crime, public-health, airfare and cryptocurrency claims from the conversation were omitted because they were speculative, sensitive or tied to 2021 conditions.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>2091true96fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/foundation-crack-repairs-spray-paint-problems-youtube-copyright--56706609Michelle’s home-improvement project supplies the episode’s other major problem. She notices cracks on the exposed exterior foundation and white mineral deposits on the wall’s interior side, patches several areas with concrete crack filler and learns how to use a caulk gun. The hosts identify the deposits as efflorescence based on Michelle’s course material, but this is an in-progress personal account—not structural, waterproofing or home-repair guidance. Cosmetic paint is never presented as a fix for water or foundation concerns.
Finding a convincing finish proves harder than filling the cracks. Michelle compares stone-texture spray paints from Rust-Oleum and Krylon, only to encounter indoor-only labels, unavailable colors and samples that look different once sprayed. Trips to Lowe’s and Michaels turn into a running search for the right gray. Henrique proposes marble-look contact paper and connects the idea to the gleaming mausoleum walls in Phantasm.
The friends close with Michelle still waiting for Pennsylvania paperwork for her planned DBA and with ideas for the approaching 100th conversation. Those business, product-stock and platform details are preserved as 2021 history rather than current information. The result is an episode about creators protecting their work, the comedy of a deceptively complicated paint match and the limits of learning a household project in real time.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/8a7b17eb-719e-4856-a274-ecab3b3faa11Mon, 30 Aug 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in August 2021, Henrique Couto describes using YouTube’s copyright tools to find reaction videos and unauthorized uploads of his films. The discovery opens a candid creator-rights conversation about deciding when a fan response helps a movie...Michelle’s home-improvement project supplies the episode’s other major problem. She notices cracks on the exposed exterior foundation and white mineral deposits on the wall’s interior side, patches several areas with concrete crack filler and learns how to use a caulk gun. The hosts identify the deposits as efflorescence based on Michelle’s course material, but this is an in-progress personal account—not structural, waterproofing or home-repair guidance. Cosmetic paint is never presented as a fix for water or foundation concerns.
Finding a convincing finish proves harder than filling the cracks. Michelle compares stone-texture spray paints from Rust-Oleum and Krylon, only to encounter indoor-only labels, unavailable colors and samples that look different once sprayed. Trips to Lowe’s and Michaels turn into a running search for the right gray. Henrique proposes marble-look contact paper and connects the idea to the gleaming mausoleum walls in Phantasm.
The friends close with Michelle still waiting for Pennsylvania paperwork for her planned DBA and with ideas for the approaching 100th conversation. Those business, product-stock and platform details are preserved as 2021 history rather than current information. The result is an episode about creators protecting their work, the comedy of a deceptively complicated paint match and the limits of learning a household project in real time.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>1946true95fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/remembering-aunt-betty-family-stories-grief-a-google-nest-project--56706640Henrique remembers Aunt Betty and her late husband Charles as steady support for him and his mother. Their home hosted years of Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, with cold soda over crushed ice and family recipes always close at hand. Charles shared his enthusiasm for technology and gospel music, while Betty arrived in her familiar red minivan whenever the family needed practical help. These memories emphasize care and belonging without publishing private medical, financial or location details.
Some of the warmest stories show Betty welcoming Henrique exactly as he was. She accepted his unconventional childhood clothes, took pride in his filmmaking and once welcomed a small movie crew into her orbit. When school bullies followed him home, she raced over and fiercely chased them away before comforting him. Henrique reflects on how that protection shaped the loyalty he hopes to offer the people he loves.
A malfunctioning thermostat provides a brief comic counterpoint. In his restless grief, Henrique replaces it with a Google Nest and experiments with schedules and voice controls; the pricing, compatibility and wiring discussion reflects one personal 2021 DIY experience, not electrical or HVAC instruction. Michelle’s Weekly Spooky story “Normal Shit” also receives a brief mention. At heart, however, this is a loving oral remembrance of holiday traditions, everyday kindness and a formidable family protector.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/812e4436-2007-4d18-a2b3-592d2ea66932Mon, 23 Aug 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in August 2021, the day after his great-aunt Betty died, Henrique Couto pauses the usual comedy to remember the woman who was effectively his grandmother. He speaks candidly about the strange rhythms of grief after a prolonged illness and...Henrique remembers Aunt Betty and her late husband Charles as steady support for him and his mother. Their home hosted years of Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, with cold soda over crushed ice and family recipes always close at hand. Charles shared his enthusiasm for technology and gospel music, while Betty arrived in her familiar red minivan whenever the family needed practical help. These memories emphasize care and belonging without publishing private medical, financial or location details.
Some of the warmest stories show Betty welcoming Henrique exactly as he was. She accepted his unconventional childhood clothes, took pride in his filmmaking and once welcomed a small movie crew into her orbit. When school bullies followed him home, she raced over and fiercely chased them away before comforting him. Henrique reflects on how that protection shaped the loyalty he hopes to offer the people he loves.
A malfunctioning thermostat provides a brief comic counterpoint. In his restless grief, Henrique replaces it with a Google Nest and experiments with schedules and voice controls; the pricing, compatibility and wiring discussion reflects one personal 2021 DIY experience, not electrical or HVAC instruction. Michelle’s Weekly Spooky story “Normal Shit” also receives a brief mention. At heart, however, this is a loving oral remembrance of holiday traditions, everyday kindness and a formidable family protector.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>2901true94fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/home-inspector-exam-win-gigs-s-vet-visit-a-bat-rabies-spiral--56706612Passing the exam does not make every next step obvious. Michelle is still sorting through school documentation, a New Jersey application and questions about an employer identification number, a DBA and working across state lines. Both hosts openly admit that they do not know the answers and eventually land on the sensible conclusion that some questions require a qualified professional. Their 2021 paperwork conversation is personal history, not legal, tax, licensing or business advice.
The mood changes when Gigs, Michelle’s cat, begins limping after an unknown mishap. Michelle rearranges her workday for a veterinary visit and describes the medications prescribed for pain and inflammation, while Henrique tries to reassure her that ordinary cat activity may explain the strain. The cause is never established, so the story remains a worried pet owner’s account rather than a diagnosis or veterinary recommendation.
Then unexplained scratches on Michelle’s arm trigger the episode’s most awkward spiral: what if a bat entered the house? No bat was seen, no bite or rabies exposure was observed and Michelle was not diagnosed or treated for rabies; even she says the marks look like cat scratches. From there, the friends riff on bats, raccoons, skunks, opossums and wildlife guidance, turning health anxiety into escalating comedy. The historical research they read aloud should not replace current medical, veterinary or public-health advice.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/ba157f44-9c57-4a3f-ba41-c643798f4d6bMon, 16 Aug 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto opens with a tiny legal windfall: a $2.15 payment from a Google+ profile class-action settlement. The real victory belongs to Michelle, who drives an hour to take the National Home Inspector Examination and passes despite expecting the...Passing the exam does not make every next step obvious. Michelle is still sorting through school documentation, a New Jersey application and questions about an employer identification number, a DBA and working across state lines. Both hosts openly admit that they do not know the answers and eventually land on the sensible conclusion that some questions require a qualified professional. Their 2021 paperwork conversation is personal history, not legal, tax, licensing or business advice.
The mood changes when Gigs, Michelle’s cat, begins limping after an unknown mishap. Michelle rearranges her workday for a veterinary visit and describes the medications prescribed for pain and inflammation, while Henrique tries to reassure her that ordinary cat activity may explain the strain. The cause is never established, so the story remains a worried pet owner’s account rather than a diagnosis or veterinary recommendation.
Then unexplained scratches on Michelle’s arm trigger the episode’s most awkward spiral: what if a bat entered the house? No bat was seen, no bite or rabies exposure was observed and Michelle was not diagnosed or treated for rabies; even she says the marks look like cat scratches. From there, the friends riff on bats, raccoons, skunks, opossums and wildlife guidance, turning health anxiety into escalating comedy. The historical research they read aloud should not replace current medical, veterinary or public-health advice.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>2015true93fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mom-n-pop-video-store-documentary-vhs-nostalgia-movie-nights--56706627Henrique and Michelle trade memories of Easy Video, Video Val’s, West Coast Video, Family Video and public-library VHS shelves. Henrique recalls repeatedly borrowing The Wizard of Speed and Time, crossing a busy road for rentals and discovering movies through whatever happened to be available. A friend’s work as a 1990s video broker adds another angle: large chains sold off former new releases, and smaller stores bought the used tapes for their own shelves.
The warmest section considers what video-store nostalgia is really trying to recover. Michelle remembers watching movies and anime with her family, while Henrique pictures pizza, tapes, Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction and late-night Space Ghost with his mother. They agree that reopening a rental counter cannot fully recreate childhood, yet familiar rituals can echo those memories. The discussion expands into old and new music, changing tastes and the value of remaining curious rather than living only inside nostalgia.
The episode also captures two smaller 2021 milestones: Henrique sells an older iPad through eBay, and Michelle prepares to take the National Home Inspector Examination the following day. Her result was not yet known during this recording, despite the original notes’ playful prediction that she passed. Together, these stories create a thoughtful celebration of VHS culture, family movie nights and the moments that make physical media matter.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/c30fbef0-4a89-483b-ba46-ccdaebb5e5f1Mon, 09 Aug 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in August 2021, Henrique Couto describes being interviewed for Mom N’ Pop: The Indie Video Store Boom of the ’80s / ’90s, director Bobby Canipe Jr.’s then-in-production documentary about independent video rental shops. The conversation...Henrique and Michelle trade memories of Easy Video, Video Val’s, West Coast Video, Family Video and public-library VHS shelves. Henrique recalls repeatedly borrowing The Wizard of Speed and Time, crossing a busy road for rentals and discovering movies through whatever happened to be available. A friend’s work as a 1990s video broker adds another angle: large chains sold off former new releases, and smaller stores bought the used tapes for their own shelves.
The warmest section considers what video-store nostalgia is really trying to recover. Michelle remembers watching movies and anime with her family, while Henrique pictures pizza, tapes, Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction and late-night Space Ghost with his mother. They agree that reopening a rental counter cannot fully recreate childhood, yet familiar rituals can echo those memories. The discussion expands into old and new music, changing tastes and the value of remaining curious rather than living only inside nostalgia.
The episode also captures two smaller 2021 milestones: Henrique sells an older iPad through eBay, and Michelle prepares to take the National Home Inspector Examination the following day. Her result was not yet known during this recording, despite the original notes’ playful prediction that she passed. Together, these stories create a thoughtful celebration of VHS culture, family movie nights and the moments that make physical media matter.
Links

• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>2308true92fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/the-forever-purge-m-night-shyamalan-s-old-a-flipped-house-inspection--56706629Henrique also gives a mostly spoiler-light review of M. Night Shyamalan’s Old. The beach-set thriller’s accelerated-aging premise fills him with dread about aging, illness and time, but he praises its mystery and final revelations. That reaction leads into a quick appreciation of Shyamalan’s run from The Visit through Split and Glass. All release and theater talk reflects the film’s 2021 theatrical moment rather than current availability.
Michelle brings a very different kind of suspense from a field inspection at a flipped house. In her account, the roof had been layered over an older roof and splashed with paint, the heating and cooling system behaved unpredictably, and the electric water heater produced no hot water. She and the inspector work through the confusing switches, breakers and thermostat behavior while Henrique supplies comic questions. This is a trainee’s recollection of one property, not a diagnosis, repair guide or professional home-inspection advice.
The episode opens with a personal update about Chicano after veterinary cardiology testing. Henrique says the dog’s heart disease and arrhythmia were described as early or mild, that Chicano was acting normally, and that another monitor was recommended for later follow-up. The hosts’ relief, Michelle’s growing inspection experience and Henrique’s improving stamina place the conversation firmly in its 2021 setting. Together, the stories connect horror-movie anxiety with the real uncertainties of pet care, recovery and learning a new career.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/a6a5cde4-d4e4-40ae-b1e7-4c4a33d05c3bMon, 02 Aug 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoSpoiler and content warning: recorded in August 2021, Henrique Couto discusses The Forever Purge and earlier Purge films, including political extremism, fictional murder and major plot details. He traces the series from The Purge through Anarchy,...Henrique also gives a mostly spoiler-light review of M. Night Shyamalan’s Old. The beach-set thriller’s accelerated-aging premise fills him with dread about aging, illness and time, but he praises its mystery and final revelations. That reaction leads into a quick appreciation of Shyamalan’s run from The Visit through Split and Glass. All release and theater talk reflects the film’s 2021 theatrical moment rather than current availability.
Michelle brings a very different kind of suspense from a field inspection at a flipped house. In her account, the roof had been layered over an older roof and splashed with paint, the heating and cooling system behaved unpredictably, and the electric water heater produced no hot water. She and the inspector work through the confusing switches, breakers and thermostat behavior while Henrique supplies comic questions. This is a trainee’s recollection of one property, not a diagnosis, repair guide or professional home-inspection advice.
The episode opens with a personal update about Chicano after veterinary cardiology testing. Henrique says the dog’s heart disease and arrhythmia were described as early or mild, that Chicano was acting normally, and that another monitor was recommended for later follow-up. The hosts’ relief, Michelle’s growing inspection experience and Henrique’s improving stamina place the conversation firmly in its 2021 setting. Together, the stories connect horror-movie anxiety with the real uncertainties of pet care, recovery and learning a new career.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>2165true91fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/chicano-s-veterinary-tests-community-support-michelle-s-home-inspector-goal--56706611Chicano’s planned tumor-removal procedure had been postponed after the veterinary team heard a possible arrhythmia or heart murmur. A cardiology visit brought reassuring imaging and an initial assessment of a very mild, age-related concern, followed by a 24-hour monitor meant to clarify the risk before anesthesia. Those monitor results were still pending when this conversation was recorded, so this episode does not declare Chicano cleared or supply a final prognosis. Henwolf, meanwhile, was responding well to vet-directed care.
Henrique thanks listeners, friends and customers who bought his work or contributed to a personal 2021 fundraiser, easing a financial burden he was prepared to carry himself. More than the totals, he values the messages from people who understood how much pets become family. He also challenges his own belief that helping others is admirable but asking for help is weakness. This is a gratitude story, not a current fundraising appeal, and no old store or donation destination is being promoted.
Michelle has completed her New Jersey home-inspection classes, continues related InterNACHI coursework and is preparing for the National Home Inspector Examination. She worries about failing, the cost of another attempt and the enormous range of material, while Henrique answers with specific confidence in her intelligence and resilience. Her plan to accompany neighbors during their professional inspection becomes another chance to learn. At this point she is still a student preparing for the exam—not yet announcing a passing score, license or independent inspection business.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/3d4ab3e1-9bfe-4a85-b8b7-18fd5d4051acMon, 26 Jul 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoAfter a rare in-person recording, Michelle and Henrique Couto compare their dining-room chemistry with nearly 90 remote conversations. Henrique is also encouraged by how well he handled travel, long days and the 2021 Joe Bob’s Jamboree while...Chicano’s planned tumor-removal procedure had been postponed after the veterinary team heard a possible arrhythmia or heart murmur. A cardiology visit brought reassuring imaging and an initial assessment of a very mild, age-related concern, followed by a 24-hour monitor meant to clarify the risk before anesthesia. Those monitor results were still pending when this conversation was recorded, so this episode does not declare Chicano cleared or supply a final prognosis. Henwolf, meanwhile, was responding well to vet-directed care.
Henrique thanks listeners, friends and customers who bought his work or contributed to a personal 2021 fundraiser, easing a financial burden he was prepared to carry himself. More than the totals, he values the messages from people who understood how much pets become family. He also challenges his own belief that helping others is admirable but asking for help is weakness. This is a gratitude story, not a current fundraising appeal, and no old store or donation destination is being promoted.
Michelle has completed her New Jersey home-inspection classes, continues related InterNACHI coursework and is preparing for the National Home Inspector Examination. She worries about failing, the cost of another attempt and the enormous range of material, while Henrique answers with specific confidence in her intelligence and resilience. Her plan to accompany neighbors during their professional inspection becomes another chance to learn. At this point she is still a student preparing for the exam—not yet announcing a passing score, license or independent inspection business.
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• Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com

]]>1897true90fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/joe-bob-briggs-drive-in-jamboree-the-mystery-of-upflush-toilets--56706603Henrique recounts attending the 2021 Joe Bob Briggs’ Drive-In Jamboree at the Mahoning Drive-In in Lehighton, Pennsylvania. He explains why Joe Bob’s work on MonsterVision and The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs mattered to him, then celebrates the venue’s 35mm screenings, VHS Fest and layered nostalgia of watching VHS projected at a drive-in. More than celebrity access, the weekend gives him a welcoming community of horror and cult-film fans.
The event also arrives amid a preservation scare. As Henrique understood the situation that weekend, a proposed solar project that could have displaced the drive-in had been withdrawn, and the venue’s operators hoped to purchase the land. He remembers the crowd turning “the drive-in will never die” into a celebratory rallying cry while small acts of kindness—including help with a low tire—made the gathering feel unusually generous.
Then the conversation moves from movie history to a less glamorous rental-house mystery. After a broken bed, questionable showers and unpleasant bathrooms, Michelle researches the upflush toilets Henrique encountered and describes their macerating pump design while both hosts wonder why anyone would add the extra machinery. Their comic investigation is an anecdote, not plumbing or building-code advice. A closing Vermont update brings frogs, newts, dragonflies and Michelle’s completed home-inspection classes, with her exam still ahead.
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Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/6d4b5b4d-a5c0-4b98-aaf9-452cc125fa20Mon, 19 Jul 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded together in the same room for the first time in July 2021, Michelle and Henrique Couto trade their usual remote setup for one microphone, a mixing board and a hastily improvised connection after a USB cable fails. The unusual arrangement...Henrique recounts attending the 2021 Joe Bob Briggs’ Drive-In Jamboree at the Mahoning Drive-In in Lehighton, Pennsylvania. He explains why Joe Bob’s work on MonsterVision and The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs mattered to him, then celebrates the venue’s 35mm screenings, VHS Fest and layered nostalgia of watching VHS projected at a drive-in. More than celebrity access, the weekend gives him a welcoming community of horror and cult-film fans.
The event also arrives amid a preservation scare. As Henrique understood the situation that weekend, a proposed solar project that could have displaced the drive-in had been withdrawn, and the venue’s operators hoped to purchase the land. He remembers the crowd turning “the drive-in will never die” into a celebratory rallying cry while small acts of kindness—including help with a low tire—made the gathering feel unusually generous.
Then the conversation moves from movie history to a less glamorous rental-house mystery. After a broken bed, questionable showers and unpleasant bathrooms, Michelle researches the upflush toilets Henrique encountered and describes their macerating pump design while both hosts wonder why anyone would add the extra machinery. Their comic investigation is an anecdote, not plumbing or building-code advice. A closing Vermont update brings frogs, newts, dragonflies and Michelle’s completed home-inspection classes, with her exam still ahead.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>1944true89fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/film-distribution-red-flags-computer-glitches-a-final-inspection-class--56706614Henrique walks through quality-control work, E&O insurance, artwork, trailers, physical media and platform delivery as examples of costs that may appear in a distribution agreement. He contrasts a company asking the filmmaker to carry all the risk with deals built around recoupable expenses and revenue splits, then emphasizes that percentages mean little without actual earnings. Specific numbers and contract structures are anecdotes from his career rather than current financial or legal guidance.
The episode’s glitches are less consequential but just as maddening. Michelle’s video had frozen during the previous recording even though her audio continued, and an operating-system update leaves her phone behaving strangely. Henrique has his own monitoring mystery: recordings from his audio interface sound noisy through one headphone connection but clean through his AirPods Pro. His anxious troubleshooting offers an honest look at producing Weekly Spooky and other voice work from a home studio.
A personal update places Michelle at her home-inspection training finish line—but not across it yet. She is taking her final class that night, still has three supervised inspection shadows to complete and plans to study before attempting the national exam. Henrique also reports that Henwolf had begun vet-prescribed medication after reassuring tests and that Chicano’s mass-removal surgery was scheduled for the next day. Those July 2021 updates do not establish later credentials, treatment results or surgical outcomes.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/7ff701d8-7358-4f59-9c64-771a0f4005f0Mon, 12 Jul 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in July 2021, filmmaker Henrique Couto turns a frustrating industry post into a practical discussion of film distribution red flags. He distinguishes sales agents and producer’s representatives, explains why some partnerships can help...Henrique walks through quality-control work, E&O insurance, artwork, trailers, physical media and platform delivery as examples of costs that may appear in a distribution agreement. He contrasts a company asking the filmmaker to carry all the risk with deals built around recoupable expenses and revenue splits, then emphasizes that percentages mean little without actual earnings. Specific numbers and contract structures are anecdotes from his career rather than current financial or legal guidance.
The episode’s glitches are less consequential but just as maddening. Michelle’s video had frozen during the previous recording even though her audio continued, and an operating-system update leaves her phone behaving strangely. Henrique has his own monitoring mystery: recordings from his audio interface sound noisy through one headphone connection but clean through his AirPods Pro. His anxious troubleshooting offers an honest look at producing Weekly Spooky and other voice work from a home studio.
A personal update places Michelle at her home-inspection training finish line—but not across it yet. She is taking her final class that night, still has three supervised inspection shadows to complete and plans to study before attempting the national exam. Henrique also reports that Henwolf had begun vet-prescribed medication after reassuring tests and that Chicano’s mass-removal surgery was scheduled for the next day. Those July 2021 updates do not establish later credentials, treatment results or surgical outcomes.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>1958true88fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/veterinary-bills-pet-health-scares-michelle-s-home-inspector-finish-line--56706613Henrique describes the anxiety of facing two possible procedures close together and the cost of caring for older dogs. He also thanks listeners who responded to his contemporaneous request by buying his movies or tipping Weekly Spooky with notes for the pets. Their help covered one visit and eased some immediate pressure, but this historical account is not a current fundraiser and does not supply either dog’s later diagnosis, treatment result or prognosis.
Michelle’s home-inspection education is also approaching a milestone. After completing two supervised shadow inspections in quick succession, she has three remaining and expects to attend her final class that Wednesday. The national exam is still ahead, and she plans to review her book and recorded classes before attempting it. Licensing, insurance and business formation remain future steps, so the conversation does not establish that she was already credentialed or practicing independently.
A discussion of E&O insurance links Michelle’s new field with Henrique’s filmmaking experience, but both hosts openly explore questions they have not resolved. They compare professional-risk concerns, debate possible company structures and brainstorm intentionally terrible business names while Michelle’s frozen video turns her into a silent reaction shot. Veterinary bills, career-change nerves and technical glitches make this a candid snapshot of two friends managing uncertain next steps.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/fb573011-beb4-42cb-9e0a-a13aa8c8f276Mon, 05 Jul 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoIn this July 2021 update, Henrique Couto explains why veterinary appointments for Henwolf and Chicano have consumed his week and his budget. A growth on Chicano’s chest has been examined, with removal scheduled for the following week even though its...Henrique describes the anxiety of facing two possible procedures close together and the cost of caring for older dogs. He also thanks listeners who responded to his contemporaneous request by buying his movies or tipping Weekly Spooky with notes for the pets. Their help covered one visit and eased some immediate pressure, but this historical account is not a current fundraiser and does not supply either dog’s later diagnosis, treatment result or prognosis.
Michelle’s home-inspection education is also approaching a milestone. After completing two supervised shadow inspections in quick succession, she has three remaining and expects to attend her final class that Wednesday. The national exam is still ahead, and she plans to review her book and recorded classes before attempting it. Licensing, insurance and business formation remain future steps, so the conversation does not establish that she was already credentialed or practicing independently.
A discussion of E&O insurance links Michelle’s new field with Henrique’s filmmaking experience, but both hosts openly explore questions they have not resolved. They compare professional-risk concerns, debate possible company structures and brainstorm intentionally terrible business names while Michelle’s frozen video turns her into a silent reaction shot. Veterinary bills, career-change nerves and technical glitches make this a candid snapshot of two friends managing uncertain next steps.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>1926true87fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mahanoy-area-school-district-v-b-l-student-speech-a-moving-day-disaster--56706634The discussion explores the difference between speech that occurs at school and expression posted elsewhere, while recognizing that the Court did not eliminate every school interest in off-campus conduct. Henrique connects the case to his own school experiences, his work as an artist and his free-speech absolutism; Michelle offers a quieter counterpoint about choosing where to spend money after unpleasant interactions. Their opinions are a contemporaneous debate, not legal advice or a universal rule for student discipline.
Away from constitutional law, Henrique describes the technical side of independent filmmaking: checking sound, preparing master files and assembling deliverables for Blu-ray, DVD and video-on-demand distribution. He also recounts simultaneously shipping a new Devil’s Trail edition and the Babysitter Massacre book while preparing Weekly Spooky story collections. Those products and release plans belong to 2021 and are not presented as current offers.
Michelle closes with a moving-day disaster from helping her mother change homes. A dresser will not fit upstairs, another large piece cannot leave the old house and a particle-board desk breaks during the move. She also reports scratches to floors and walls and several damaged knobs, but the story stays her family’s personal recollection rather than an accusation against an identified company. Even the episode’s underwear joke comes from the stranded dresser sitting in the dining room.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/77084284-dd65-4e84-9d13-cdb7d42707bdMon, 28 Jun 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto opens with a passionate June 2021 reaction to Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L., the U.S. Supreme Court’s student-speech decision issued days before this recording. The Court held that the Pennsylvania school district violated B.L.’s...The discussion explores the difference between speech that occurs at school and expression posted elsewhere, while recognizing that the Court did not eliminate every school interest in off-campus conduct. Henrique connects the case to his own school experiences, his work as an artist and his free-speech absolutism; Michelle offers a quieter counterpoint about choosing where to spend money after unpleasant interactions. Their opinions are a contemporaneous debate, not legal advice or a universal rule for student discipline.
Away from constitutional law, Henrique describes the technical side of independent filmmaking: checking sound, preparing master files and assembling deliverables for Blu-ray, DVD and video-on-demand distribution. He also recounts simultaneously shipping a new Devil’s Trail edition and the Babysitter Massacre book while preparing Weekly Spooky story collections. Those products and release plans belong to 2021 and are not presented as current offers.
Michelle closes with a moving-day disaster from helping her mother change homes. A dresser will not fit upstairs, another large piece cannot leave the old house and a particle-board desk breaks during the move. She also reports scratches to floors and walls and several damaged knobs, but the story stays her family’s personal recollection rather than an accusation against an identified company. Even the episode’s underwear joke comes from the stranded dresser sitting in the dining room.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2541true86fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/filmmaking-in-extreme-heat-home-inspection-training-inflatable-hot-tub-lessons--56706607Henrique Couto has reached a different finish line: the unnamed low-budget movie he has discussed for several weeks has wrapped production. The final outdoor shoot unfolds under cloudless skies in temperatures he remembers reaching the mid-90s, forcing the cast and crew to rotate through shade, water breaks and rehearsals between setups. He praises their work and says Eric Whiting has begun editing, while admitting that exhaustion and lingering breathing trouble leave him focused on recovery.
That fatigue makes Henrique’s new inflatable hot tub especially appealing. He recounts the 2021 setup, his surprise at fluctuating prices and limited pool-supply availability and his first attempts to balance sanitizer and pH. Rather than a maintenance tutorial, this is the story of an enthusiastic new owner learning through test strips, different floaters and a few avoidable mistakes. Morning and late-night soaks quickly become his preferred routine.
The hosts compare working long hours in extreme heat with ordinary outdoor recreation and acknowledge how badly people can underestimate prolonged exposure. Henrique also reflects on pacing himself after surgery and illness, though his inhaler use and recovery remain personal health history rather than advice. Between Michelle’s halfway point, a completed film shoot and the small pleasure of a backyard soak, the episode captures both hosts trying to recognize progress without ignoring their limits.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/648cdc6d-7714-42b7-b84c-85cccc97bb5fMon, 21 Jun 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in June 2021, Michelle checks in from the fifth of ten planned supervised home inspections. She describes testing outlets and windows while observing an older roof, basement moisture and reported water inside an electrical panel. The unusual...Henrique Couto has reached a different finish line: the unnamed low-budget movie he has discussed for several weeks has wrapped production. The final outdoor shoot unfolds under cloudless skies in temperatures he remembers reaching the mid-90s, forcing the cast and crew to rotate through shade, water breaks and rehearsals between setups. He praises their work and says Eric Whiting has begun editing, while admitting that exhaustion and lingering breathing trouble leave him focused on recovery.
That fatigue makes Henrique’s new inflatable hot tub especially appealing. He recounts the 2021 setup, his surprise at fluctuating prices and limited pool-supply availability and his first attempts to balance sanitizer and pH. Rather than a maintenance tutorial, this is the story of an enthusiastic new owner learning through test strips, different floaters and a few avoidable mistakes. Morning and late-night soaks quickly become his preferred routine.
The hosts compare working long hours in extreme heat with ordinary outdoor recreation and acknowledge how badly people can underestimate prolonged exposure. Henrique also reflects on pacing himself after surgery and illness, though his inhaler use and recovery remain personal health history rather than advice. Between Michelle’s halfway point, a completed film shoot and the small pleasure of a backyard soak, the episode captures both hosts trying to recognize progress without ignoring their limits.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2382true85fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/water-heater-emergency-gas-meter-chaos-an-inflatable-hot-tub--56706617Henrique Couto’s hot-water story is considerably happier: the inflatable hot tub he wanted throughout lockdown has finally arrived. He has researched reviews and watched setup videos, but the box is still unopened and the tub unassembled during this conversation. Henrique talks through his excitement, the financing decision and hopes for a restorative soak after demanding film work. Those expectations are personal enthusiasm, not product, electrical, chemical or health guidance.
The delivery arrives just as Henrique prepares for the last hot-weather shoot on an unnamed low-budget movie. Although his COVID-era breathing problems have improved, strenuous set days still leave him monitoring his energy and occasionally using an inhaler. He plans to rest after the wrap before deciding how to approach Babysitter Massacre 2, a future project that he has begun imagining around the hot tub rather than a production or release currently promised to listeners.
Michelle also tests a new drone she hopes could eventually support home-inspection work. Her first practice flight stays in the backyard while she learns the controls and navigates trees and overhead wires. A joking tax-write-off debate follows, but neither host claims professional expertise. Gas-meter chaos, a red-tagged water heater, an eagerly awaited hot tub and a tentative drone flight make this a conversation about expensive surprises and the comfort of having a friend on a difficult day.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/889779de-3ca5-4511-95fe-a247ee6dfd96Mon, 14 Jun 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoMichelle expects a routine June 2021 visit to install a water-pressure regulator, but a same-day PECO gas-meter replacement transforms the appointment into a water-heater emergency. After relighting pilot lights, utility workers raise a possible...Henrique Couto’s hot-water story is considerably happier: the inflatable hot tub he wanted throughout lockdown has finally arrived. He has researched reviews and watched setup videos, but the box is still unopened and the tub unassembled during this conversation. Henrique talks through his excitement, the financing decision and hopes for a restorative soak after demanding film work. Those expectations are personal enthusiasm, not product, electrical, chemical or health guidance.
The delivery arrives just as Henrique prepares for the last hot-weather shoot on an unnamed low-budget movie. Although his COVID-era breathing problems have improved, strenuous set days still leave him monitoring his energy and occasionally using an inhaler. He plans to rest after the wrap before deciding how to approach Babysitter Massacre 2, a future project that he has begun imagining around the hot tub rather than a production or release currently promised to listeners.
Michelle also tests a new drone she hopes could eventually support home-inspection work. Her first practice flight stays in the backyard while she learns the controls and navigates trees and overhead wires. A joking tax-write-off debate follows, but neither host claims professional expertise. Gas-meter chaos, a red-tagged water heater, an eagerly awaited hot tub and a tentative drone flight make this a conversation about expensive surprises and the comfort of having a friend on a difficult day.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2082true84fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/leaking-radiators-covid-recovery-filmmaking-load-bearing-home-repairs--56706621Home-repair anxiety turns into a Simpsons joke when Henrique Couto recalls the “load-bearing poster” from the episode in which Springfield rebuilds Ned Flanders’s house. From there, every doorbell, wall hanging and household object can supposedly be load-bearing. The gag does not describe a structural condition in Michelle’s home; it captures the uneasy feeling that one small repair could expose a much larger problem.
Henrique’s more serious update comes from another weekend directing an unnamed film while rebuilding stamina after COVID-19. The production swings from high heat one weekend to cold, windy conditions the next, and some locations require the crew to carry gear across a pasture. Although the shoot goes well and gets ahead of schedule, Henrique describes hitting a wall afterward: intense fatigue, extra sleep and a low mood reminiscent of his earlier recovery. He is improving, but not declaring himself fully recovered.
The hosts also compare Ohio’s then-ending mask mandate with the rules and habits Michelle still encounters around Philadelphia. Henrique welcomes relief from a mask he finds uncomfortable, while Michelle values both added caution and a year without strangers telling her to smile. A final beard-dye and facial-hair tangent lightens the mood. The public-health discussion is preserved as a 2021 snapshot, not current medical or legal advice.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/0a4df3f6-aa72-4e09-8054-64f630e28816Mon, 07 Jun 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoMichelle’s plumber visit becomes a full-system project in this May/June 2021 conversation. To replace a corroded, leaking radiator valve, the plumber drains, refills and bleeds her hot-water radiator system, including upstairs units that had not been...Home-repair anxiety turns into a Simpsons joke when Henrique Couto recalls the “load-bearing poster” from the episode in which Springfield rebuilds Ned Flanders’s house. From there, every doorbell, wall hanging and household object can supposedly be load-bearing. The gag does not describe a structural condition in Michelle’s home; it captures the uneasy feeling that one small repair could expose a much larger problem.
Henrique’s more serious update comes from another weekend directing an unnamed film while rebuilding stamina after COVID-19. The production swings from high heat one weekend to cold, windy conditions the next, and some locations require the crew to carry gear across a pasture. Although the shoot goes well and gets ahead of schedule, Henrique describes hitting a wall afterward: intense fatigue, extra sleep and a low mood reminiscent of his earlier recovery. He is improving, but not declaring himself fully recovered.
The hosts also compare Ohio’s then-ending mask mandate with the rules and habits Michelle still encounters around Philadelphia. Henrique welcomes relief from a mask he finds uncomfortable, while Michelle values both added caution and a year without strangers telling her to smile. A final beard-dye and facial-hair tangent lightens the mood. The public-health discussion is preserved as a 2021 snapshot, not current medical or legal advice.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2401true83fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/back-in-the-director-s-chair-film-set-heat-a-muted-microphone--56706589The comeback is physically demanding. Two outdoor days reach the high 80s under strong sun, and both a crew member and Henrique begin feeling unwell despite shade and breaks. Henrique packs a Prius with cameras, lenses, lights, stabilizers and other production gear, then admits that exhaustion makes the drive home difficult enough that he calls Michelle for company. His story acknowledges strain during recovery without romanticizing working through illness or offering heat-safety advice.
Michelle spends the recording waiting for her Pennsylvania car inspection and new front brakes, only to discover a different technical problem near the end. Her microphone is connected and visibly responding, but Zencastr has selected a headset or computer input instead. The hosts commit to the imperfect audio and turn “Is this thing on?” into the episode’s punch line. It is a specific software-setting mistake, not a universal troubleshooting solution.
A spontaneous visit to Caesar Creek gives Henrique a quieter insight. Buying inexpensive beach supplies and spending an afternoon by the water reminds him how little his family traveled when money was tight and how much of adulthood he has devoted to building a filmmaking career. He begins considering more trips and ordinary recreation alongside the work. The historical listener-support appeal and private donor acknowledgment are omitted, leaving the episode focused on creative recovery, limits and friendship.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/13f8895e-eae6-429a-8868-c001237b44cbMon, 31 May 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto returns to the director’s chair in May 2021 for his first weekend leading a film set after COVID-19. The unnamed production gets ahead of schedule, yet success triggers an anxious scene-by-scene audit to make sure nothing has been...The comeback is physically demanding. Two outdoor days reach the high 80s under strong sun, and both a crew member and Henrique begin feeling unwell despite shade and breaks. Henrique packs a Prius with cameras, lenses, lights, stabilizers and other production gear, then admits that exhaustion makes the drive home difficult enough that he calls Michelle for company. His story acknowledges strain during recovery without romanticizing working through illness or offering heat-safety advice.
Michelle spends the recording waiting for her Pennsylvania car inspection and new front brakes, only to discover a different technical problem near the end. Her microphone is connected and visibly responding, but Zencastr has selected a headset or computer input instead. The hosts commit to the imperfect audio and turn “Is this thing on?” into the episode’s punch line. It is a specific software-setting mistake, not a universal troubleshooting solution.
A spontaneous visit to Caesar Creek gives Henrique a quieter insight. Buying inexpensive beach supplies and spending an afternoon by the water reminds him how little his family traveled when money was tight and how much of adulthood he has devoted to building a filmmaking career. He begins considering more trips and ordinary recreation alongside the work. The historical listener-support appeal and private donor acknowledgment are omitted, leaving the episode focused on creative recovery, limits and friendship.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2000true82fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/returning-to-the-director-s-chair-after-covid-a-haunted-home-inspection--56706631Directing, Henrique explains, means being both the decision-maker and the person everyone needs at once. He remembers answering a stream of questions on Babysitter Massacre and discovering that a brief bathroom break could provide a rare quiet moment. For the new shoot, the team plans to handle unloading and reduce his hikes across outdoor locations so he can focus on cameras, actors and the scheduled scenes. The conversation captures creative leadership under pressure without turning personal recovery practices into medical or workplace advice.
Michelle offers a different kind of professional anxiety. Home-inspection school has made her worry about overlooking a serious defect, and new knowledge has changed the way she sees both her current home and a former one. She recently attended the paid inspection of a house her mother was considering, observing the process as a student rather than acting as the inspector. The notes protect the prospective property, its owner and the family’s decision while preserving Michelle’s candid account of learning through uncertainty.
The hosts close by asking the question no standard inspection can answer: how haunted is the house? Michelle initially rates it low, but photographs of one closet have made her sister uneasy, prompting a joke about whether a corpse had been inside. It is playful horror banter, not a claim about the property. Along the way, Henrique’s dog Chicano chases a cat across the street, Michelle offers steady encouragement, and their friendship keeps a stressful 2021 turning point warm and funny.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/db581b52-b9a2-4900-95ad-a66b1943d429Mon, 24 May 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoIn May 2021, Henrique Couto prepares to return to the director’s chair earlier than expected while still rebuilding his stamina after COVID-19. The unnamed Western began filming in November 2020 before weather and coronavirus concerns paused...Directing, Henrique explains, means being both the decision-maker and the person everyone needs at once. He remembers answering a stream of questions on Babysitter Massacre and discovering that a brief bathroom break could provide a rare quiet moment. For the new shoot, the team plans to handle unloading and reduce his hikes across outdoor locations so he can focus on cameras, actors and the scheduled scenes. The conversation captures creative leadership under pressure without turning personal recovery practices into medical or workplace advice.
Michelle offers a different kind of professional anxiety. Home-inspection school has made her worry about overlooking a serious defect, and new knowledge has changed the way she sees both her current home and a former one. She recently attended the paid inspection of a house her mother was considering, observing the process as a student rather than acting as the inspector. The notes protect the prospective property, its owner and the family’s decision while preserving Michelle’s candid account of learning through uncertainty.
The hosts close by asking the question no standard inspection can answer: how haunted is the house? Michelle initially rates it low, but photographs of one closet have made her sister uneasy, prompting a joke about whether a corpse had been inside. It is playful horror banter, not a claim about the property. Along the way, Henrique’s dog Chicano chases a cat across the street, Michelle offers steady encouragement, and their friendship keeps a stressful 2021 turning point warm and funny.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2538true81fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/covid-recovery-vegan-meal-experiments-home-inspection-school--56706636The larger conversation is about Henrique’s emotional relationship with food. Lockdown stress, illness and the convenience of drive-through meals have reinforced habits he wants to change, while depression can make cooking and cleaning feel harder. He talks candidly about body image, past weight changes and comfort eating, then asks listeners not to send unsolicited diet plans. When Henrique calls Michelle “perfect” because she enjoys cooking and rarely seeks fast food, she pushes back; the title’s praise is affectionate teasing, not a judgment about anyone’s health.
Michelle closes the episode with an update from home-inspection school. She has been studying attic ventilation and admits that the lessons make her scrutinize her own older house. New tools from Home Depot—a non-contact voltage tester and a receptacle tester with a GFCI button—turn coursework into an enthusiastic show-and-tell. The pair also identify Tyvek housewrap after Michelle says she had previously seen it without knowing its name. These are student observations, not electrical, inspection or repair instructions.
Between the heavier subjects, the friends revisit a McDonald’s drive-through mishap that left ice cream down the side of Michelle’s car, debate dishwashers and laugh about Henrique’s dog Chicano demanding attention. Their jokes keep a vulnerable discussion from becoming a prescription for anyone else. The result is an honest snapshot of COVID recovery, food routines, depression, creative-work pressure and the small confidence boosts that can come from learning new tools.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/f7693a79-9d90-4aaa-8838-9bb2cd82cf65Mon, 17 May 2021 05:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoIn May 2021, Henrique Couto is preparing to return to physically demanding film work while still rebuilding his stamina after COVID-19. He describes a three-day experiment with replacing some fast food with vegan or vegetarian meals, ramen and Huel...The larger conversation is about Henrique’s emotional relationship with food. Lockdown stress, illness and the convenience of drive-through meals have reinforced habits he wants to change, while depression can make cooking and cleaning feel harder. He talks candidly about body image, past weight changes and comfort eating, then asks listeners not to send unsolicited diet plans. When Henrique calls Michelle “perfect” because she enjoys cooking and rarely seeks fast food, she pushes back; the title’s praise is affectionate teasing, not a judgment about anyone’s health.
Michelle closes the episode with an update from home-inspection school. She has been studying attic ventilation and admits that the lessons make her scrutinize her own older house. New tools from Home Depot—a non-contact voltage tester and a receptacle tester with a GFCI button—turn coursework into an enthusiastic show-and-tell. The pair also identify Tyvek housewrap after Michelle says she had previously seen it without knowing its name. These are student observations, not electrical, inspection or repair instructions.
Between the heavier subjects, the friends revisit a McDonald’s drive-through mishap that left ice cream down the side of Michelle’s car, debate dishwashers and laugh about Henrique’s dog Chicano demanding attention. Their jokes keep a vulnerable discussion from becoming a prescription for anyone else. The result is an honest snapshot of COVID recovery, food routines, depression, creative-work pressure and the small confidence boosts that can come from learning new tools.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2370true80fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-sudden-film-deadline-post-covid-recovery-michelle-s-first-inspection-shadow--56706641Henrique describes the fatigue and reduced stamina he was still experiencing after COVID-19, along with the emotional strain of measuring that recovery against his reputation for resilience. He considers spreading the shoot across more days, shortening workdays and accepting more help with the physical demands of an outdoor set. Michelle reminds him that illness does not make him weak or mean that he has failed anyone, turning a stressful production conversation into a candid exchange about friendship and self-compassion.
A lighter detour celebrates Michelle’s birthday before Henrique recounts the administrative fallout from a stolen debit card. Missed automatic payments produced confusing notices from his dental savings plan and auto insurer, prompting a comic argument about why companies mail cancellation warnings instead of simply asking customers to update a card. These are personal 2021 experiences, not insurance, dental or financial guidance.
Michelle then reports on her first formal home-inspection shadow as a trainee: a straightforward condo visit that took about two hours. She had hoped to observe a more complex inspection involving features such as a sewer scope or pool, while Henrique admits how little he knew about the process. Their conversation expands into condos, apartments, shared walls, noisy neighbors and the challenge of keeping backyard movie nights audible without disturbing anyone nearby.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/328a1eb5-7644-41d5-80d1-ee9fb33b6a97Mon, 10 May 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in May 2021, Henrique Couto opens up about an urgent production deadline arriving before he feels physically ready. A small Western that paused amid weather problems and COVID-19 disruptions suddenly needs to be completed within roughly a...Henrique describes the fatigue and reduced stamina he was still experiencing after COVID-19, along with the emotional strain of measuring that recovery against his reputation for resilience. He considers spreading the shoot across more days, shortening workdays and accepting more help with the physical demands of an outdoor set. Michelle reminds him that illness does not make him weak or mean that he has failed anyone, turning a stressful production conversation into a candid exchange about friendship and self-compassion.
A lighter detour celebrates Michelle’s birthday before Henrique recounts the administrative fallout from a stolen debit card. Missed automatic payments produced confusing notices from his dental savings plan and auto insurer, prompting a comic argument about why companies mail cancellation warnings instead of simply asking customers to update a card. These are personal 2021 experiences, not insurance, dental or financial guidance.
Michelle then reports on her first formal home-inspection shadow as a trainee: a straightforward condo visit that took about two hours. She had hoped to observe a more complex inspection involving features such as a sewer scope or pool, while Henrique admits how little he knew about the process. Their conversation expands into condos, apartments, shared walls, noisy neighbors and the challenge of keeping backyard movie nights audible without disturbing anyone nearby.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2520true79fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mortal-kombat-2021-a-movie-role-beard-home-inspector-school--56706600Henrique also checks in one week after his second COVID-19 vaccination. He describes feeling substantially better than he had during the previous week, while noting a brief return of chest tightness and his continued recovery from an earlier illness. The conversation reflects one person’s experience at that moment in 2021 and does not generalize vaccine effects or offer medical advice.
The centerpiece is Henrique’s enthusiastic review of the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie. He expected a generic collection of fights but found more humor and personality than the trailer suggested. That leads to a wider discussion of trailers that misrepresent a film, whether audiences enjoy familiar lines in previews and how the marketing revealed the anticipated Scorpion-versus-Sub-Zero confrontation. Taken and Unknown become contrasting examples of action and thriller expectations.
Then the hosts compare childhood video-game memories: Mortal Kombat’s tournament mode, Mega Man, Kirby, Super Mario speedruns, Nintendo consoles, Sega Game Gear and Sonic the Hedgehog. The episode closes during Michelle’s first week of online New Jersey home-inspector school. She is still a student with substantial coursework and practical training ahead—not yet a licensed inspector—while Henrique counters her self-doubt with an emphatic vote of confidence.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/109d8276-5ba6-46da-96e3-192c6a82cfa5Mon, 03 May 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in May 2021, Henrique Couto discovers that his beard has gone from unruly to surprisingly brushable. He had grown it for a delayed movie role and worries that trimming it could collide with an unexpected chance to film. Michelle is less...Henrique also checks in one week after his second COVID-19 vaccination. He describes feeling substantially better than he had during the previous week, while noting a brief return of chest tightness and his continued recovery from an earlier illness. The conversation reflects one person’s experience at that moment in 2021 and does not generalize vaccine effects or offer medical advice.
The centerpiece is Henrique’s enthusiastic review of the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie. He expected a generic collection of fights but found more humor and personality than the trailer suggested. That leads to a wider discussion of trailers that misrepresent a film, whether audiences enjoy familiar lines in previews and how the marketing revealed the anticipated Scorpion-versus-Sub-Zero confrontation. Taken and Unknown become contrasting examples of action and thriller expectations.
Then the hosts compare childhood video-game memories: Mortal Kombat’s tournament mode, Mega Man, Kirby, Super Mario speedruns, Nintendo consoles, Sega Game Gear and Sonic the Hedgehog. The episode closes during Michelle’s first week of online New Jersey home-inspector school. She is still a student with substantial coursework and practical training ahead—not yet a licensed inspector—while Henrique counters her self-doubt with an emphatic vote of confidence.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2399true78fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/second-moderna-shot-sudden-symptoms-a-very-bad-podcasting-idea--56706620As the recording continues, Henrique reports feeling progressively worse: heat and clamminess, headache, trouble concentrating, heavy eyes, aching joints, fatigue and concern about coughing and renewed chest tightness. He had started the podcast in hopes that documenting the reaction would be funny, but the experiment becomes uncomfortable enough that Michelle repeatedly suggests stopping. The hosts eventually end the episode so he can rest.
Henrique places the experience within his longer recovery after COVID-19. Following several better days, he dreaded temporarily feeling worse again and struggled with the uncertainty of making plans while his stamina remained unpredictable. His impatience with being sidelined helps explain the urge to keep recording even as the idea unravels. Nothing in this conversation establishes a typical vaccine response, diagnosis, treatment plan or expected recovery timeline.
Gallows humor keeps breaking through the health anxiety. The hosts joke about an unexpected April snowfall, abandoned lawn mowing, cryptic Twitch comments and whether listeners should feel guilty for laughing. Beneath the teasing, Michelle is visibly concerned and keeps encouraging her friend to stop recording. The result is an unusually candid time capsule of pandemic-era friendship, frustration and a very bad podcasting idea reconsidered in real time.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/c450df9b-1704-4a59-a7d0-adc5baf7ab05Mon, 26 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHealth-content note: this April 2021 episode follows Henrique Couto less than two hours after his second Moderna COVID-19 vaccination. He contrasts a fast Ohio appointment with the long lines around his first dose, then explains why he chose to record...As the recording continues, Henrique reports feeling progressively worse: heat and clamminess, headache, trouble concentrating, heavy eyes, aching joints, fatigue and concern about coughing and renewed chest tightness. He had started the podcast in hopes that documenting the reaction would be funny, but the experiment becomes uncomfortable enough that Michelle repeatedly suggests stopping. The hosts eventually end the episode so he can rest.
Henrique places the experience within his longer recovery after COVID-19. Following several better days, he dreaded temporarily feeling worse again and struggled with the uncertainty of making plans while his stamina remained unpredictable. His impatience with being sidelined helps explain the urge to keep recording even as the idea unravels. Nothing in this conversation establishes a typical vaccine response, diagnosis, treatment plan or expected recovery timeline.
Gallows humor keeps breaking through the health anxiety. The hosts joke about an unexpected April snowfall, abandoned lawn mowing, cryptic Twitch comments and whether listeners should feel guilty for laughing. Beneath the teasing, Michelle is visibly concerned and keeps encouraging her friend to stop recording. The result is an unusually candid time capsule of pandemic-era friendship, frustration and a very bad podcasting idea reconsidered in real time.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2281true77fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/lawn-mower-comebacks-wasp-filled-sheds-an-audio-interface-curse--56706625Michelle has her own mowing interruption when the battery in her electric mower runs down, but a charged battery from another yard tool lets her continue. Both hosts also discover wasps around their sheds. Henrique explains why a serious sting allergy makes the insects especially stressful for him, while Michelle admits she has delayed dealing with hers. The stories are personal mishaps, not instructions for mower repair, fuel handling, pest control or allergy care.
Then “Michelle the Destroyer” becomes an affectionate exaggeration about audio equipment. An older M-Audio interface stopped working after a macOS upgrade, and the inexpensive replacement mixer eventually developed similar problems. With a new interface from B&H Photo Video still in transit, Michelle records through her headset microphone; Henrique says the close microphone sounds usable for this recording despite its thinner tone.
The technology spiral revisits the previous week’s Zoom failure, when Michelle’s video froze in an awkward expression even though her audio continued. They also touch on a replacement tire, wildflower seeds and Henrique’s continued frustration with a recovery that still limits his plans. Lawn-mowing progress, shed invaders and failing podcast hardware make this a practical snapshot of two friends improvising around whatever breaks next.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/390a7c0f-0733-4ed2-b6a5-478747882f59Mon, 19 Apr 2021 13:08:28 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in April 2021, Henrique Couto turns yard work into a milestone in his recovery after COVID-19. He manages the front lawn and roughly half the back before both the gas mower and his energy run out. When weakness and dizziness arrive, he...Michelle has her own mowing interruption when the battery in her electric mower runs down, but a charged battery from another yard tool lets her continue. Both hosts also discover wasps around their sheds. Henrique explains why a serious sting allergy makes the insects especially stressful for him, while Michelle admits she has delayed dealing with hers. The stories are personal mishaps, not instructions for mower repair, fuel handling, pest control or allergy care.
Then “Michelle the Destroyer” becomes an affectionate exaggeration about audio equipment. An older M-Audio interface stopped working after a macOS upgrade, and the inexpensive replacement mixer eventually developed similar problems. With a new interface from B&H Photo Video still in transit, Michelle records through her headset microphone; Henrique says the close microphone sounds usable for this recording despite its thinner tone.
The technology spiral revisits the previous week’s Zoom failure, when Michelle’s video froze in an awkward expression even though her audio continued. They also touch on a replacement tire, wildflower seeds and Henrique’s continued frustration with a recovery that still limits his plans. Lawn-mowing progress, shed invaders and failing podcast hardware make this a practical snapshot of two friends improvising around whatever breaks next.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2019true76fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/michelle-s-flat-tire-disaster-first-tire-change-godzilla-vs-kong--56706628Michelle then tackles her first hands-on tire change and puts on the spare, drawing on knowledge she had previously understood only in theory. At recording time, however, the car is still at home, the tire shop has not returned her call and she does not yet know whether the puncture can be repaired or covered by warranty. This is a personal mishap, not tire-changing, roadside-safety or vehicle-repair guidance.
The rough day began with broken blinds and continues with frozen video feeds and a microphone swap during the podcast. Michelle also briefly recounts how she felt after receiving the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine three days earlier, while Henrique describes his still-uneven respiratory recovery. Their accounts are dated personal experiences rather than medical advice, and the episode does not establish any later outcome.
Henrique closes with an enthusiastic, spoiler-light reaction to Godzilla vs. Kong. He found the newly released monster movie fast, action-packed and cheerfully uncomplicated, and he defends the simple pleasure of watching Godzilla and Kong collide without demanding a different kind of film. Between a punctured tire, collapsing household gear, recording glitches and giant-monster fandom, Michelle really did have quite a day.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/59046a26-edd5-48a0-96e6-5d4eb0116edbMon, 12 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in spring 2021, Michelle’s ordinary grocery run turns into a flat-tire disaster almost immediately. After pulling away from home, she discovers a puncture and a completely deflated passenger-side tire. A portable inflator cannot revive it,...Michelle then tackles her first hands-on tire change and puts on the spare, drawing on knowledge she had previously understood only in theory. At recording time, however, the car is still at home, the tire shop has not returned her call and she does not yet know whether the puncture can be repaired or covered by warranty. This is a personal mishap, not tire-changing, roadside-safety or vehicle-repair guidance.
The rough day began with broken blinds and continues with frozen video feeds and a microphone swap during the podcast. Michelle also briefly recounts how she felt after receiving the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine three days earlier, while Henrique describes his still-uneven respiratory recovery. Their accounts are dated personal experiences rather than medical advice, and the episode does not establish any later outcome.
Henrique closes with an enthusiastic, spoiler-light reaction to Godzilla vs. Kong. He found the newly released monster movie fast, action-packed and cheerfully uncomplicated, and he defends the simple pleasure of watching Godzilla and Kong collide without demanding a different kind of film. Between a punctured tire, collapsing household gear, recording glitches and giant-monster fandom, Michelle really did have quite a day.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2293true75fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/post-covid-recovery-godzilla-vs-kong-anticipation-a-chimney-assessment--56706639Henrique is also counting down to Godzilla vs. Kong, which he plans to see later that night but has not watched yet. A lifelong member of Team Godzilla, he traces his affection to the playful Showa-era movies he found on VHS and explains why Adam Wingard’s path from independent films such as You’re Next and The Guest makes this MonsterVerse assignment especially exciting. It is anticipation, not a review or verdict.
Michelle then recounts a contractor’s visit about missing chimney mortar and intermittent water entering her basement. As she understood the assessment, the water might be related to below-grade masonry and a deteriorated terra-cotta liner rather than simply traveling down from the roof. The conversation also raises the possibility of eventually changing how the water heater vents. These are reported 2021 observations and options, not verified defects, repair instructions or building-safety advice.
Along the way, the hosts touch on Nobody, Dr. Stone, old VHS discoveries and the way moviegoing was beginning to change again that spring. The durable thread is uncertainty: Henrique is testing the limits of a recovery that still varies by day, he is eagerly waiting to see the new monster showdown, and Michelle is sorting through a home assessment whose outcome is still ahead of her.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/ed622895-48b4-49b6-9247-363ee8f89e0dMon, 05 Apr 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in spring 2021, Henrique Couto describes an encouraging but uneven stage of his recovery after COVID-19. One unusually energetic day lets him finish Weekly Spooky early, see Nobody and briefly feel “superhuman.” The following morning is...Henrique is also counting down to Godzilla vs. Kong, which he plans to see later that night but has not watched yet. A lifelong member of Team Godzilla, he traces his affection to the playful Showa-era movies he found on VHS and explains why Adam Wingard’s path from independent films such as You’re Next and The Guest makes this MonsterVerse assignment especially exciting. It is anticipation, not a review or verdict.
Michelle then recounts a contractor’s visit about missing chimney mortar and intermittent water entering her basement. As she understood the assessment, the water might be related to below-grade masonry and a deteriorated terra-cotta liner rather than simply traveling down from the roof. The conversation also raises the possibility of eventually changing how the water heater vents. These are reported 2021 observations and options, not verified defects, repair instructions or building-safety advice.
Along the way, the hosts touch on Nobody, Dr. Stone, old VHS discoveries and the way moviegoing was beginning to change again that spring. The durable thread is uncertainty: Henrique is testing the limits of a recovery that still varies by day, he is eagerly waiting to see the new monster showdown, and Michelle is sorting through a home assessment whose outcome is still ahead of her.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2823true74fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/covid-19-vaccine-day-nerves-eligibility-frustration-lights-of-hope--56706644The day’s looming event is Henrique’s first COVID-19 vaccination appointment, scheduled for later that afternoon at an Ohio mass-vaccination site. He and Michelle turn the unknown brand into a playful five-dollar bet while admitting that the appointment and possible reaction make him nervous. Crucially, this recording ends before the dose: the brand, reaction and outcome are not known within this episode and are not backfilled from later conversations.
Their debate captures how uneven vaccine access felt in early 2021. Henrique describes newly expanded eligibility around Greene County, Ohio, while Michelle voices frustration with limited appointments and supply in her part of Pennsylvania. The hosts also argue over reported vaccine figures and schedules, but those changing claims belong to that moment and should not be treated as current public-health information or advice.
A neighbor’s thank-you card supplies the most hopeful ending. Henrique had kept bright Christmas lights on his house through much of the pandemic, and the neighbor wrote that they looked like a “beacon of hope” during a hard year. The message moves him to replace a failed sensor and turn the lights back on. Vaccine-day uncertainty gives way to a reminder that a small, joyful choice can matter to someone watching from across the street.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/9645ce63-8739-4006-bf11-4e1d0bf26522Mon, 29 Mar 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in March 2021, Henrique Couto begins with a setback during his slow recovery from a suspected COVID-19 illness. A spell of prolonged lightheadedness and brief dizziness interrupts his plan to resume a fuller work schedule, although two...The day’s looming event is Henrique’s first COVID-19 vaccination appointment, scheduled for later that afternoon at an Ohio mass-vaccination site. He and Michelle turn the unknown brand into a playful five-dollar bet while admitting that the appointment and possible reaction make him nervous. Crucially, this recording ends before the dose: the brand, reaction and outcome are not known within this episode and are not backfilled from later conversations.
Their debate captures how uneven vaccine access felt in early 2021. Henrique describes newly expanded eligibility around Greene County, Ohio, while Michelle voices frustration with limited appointments and supply in her part of Pennsylvania. The hosts also argue over reported vaccine figures and schedules, but those changing claims belong to that moment and should not be treated as current public-health information or advice.
A neighbor’s thank-you card supplies the most hopeful ending. Henrique had kept bright Christmas lights on his house through much of the pandemic, and the neighbor wrote that they looked like a “beacon of hope” during a hard year. The message moves him to replace a failed sensor and turn the lights back on. Vaccine-day uncertainty gives way to a reminder that a small, joyful choice can matter to someone watching from across the street.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2505true73fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/suspected-covid-19-recovery-self-doubt-tamago-sushi--56706633Henrique recalls frightening full-body chills without a measured fever, persistent fatigue, headaches, brain fog, digestive illness and shortness of breath. More important than cataloging symptoms is his realization that he kept blaming himself: he interpreted exhaustion as depression, reduced stamina as a consequence of weight and unfinished work as a lack of effort. Feeling physically better allows him to recognize how unfairly he judged limits he could not simply push through.
That insight reshapes an unusually candid conversation about illness, productivity and self-compassion. A good morning brings more work than he had managed in weeks, but he still plans to stop and recover rather than assume the setback is over. These are Henrique’s recollections from early 2021, not diagnostic criteria, treatment guidance or evidence about how COVID-19 affects anyone else.
The episode lightens when Henrique plans a childhood comfort meal his father made: a teriyaki-seasoned hamburger patty with white rice. A second memory—scrambled eggs sweetened with sugar—leads him to tamagoyaki and tamago nigiri, the egg-topped sushi Michelle is astonished she has never encountered. After a vulnerable account of suspected illness and misplaced self-blame, their argument over whether egg on rice really counts as sushi restores the show’s familiar awkward rhythm.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/51f63523-778d-463f-b06e-b2676b73b19dMon, 22 Mar 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in March 2021, Henrique Couto reports three encouraging days after weeks of a suspected COVID-19 illness. He is explicit that he had no clinical test or confirming data; COVID seemed likely to him and two medical contacts because his symptoms...Henrique recalls frightening full-body chills without a measured fever, persistent fatigue, headaches, brain fog, digestive illness and shortness of breath. More important than cataloging symptoms is his realization that he kept blaming himself: he interpreted exhaustion as depression, reduced stamina as a consequence of weight and unfinished work as a lack of effort. Feeling physically better allows him to recognize how unfairly he judged limits he could not simply push through.
That insight reshapes an unusually candid conversation about illness, productivity and self-compassion. A good morning brings more work than he had managed in weeks, but he still plans to stop and recover rather than assume the setback is over. These are Henrique’s recollections from early 2021, not diagnostic criteria, treatment guidance or evidence about how COVID-19 affects anyone else.
The episode lightens when Henrique plans a childhood comfort meal his father made: a teriyaki-seasoned hamburger patty with white rice. A second memory—scrambled eggs sweetened with sugar—leads him to tamagoyaki and tamago nigiri, the egg-topped sushi Michelle is astonished she has never encountered. After a vulnerable account of suspected illness and misplaced self-blame, their argument over whether egg on rice really counts as sushi restores the show’s familiar awkward rhythm.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2251true72fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/from-cable-access-to-livestreams-henrique-s-live-tv-origin-story--56706654After training, Henrique volunteered wherever a community show needed help: operating cameras, directing the studio floor and learning control-room jobs before eventually appearing on live programs himself. He remembers the pressure of preventing dead air, coping with technical problems in real time and discovering that repeated exposure could turn an intimidating live broadcast into familiar work. It became an origin story for the filmmaker, podcaster and host he would later become.
The hosts compare that carefully routed cable-access world with modern livestreams. Callers once passed through a screener before their topic reached the control room, while taped inserts and tightly timed wrestling segments demanded precise coordination. Online broadcasts later traded those steps for immediate chat, visible technical failures and a different relationship with dead air. Henrique’s production memories are personal and historically specific, not universal rules about how every station or platform operated.
The final turn belongs to “Judge Michelle.” Michelle remembers adults telling her that her fairness made her future-judge material, so Henrique invents an increasingly absurd courtroom show for her. A debate over whether brown is simply dark orange becomes the case of the century, complete with imaginary exhibits and a ruling against Henrique. Potatoes were only a spontaneous call-in example; the real story is how live television helped shape him and how quickly two friends can transform that history into nonsense.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/2516f4b0-94b2-48f0-8fa0-06abe2e409afMon, 15 Mar 2021 04:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoA stubborn microphone hum sends Henrique Couto back to the beginning of his broadcasting life. At age twelve, he discovered the live cable-access improv program Opening Night Theater, called its viewer line with scene suggestions and saw a station...After training, Henrique volunteered wherever a community show needed help: operating cameras, directing the studio floor and learning control-room jobs before eventually appearing on live programs himself. He remembers the pressure of preventing dead air, coping with technical problems in real time and discovering that repeated exposure could turn an intimidating live broadcast into familiar work. It became an origin story for the filmmaker, podcaster and host he would later become.
The hosts compare that carefully routed cable-access world with modern livestreams. Callers once passed through a screener before their topic reached the control room, while taped inserts and tightly timed wrestling segments demanded precise coordination. Online broadcasts later traded those steps for immediate chat, visible technical failures and a different relationship with dead air. Henrique’s production memories are personal and historically specific, not universal rules about how every station or platform operated.
The final turn belongs to “Judge Michelle.” Michelle remembers adults telling her that her fairness made her future-judge material, so Henrique invents an increasingly absurd courtroom show for her. A debate over whether brown is simply dark orange becomes the case of the century, complete with imaginary exhibits and a ruling against Henrique. Potatoes were only a spontaneous call-in example; the real story is how live television helped shape him and how quickly two friends can transform that history into nonsense.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2719true71fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/mountain-monsters-reality-tv-tricks-a-caramel-fluoride-dental-visit--56706656The central mystery is Mountain Monsters, a cryptid-hunting reality series Michelle reluctantly tried after her mother recommended it. She recaps its bearded team, elaborate traps, hooded figures, strange symbols and an increasingly serialized adventure involving the Cherokee Devil. What surprises her is not proof of a monster but the show’s found-footage-like presentation: it looks like nonfiction while building cliffhangers and character drama that feel deliberately constructed.
That uncertainty opens a broader debate about reality television. The hosts do not establish that Mountain Monsters is scripted; instead, they wonder where staged material, reenactment and documentary editing meet. Henrique compares its methods with 90 Day Fiancé, River Monsters, Unsolved Mysteries and Mountain Men, explaining how producers can ask people to recreate a conversation or add music and dramatizations without every underlying event being invented.
A brief Wonder Egg Priority and Gurren Lagann tangent closes the episode, but Mountain Monsters remains the irresistible discovery. Michelle expected another cryptid search that could never deliver its quarry; she found a bizarre ongoing narrative whose uncertainty became the attraction. Add Henrique’s caramel-fluoride aftertaste and the result is a conversation about the stories people tell around ordinary care, extraordinary creatures and the blurry construction of “reality” on television.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/b44afd47-3b25-4078-afb0-aac74f34b285Mon, 08 Mar 2021 05:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in early 2021, Henrique Couto sits down roughly fifteen minutes after a dental visit with an unusually sweet souvenir: a caramel-flavored fluoride coating on his teeth. He reports receiving a reassuring checkup with no cavities or teeth...The central mystery is Mountain Monsters, a cryptid-hunting reality series Michelle reluctantly tried after her mother recommended it. She recaps its bearded team, elaborate traps, hooded figures, strange symbols and an increasingly serialized adventure involving the Cherokee Devil. What surprises her is not proof of a monster but the show’s found-footage-like presentation: it looks like nonfiction while building cliffhangers and character drama that feel deliberately constructed.
That uncertainty opens a broader debate about reality television. The hosts do not establish that Mountain Monsters is scripted; instead, they wonder where staged material, reenactment and documentary editing meet. Henrique compares its methods with 90 Day Fiancé, River Monsters, Unsolved Mysteries and Mountain Men, explaining how producers can ask people to recreate a conversation or add music and dramatizations without every underlying event being invented.
A brief Wonder Egg Priority and Gurren Lagann tangent closes the episode, but Mountain Monsters remains the irresistible discovery. Michelle expected another cryptid search that could never deliver its quarry; she found a bizarre ongoing narrative whose uncertainty became the attraction. Add Henrique’s caramel-fluoride aftertaste and the result is a conversation about the stories people tell around ordinary care, extraordinary creatures and the blurry construction of “reality” on television.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2306true70fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/dumpster-bread-soup-dumpster-diving-memories-a-forgotten-recipe--56706646Trying to make something creative from what she had, Michelle combined the surplus bread with a tomato-based soup. She remembers that the recipe may have been French or Italian and may have included Parmesan, but the details are long gone. What remains vivid is the result: soft, unappealing bread, several unhappy dinners and lingering guilt when she finally threw the rest away. It was an experiment, not a recipe worth recreating.
The story opens into a candid conversation about food scarcity, improvised low-cost meals and Michelle's earlier dumpster-diving experiences. She recalls searches for bread, bagels and produce, including one summer encounter with spoiled food and maggots. Another trip ended more frighteningly when a driver followed her through several turns and sped away only after she took out her phone and began dialing 911.
Henrique keeps the episode playful by comparing his own bleak pantry creations, while Michelle makes clear that these stories belong to an earlier chapter of her life. The conversation balances a famously terrible soup with the less funny realities of limited money, waste and personal safety. These are historical personal recollections—not guidance on dumpster diving, food safety or preparing discarded food—and no exact business or collection location is identified here.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/1e56bca9-4405-49f1-942c-00e8780fd1feMon, 01 Mar 2021 05:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in March 2021, Michelle finally tells the origin story behind Dumpster Bread Soup. Years earlier, during a much leaner period, she found individually bagged artisan loaves in a Philadelphia bread dumpster. The bread itself seemed usable to...Trying to make something creative from what she had, Michelle combined the surplus bread with a tomato-based soup. She remembers that the recipe may have been French or Italian and may have included Parmesan, but the details are long gone. What remains vivid is the result: soft, unappealing bread, several unhappy dinners and lingering guilt when she finally threw the rest away. It was an experiment, not a recipe worth recreating.
The story opens into a candid conversation about food scarcity, improvised low-cost meals and Michelle's earlier dumpster-diving experiences. She recalls searches for bread, bagels and produce, including one summer encounter with spoiled food and maggots. Another trip ended more frighteningly when a driver followed her through several turns and sped away only after she took out her phone and began dialing 911.
Henrique keeps the episode playful by comparing his own bleak pantry creations, while Michelle makes clear that these stories belong to an earlier chapter of her life. The conversation balances a famously terrible soup with the less funny realities of limited money, waste and personal safety. These are historical personal recollections—not guidance on dumpster diving, food safety or preparing discarded food—and no exact business or collection location is identified here.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2031true69fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/moving-to-antarctica-polar-night-blood-falls-a-frozen-big-announcement--56706610Michelle's biggest concern is not six months of polar night but the opposite: months of daylight that could make sleep feel impossible. Henrique argues that blackout curtains should solve everything, while Michelle insists she would still know the sun was there. Their disagreement turns Antarctic daylight, darkness, isolation and station life into a surprisingly personal debate about sleep, solitude and other people.
Henrique then leads an informal tour through Antarctic curiosities he found online. The hosts discuss Blood Falls, dry valleys, meteorites, research-station time zones, early polar expeditions, Mount Erebus and the practical challenge of dressing for extreme cold. A story about a low-budget slasher filmed by people wintering on the continent connects the fascination back to Henrique's recent run of snowy movies.
The supposed move eventually expands to new identities and jokes about sneaking their pets into Antarctica, with Michelle imagining how her cat Gigs might react. Beneath the absurd announcement is genuine curiosity about a place neither host has visited and the people who live and work there. This is playful, historically dated infotainment—not a real relocation plan, scientific reference, cold-weather safety guide or source of current Antarctic job and travel information.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/9e81fb73-c146-4da8-9ee6-685d3372ac2eMon, 22 Feb 2021 05:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in February 2021, Henrique opens with a very big announcement: he and Michelle have supposedly decided to move to Antarctica. There is only one problem—the plan is entirely hypothetical. What follows is an episode-long comedy experiment about...Michelle's biggest concern is not six months of polar night but the opposite: months of daylight that could make sleep feel impossible. Henrique argues that blackout curtains should solve everything, while Michelle insists she would still know the sun was there. Their disagreement turns Antarctic daylight, darkness, isolation and station life into a surprisingly personal debate about sleep, solitude and other people.
Henrique then leads an informal tour through Antarctic curiosities he found online. The hosts discuss Blood Falls, dry valleys, meteorites, research-station time zones, early polar expeditions, Mount Erebus and the practical challenge of dressing for extreme cold. A story about a low-budget slasher filmed by people wintering on the continent connects the fascination back to Henrique's recent run of snowy movies.
The supposed move eventually expands to new identities and jokes about sneaking their pets into Antarctica, with Michelle imagining how her cat Gigs might react. Beneath the absurd announcement is genuine curiosity about a place neither host has visited and the people who live and work there. This is playful, historically dated infotainment—not a real relocation plan, scientific reference, cold-weather safety guide or source of current Antarctic job and travel information.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2149true68fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/insurance-price-hikes-internet-bills-zombie-reddy-review--56706648From there, the pair trade personal stories about car insurance, homeowners insurance and rising property taxes in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Michelle describes a cycle of rates increasing until she shops for a different provider, while Henrique recalls a confusing coverage-history problem and a long sales call that eventually helped him switch insurers. Their prices, policies and regional comparisons are snapshots from 2021—not financial, legal or insurance advice.
The episode's movie centerpiece is Henrique's enthusiastic review of Zombie Reddy, a Telugu-language Indian zombie comedy that the conversation repeatedly but incorrectly calls Bollywood. He liked its humor, characters and wildly staged set pieces, even though its forced-feeling ending disappointed him. The review includes plot spoilers involving a family feud, COVID-era satire, fictional vaccine experiments, zombie gore and a desperate attempt to disguise a human scent.
Henrique and Michelle then debate whether zombies should be able to smell living people and compare different versions of the undead in Dawn of the Dead, The Walking Dead, Shaun of the Dead and Return of the Living Dead. Henrique closes with spoiler discussion of Songbird, the dystopian pandemic thriller about a harsher imagined lockdown. It is a time capsule of early-2021 bills, insurance frustration and COVID-era genre movies—with no current prices or health claims implied.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/887de33a-8953-4b48-8d4e-89a5e56bc3e1Mon, 15 Feb 2021 05:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in February 2021, Henrique celebrates two unlikely milestones: ordering 1,000 plastic forks and reaching the end of his introductory AT&T Fiber price. Michelle's disbelief at both purchases quickly turns into a comparison of what the...From there, the pair trade personal stories about car insurance, homeowners insurance and rising property taxes in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Michelle describes a cycle of rates increasing until she shops for a different provider, while Henrique recalls a confusing coverage-history problem and a long sales call that eventually helped him switch insurers. Their prices, policies and regional comparisons are snapshots from 2021—not financial, legal or insurance advice.
The episode's movie centerpiece is Henrique's enthusiastic review of Zombie Reddy, a Telugu-language Indian zombie comedy that the conversation repeatedly but incorrectly calls Bollywood. He liked its humor, characters and wildly staged set pieces, even though its forced-feeling ending disappointed him. The review includes plot spoilers involving a family feud, COVID-era satire, fictional vaccine experiments, zombie gore and a desperate attempt to disguise a human scent.
Henrique and Michelle then debate whether zombies should be able to smell living people and compare different versions of the undead in Dawn of the Dead, The Walking Dead, Shaun of the Dead and Return of the Living Dead. Henrique closes with spoiler discussion of Songbird, the dystopian pandemic thriller about a harsher imagined lockdown. It is a time capsule of early-2021 bills, insurance frustration and COVID-era genre movies—with no current prices or health claims implied.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2711true67fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/nightmares-creepypasta-dark-web-horror-rabbit-holes--56706650Henrique's response to feeling frightened and exhausted is perfectly logical—he spends hours listening to narrated creepypastas, supposedly true Craigslist encounters and paranormal videos. He describes getting caught in YouTube recommendation loops, playing scary-story podcasts in the car and putting on Welcome to Night Vale while walking the dogs, even as ordinary nighttime sounds near his backyard shed become newly ominous.
That horror habit leads to a Dark Web discussion built almost entirely from online lore. Henrique imagines red rooms and illegal markets, then describes sensational mystery-box creators, Randonautica videos and channels that blur fiction with alternate reality games. The hosts debate whether ambiguity can enhance entertainment and when a creator crosses an ethical line by using an allegedly real crime or emergency to solicit money.
Michelle shares the Reddit communities r/LetsNotMeet and r/NoSleep, while both hosts agree that unresolved human encounters can be scarier than monsters. Despite the running joke that Michelle should download Tor Browser, neither host visits the Dark Web in this episode. This is a conversation about horror storytelling, internet mythology and deliberately scaring yourself—not a Dark Web tutorial, factual investigation, medical explanation for nightmares or endorsement of any creator's claims.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/7b1a56ff-2ab0-4808-8e15-951ad6d1477bMon, 08 Feb 2021 05:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in February 2021, Michelle finally gets the Philadelphia snow she wanted while Henrique is recovering from what he believes was food poisoning. After several nights of bad sleep, the hosts compare the nightmares that stay with them: dreams...Henrique's response to feeling frightened and exhausted is perfectly logical—he spends hours listening to narrated creepypastas, supposedly true Craigslist encounters and paranormal videos. He describes getting caught in YouTube recommendation loops, playing scary-story podcasts in the car and putting on Welcome to Night Vale while walking the dogs, even as ordinary nighttime sounds near his backyard shed become newly ominous.
That horror habit leads to a Dark Web discussion built almost entirely from online lore. Henrique imagines red rooms and illegal markets, then describes sensational mystery-box creators, Randonautica videos and channels that blur fiction with alternate reality games. The hosts debate whether ambiguity can enhance entertainment and when a creator crosses an ethical line by using an allegedly real crime or emergency to solicit money.
Michelle shares the Reddit communities r/LetsNotMeet and r/NoSleep, while both hosts agree that unresolved human encounters can be scarier than monsters. Despite the running joke that Michelle should download Tor Browser, neither host visits the Dark Web in this episode. This is a conversation about horror storytelling, internet mythology and deliberately scaring yourself—not a Dark Web tutorial, factual investigation, medical explanation for nightmares or endorsement of any creator's claims.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2215true66fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/absurd-personality-quizzes-egg-drop-soup-goku-michelle-s-results--56706658The first quiz asks Michelle to choose a comfort food, cold-weather clothing, a drink, a movie, pizza and a vacation destination. Her selections include stew, long underwear, iced tea, 13 Going on 30, veggie pizza and Tokyo. The resulting classification is egg drop soup, described by the page as “comforting and delicious.” Michelle likes the soup but finds being compared to it understandably unsettling.
Henrique then finds a much longer HowStuffWorks quiz filled with questions about fear, family, conflict, style, dream jobs, mythical creatures, honesty and hypothetical battle skills. Michelle argues with the available choices, explains when none fit and repeatedly wonders how much longer the ordeal can last. Along the way, the hosts detour into recurring crime dreams, quiet friendships, apple orchards, unicorns and whether a narwhal counts as evidence that one-horned mammals are plausible.
After the sprawling questionnaire, HowStuffWorks declares that Michelle is Goku from Dragon Ball: cheerful, competitive, loyal and inclined to use violence only as a last resort. Neither host knows enough about Goku to judge the comparison, but both agree it sounds nicer than being called delicious. These quizzes are preserved as comic internet artifacts—not science, psychological assessment or evidence about Michelle's personality, family, ethics or future behavior.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/9b454bc0-0376-457c-bb18-82a6684dbad1Mon, 01 Feb 2021 05:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in early 2021, Henrique decides that Michelle has enjoyed enough false security and revives the show's least scientific tradition: mysterious online quizzes. His rule is simple. Michelle can answer each question, but she cannot know what the...The first quiz asks Michelle to choose a comfort food, cold-weather clothing, a drink, a movie, pizza and a vacation destination. Her selections include stew, long underwear, iced tea, 13 Going on 30, veggie pizza and Tokyo. The resulting classification is egg drop soup, described by the page as “comforting and delicious.” Michelle likes the soup but finds being compared to it understandably unsettling.
Henrique then finds a much longer HowStuffWorks quiz filled with questions about fear, family, conflict, style, dream jobs, mythical creatures, honesty and hypothetical battle skills. Michelle argues with the available choices, explains when none fit and repeatedly wonders how much longer the ordeal can last. Along the way, the hosts detour into recurring crime dreams, quiet friendships, apple orchards, unicorns and whether a narwhal counts as evidence that one-horned mammals are plausible.
After the sprawling questionnaire, HowStuffWorks declares that Michelle is Goku from Dragon Ball: cheerful, competitive, loyal and inclined to use violence only as a last resort. Neither host knows enough about Goku to judge the comparison, but both agree it sounds nicer than being called delicious. These quizzes are preserved as comic internet artifacts—not science, psychological assessment or evidence about Michelle's personality, family, ethics or future behavior.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>1878true65fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/childhood-drawing-typing-class-pranks-every-power-man--56706664That useful class also became a playground for teenage computer pranks. Henrique recalls classmates bypassing the school's FoolProof restrictions, running games from discs, triggering system sounds and quickly hiding Doom whenever the teacher walked past. Their disruptions escalated to a rapidly flashing PowerPoint screen—a hazardous stunt remembered here as youthful misconduct, not a trick to copy or a guide to defeating computer security.
The conversation shifts from typing to drawing. Henrique says he filled notebook after notebook with childhood art but became discouraged when he felt his skills were not improving. Michelle, by contrast, remembers inventing original characters and little princesses with special powers. Henrique also tried to copy X-Men characters from paused videotapes, draw Wolverine's recognizable mask and avoid the exhausting web pattern on Spider-Man's costume.
Then comes the confession he has apparently carried for decades: Henrique created Every Power Man. Marked with an EPM emblem, this childhood superhero could fly, use super strength, fire lasers or display any new ability the drawing required. Michelle finds the idea completely reasonable for a young artist, while Henrique treats it as a creative scandal. Between typing memories, obsolete school computers and one hero with unlimited powers, the episode becomes an affectionate argument about talent, embarrassment and the things children make before self-consciousness takes over.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/4e0514f8-abc1-43a2-bc99-5081d4e3b68cMon, 25 Jan 2021 05:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in January 2021, a conversation about handwritten notes reveals how differently the hosts work. Michelle enjoys writing by hand but never became a confident touch typist; Henrique considers his handwriting nearly unreadable and types anything...That useful class also became a playground for teenage computer pranks. Henrique recalls classmates bypassing the school's FoolProof restrictions, running games from discs, triggering system sounds and quickly hiding Doom whenever the teacher walked past. Their disruptions escalated to a rapidly flashing PowerPoint screen—a hazardous stunt remembered here as youthful misconduct, not a trick to copy or a guide to defeating computer security.
The conversation shifts from typing to drawing. Henrique says he filled notebook after notebook with childhood art but became discouraged when he felt his skills were not improving. Michelle, by contrast, remembers inventing original characters and little princesses with special powers. Henrique also tried to copy X-Men characters from paused videotapes, draw Wolverine's recognizable mask and avoid the exhausting web pattern on Spider-Man's costume.
Then comes the confession he has apparently carried for decades: Henrique created Every Power Man. Marked with an EPM emblem, this childhood superhero could fly, use super strength, fire lasers or display any new ability the drawing required. Michelle finds the idea completely reasonable for a young artist, while Henrique treats it as a creative scandal. Between typing memories, obsolete school computers and one hero with unlimited powers, the episode becomes an affectionate argument about talent, embarrassment and the things children make before self-consciousness takes over.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2323true64fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/christmas-presence-wins-pbs-thirteen-s-reel-13-shorts-contest--56706663Henrique explains that he submitted Christmas Presence months earlier and largely forgot about it until a brief selection notice arrived. The short later appeared as one of three choices in PBS Thirteen's Reel 13 Shorts audience competition. Once Henrique reread the terms and learned that a future broadcast slot and cash prize were involved, a casual entry became something he was determined to win.
The victory depended on an intensive social-media campaign. Henrique says he contacted hundreds of acquaintances individually, kept asking followers to vote and watched the lead whenever a competing film gained ground. He thanks everyone who took a few seconds to help. Michelle contrasts his persistence with her own discomfort promoting creative work, explaining that she can push harder for somebody else's band or event than for herself.
At recording time, the audience vote is complete, but the expected television appearance and payment have not happened yet. The episode therefore preserves the immediate celebration rather than claiming a later outcome or inviting listeners into a current contest. It is also a candid portrait of the exhausting work behind online promotion—not medical guidance for stomach symptoms, a recommendation to mass-message contacts or a judgment on the other filmmakers in the competition.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/777cc909-2f7d-4cd4-9c07-079cde2bc73eMon, 18 Jan 2021 05:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in January 2021, Henrique begins with an outcome he had never experienced before: one of his films has won a contest. Minutes earlier, the audience vote closed with his 2015 Christmas-horror short Christmas Presence in first place. The relief...Henrique explains that he submitted Christmas Presence months earlier and largely forgot about it until a brief selection notice arrived. The short later appeared as one of three choices in PBS Thirteen's Reel 13 Shorts audience competition. Once Henrique reread the terms and learned that a future broadcast slot and cash prize were involved, a casual entry became something he was determined to win.
The victory depended on an intensive social-media campaign. Henrique says he contacted hundreds of acquaintances individually, kept asking followers to vote and watched the lead whenever a competing film gained ground. He thanks everyone who took a few seconds to help. Michelle contrasts his persistence with her own discomfort promoting creative work, explaining that she can push harder for somebody else's band or event than for herself.
At recording time, the audience vote is complete, but the expected television appearance and payment have not happened yet. The episode therefore preserves the immediate celebration rather than claiming a later outcome or inviting listeners into a current contest. It is also a candid portrait of the exhausting work behind online promotion—not medical guidance for stomach symptoms, a recommendation to mass-message contacts or a judgment on the other filmmakers in the competition.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2017true63fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/charlie-hebdo-free-speech-a-teenage-cable-access-rebellion--56706643Henrique describes himself as a free-speech absolutist, then reads historical background about Charlie Hebdo's irreverent treatment of politics and religion and the threats that preceded the 2015 attack. He argues that offensive or unpopular ideas should be answered with criticism rather than violence. These are Henrique's personal moral and political views, not a definitive account of French or American speech law.
Michelle adds useful resistance to the broadest labels, questioning whether everyone who favors limits on expression understands those limits in the same ideological terms. Together, the hosts consider how easy it is to defend speech one already likes and how much harder the principle becomes when the speaker is offensive. Their discussion unequivocally condemns murder while avoiding any claim that every publication or opinion deserves praise.
The episode closes with a very different story from Henrique's early days in community television. As a young teenager, he received a school tape and almost no editing direction, so he assembled a baffling video full of polka music, rapid color changes and deliberately scrambled material. A teacher objected, yet the piece later ran repeatedly on an educational cable channel—a mischievous origin story for Henrique's lifelong attachment to creative freedom.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/be9e39c4-df9d-45ad-b46f-4ec07238a1a8Mon, 11 Jan 2021 05:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded on January 7, 2021, six years after the attack on the offices of French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, Henrique reflects on why the event affected him so deeply. A Timehop memory prompts this unusually serious conversation about the...Henrique describes himself as a free-speech absolutist, then reads historical background about Charlie Hebdo's irreverent treatment of politics and religion and the threats that preceded the 2015 attack. He argues that offensive or unpopular ideas should be answered with criticism rather than violence. These are Henrique's personal moral and political views, not a definitive account of French or American speech law.
Michelle adds useful resistance to the broadest labels, questioning whether everyone who favors limits on expression understands those limits in the same ideological terms. Together, the hosts consider how easy it is to defend speech one already likes and how much harder the principle becomes when the speaker is offensive. Their discussion unequivocally condemns murder while avoiding any claim that every publication or opinion deserves praise.
The episode closes with a very different story from Henrique's early days in community television. As a young teenager, he received a school tape and almost no editing direction, so he assembled a baffling video full of polka music, rapid color changes and deliberately scrambled material. A teacher objected, yet the piece later ran repeatedly on an educational cable channel—a mischievous origin story for Henrique's lifelong attachment to creative freedom.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2470true62fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/home-improvement-mrs-doubtfire-why-stories-build-empathy--56706651Henrique remembers an episode in which Jill Taylor undergoes a hysterectomy. Years later, when his own mother suddenly needed that surgery, the fictional family's experience gave his frightened younger self a familiar reference point and some comfort. He connects that memory to Mrs. Doubtfire, whose ending showed him that divorced parents could remain apart while still cooperating and loving their children.
Those examples lead Henrique and Michelle into a careful disagreement about what it means to identify with a character. Henrique describes movies and television as engines for empathy, even when a character's circumstances are unlike his own. Michelle says she can care deeply about fictional people without seeing herself in them; as a child, that lack of ready-made identification helped push her toward inventing characters and narrative art of her own.
The hosts test their definitions against Death Note, Oz, Patriot, Erased, Mob Psycho 100 and other stories that affected them in very different ways. They never settle on one clinical definition of empathy, sympathy or identification—and do not claim psychological expertise. Instead, the conversation becomes a personal celebration of how television, film, anime and comics can make someone feel understood, offer a safe encounter with another perspective or inspire a creator to build the representation they could not find.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/382fbecd-1fb6-4430-a1ed-09d039dc4565Mon, 04 Jan 2021 05:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in early 2021, Henrique arrives after an unusually scheduled day involving a plumbing repair and Chicano's routine senior veterinary visit. The real subject emerges when he starts revisiting Home Improvement. Beyond the Tool Time slapstick...Henrique remembers an episode in which Jill Taylor undergoes a hysterectomy. Years later, when his own mother suddenly needed that surgery, the fictional family's experience gave his frightened younger self a familiar reference point and some comfort. He connects that memory to Mrs. Doubtfire, whose ending showed him that divorced parents could remain apart while still cooperating and loving their children.
Those examples lead Henrique and Michelle into a careful disagreement about what it means to identify with a character. Henrique describes movies and television as engines for empathy, even when a character's circumstances are unlike his own. Michelle says she can care deeply about fictional people without seeing herself in them; as a child, that lack of ready-made identification helped push her toward inventing characters and narrative art of her own.
The hosts test their definitions against Death Note, Oz, Patriot, Erased, Mob Psycho 100 and other stories that affected them in very different ways. They never settle on one clinical definition of empathy, sympathy or identification—and do not claim psychological expertise. Instead, the conversation becomes a personal celebration of how television, film, anime and comics can make someone feel understood, offer a safe encounter with another perspective or inspire a creator to build the representation they could not find.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2594true61fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/2020-year-in-review-friendship-gratitude-small-celebrations--56706653From there, Henrique considers the strange power people gave the calendar year itself. He does not expect January 1 to erase the COVID-19 pandemic or the year's other problems, yet still wants the symbolic reset of 2021. His resolution is less about a grand transformation than noticing reasons to celebrate—birthdays, holidays, a change of scenery, creative work and the simple fact of reaching another day.
That idea turns the episode into a celebration of This Show Is Awkward. Most of its first full year unfolded during pandemic separation, when the hosts could not share their usual diner visits or spend time together in person. Their remote conversations nevertheless gave Henrique a recurring place to talk with his best friend, and listener messages showed that the show had become welcome company during commutes, errands and difficult weeks.
The closing stretch is an affectionate tribute to a friendship built across years of moves, film premieres, creative projects and ordinary meals. Henrique thanks Michelle for trusting him with her authentic self and praises the kindness and nuance he sees in her; Michelle answers with gratitude of her own. This historical year-end reflection does not pretend 2020 was easy or promise that 2021 fixed everything. It preserves something more durable: two friends choosing to recognize what they carried through a hard year together.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/4f92eca7-06a0-43be-b81e-bd26b458cc17Mon, 28 Dec 2020 05:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded before Christmas as the show's final release of 2020, the conversation starts with an unexpectedly consequential subject: pillows. Henrique and Michelle compare worn-out pillows, changing sleep positions and the remarkable realization that...From there, Henrique considers the strange power people gave the calendar year itself. He does not expect January 1 to erase the COVID-19 pandemic or the year's other problems, yet still wants the symbolic reset of 2021. His resolution is less about a grand transformation than noticing reasons to celebrate—birthdays, holidays, a change of scenery, creative work and the simple fact of reaching another day.
That idea turns the episode into a celebration of This Show Is Awkward. Most of its first full year unfolded during pandemic separation, when the hosts could not share their usual diner visits or spend time together in person. Their remote conversations nevertheless gave Henrique a recurring place to talk with his best friend, and listener messages showed that the show had become welcome company during commutes, errands and difficult weeks.
The closing stretch is an affectionate tribute to a friendship built across years of moves, film premieres, creative projects and ordinary meals. Henrique thanks Michelle for trusting him with her authentic self and praises the kindness and nuance he sees in her; Michelle answers with gratitude of her own. This historical year-end reflection does not pretend 2020 was easy or promise that 2021 fixed everything. It preserves something more durable: two friends choosing to recognize what they carried through a hard year together.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2133true60fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/love-lights-hanukkah-review-jewish-representation-holiday-rom-coms--56706645Then comes a full-spoiler review of Hallmark’s Love, Lights, Hanukkah! Michelle and Henrique unpack the romantic comedy’s story of an Italian American woman who already knows she was adopted, then learns through a DNA test that her biological mother was Jewish and discovers biological relatives. They discuss Ben Savage’s performance, the film’s romance, its food and menorah scenes, and whether the movie’s explanations of Hanukkah traditions feel welcoming or overly instructional.
The review becomes a thoughtful, sometimes uncomfortable conversation about Jewish representation. Michelle explains why seeing so many cultural markers concentrated in one story made her feel observed rather than naturally represented, while Henrique compares that reaction with his experience watching the Latino-centered holiday movie Feliz NaviDAD. Their views are personal responses to the films—not broad judgments about Jewish, Latino or interfaith relationships.
The hosts close by comparing the two romances, including Feliz NaviDAD’s long-distance ending, before trading more seasonal recommendations such as Cross Country Christmas and Holiday Road Trip. Michelle’s holiday-cookie tradition and the search for a Hanukkah favorite add a warm finish to a candid discussion about who gets represented, how traditions are explained, and why even comforting holiday movies can inspire complicated reactions.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/3743eb65-2a2e-4f33-b855-c0ded5db9b86Mon, 21 Dec 2020 05:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded during a December 2020 snowstorm, Michelle considers launching a solo podcast about her favorite anime openings and endings. Henrique Couto enthusiastically offers encouragement, technical help and a place to host it, while the two revisit...Then comes a full-spoiler review of Hallmark’s Love, Lights, Hanukkah! Michelle and Henrique unpack the romantic comedy’s story of an Italian American woman who already knows she was adopted, then learns through a DNA test that her biological mother was Jewish and discovers biological relatives. They discuss Ben Savage’s performance, the film’s romance, its food and menorah scenes, and whether the movie’s explanations of Hanukkah traditions feel welcoming or overly instructional.
The review becomes a thoughtful, sometimes uncomfortable conversation about Jewish representation. Michelle explains why seeing so many cultural markers concentrated in one story made her feel observed rather than naturally represented, while Henrique compares that reaction with his experience watching the Latino-centered holiday movie Feliz NaviDAD. Their views are personal responses to the films—not broad judgments about Jewish, Latino or interfaith relationships.
The hosts close by comparing the two romances, including Feliz NaviDAD’s long-distance ending, before trading more seasonal recommendations such as Cross Country Christmas and Holiday Road Trip. Michelle’s holiday-cookie tradition and the search for a Hanukkah favorite add a warm finish to a candid discussion about who gets represented, how traditions are explained, and why even comforting holiday movies can inspire complicated reactions.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2467true59fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/tremors-1990-first-time-review-graboids-practical-effects-sequels--56706649Henrique celebrates Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward as Val and Earl, Michael Gross as survivalist Burt Gummer, and the ensemble of townspeople trying to escape increasingly clever creatures. Michelle highlights the film’s pace and unpredictability, including the buried car, the discovery of the full-sized monsters, the pole-vaulting escape and the final cliffside confrontation. Their discussion makes clear why the characters—not only the creatures—give the movie its lasting rewatch value.
The hosts also explore the film’s practical-effects craft. Henrique describes miniature vehicles, puppetry, air cannons, scaled photography and gloriously messy creature gore, then maps out his affection for the sequels, the Old West prequel and the short-lived television series. He promises Michelle more movies while carefully avoiding the later installments’ biggest surprises.
A holiday question provides the coda: what is the best Christmas gift you have ever received? Henrique remembers sentimental art, photographs and useful presents, while Michelle values the tradition of choosing and decorating a tree with her parents. She eventually reveals one spectacular surprise—a first car—and the mishaps that followed. It is a warm, funny finish to an episode powered by friendship, favorite movies and the joy of sharing something you love.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/8ea14ca3-8b0e-46ee-b818-68e52b8c9806Mon, 14 Dec 2020 05:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoMichelle finally watches Tremors for the first time, and Henrique Couto can barely contain his excitement. This full-spoiler review revisits the 1990 monster movie’s memorable residents of Perfection, Nevada, the danger posed by the underground...Henrique celebrates Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward as Val and Earl, Michael Gross as survivalist Burt Gummer, and the ensemble of townspeople trying to escape increasingly clever creatures. Michelle highlights the film’s pace and unpredictability, including the buried car, the discovery of the full-sized monsters, the pole-vaulting escape and the final cliffside confrontation. Their discussion makes clear why the characters—not only the creatures—give the movie its lasting rewatch value.
The hosts also explore the film’s practical-effects craft. Henrique describes miniature vehicles, puppetry, air cannons, scaled photography and gloriously messy creature gore, then maps out his affection for the sequels, the Old West prequel and the short-lived television series. He promises Michelle more movies while carefully avoiding the later installments’ biggest surprises.
A holiday question provides the coda: what is the best Christmas gift you have ever received? Henrique remembers sentimental art, photographs and useful presents, while Michelle values the tradition of choosing and decorating a tree with her parents. She eventually reveals one spectacular surprise—a first car—and the mishaps that followed. It is a warm, funny finish to an episode powered by friendship, favorite movies and the joy of sharing something you love.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>1868true58fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-postponed-film-shoot-christmas-movie-comfort-holiday-light-frustrations--56706647The tone turns serious when Henrique explains why he postponed an unnamed movie. Possible COVID-19 exposure among a small crew, powerful wind gusts and freak storms made the shoot feel unsafe, while the accumulated stress was affecting him physically and emotionally. He describes the difficult relief that followed his decision to place production on hiatus. This is a personal account of work and mental strain, not medical or production-safety guidance.
Christmas movies become the comfort watch. Henrique recommends A Country Christmas Story, praising its young aspiring singer, family reconciliation and Dolly Parton appearance, then recounts the warm, lower-budget charm of A Dogwalker’s Christmas Tale. Michelle compares her own Hallmark viewing frustrations, and the hosts discuss Pluto TV, Philo and why familiar romantic stories can feel especially welcome during a hard year. Full plot details are discussed.
Finally, they compare their outdoor decorations. Michelle searches for sold-out candy-cane path lights while Henrique experiments with connected lights and wishes modern LEDs offered more blinking and twinkling choices. That leads to bubble lights, a debate over whether brown is simply dark orange, and childhood memories of Easy-Bake Ovens and Creepy Crawlers. The hosts recount their experiences for nostalgia, not as electrical, heat or toy-safety advice.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/d7727fc2-3805-4cdf-8867-05a169b781fbMon, 07 Dec 2020 05:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoIn December 2020, Henrique Couto begins with an everyday surrender: after years of deleting files and messages, he finally pays for more Google storage so his business email can remain searchable. The office-day mood also brings a then-new Babysitter...The tone turns serious when Henrique explains why he postponed an unnamed movie. Possible COVID-19 exposure among a small crew, powerful wind gusts and freak storms made the shoot feel unsafe, while the accumulated stress was affecting him physically and emotionally. He describes the difficult relief that followed his decision to place production on hiatus. This is a personal account of work and mental strain, not medical or production-safety guidance.
Christmas movies become the comfort watch. Henrique recommends A Country Christmas Story, praising its young aspiring singer, family reconciliation and Dolly Parton appearance, then recounts the warm, lower-budget charm of A Dogwalker’s Christmas Tale. Michelle compares her own Hallmark viewing frustrations, and the hosts discuss Pluto TV, Philo and why familiar romantic stories can feel especially welcome during a hard year. Full plot details are discussed.
Finally, they compare their outdoor decorations. Michelle searches for sold-out candy-cane path lights while Henrique experiments with connected lights and wishes modern LEDs offered more blinking and twinkling choices. That leads to bubble lights, a debate over whether brown is simply dark orange, and childhood memories of Easy-Bake Ovens and Creepy Crawlers. The hosts recount their experiences for nostalgia, not as electrical, heat or toy-safety advice.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2201true57fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/unexpected-chicken-ramen-a-long-awaited-shed-a-bloody-thanksgiving--56706652Henrique finally gets the backyard shed he had ordered months earlier. A single installer arrives ahead of the expected time, builds the structure over two days and ultimately leaves behind work Henrique is pleased with. The process includes dog-yard embarrassment, classic rock, a painting delay and uncertainty about how much to tip, all framed as one customer’s 2020 experience rather than a verdict on the installer, retailer or construction practices.
The Thanksgiving recap mixes warmth with blood. Michelle describes a brief family visit and her vegetarian holiday favorites, while Henrique shares a limited gathering built around a prepared turkey dinner. Before guests arrive, he cuts his toe on a folded dog crate and discovers that he has bled into the white lining of his new slipper. He recounts cleaning, gluing and bandaging the wound, but none of those choices are offered as first-aid advice. The evening improves with friends, food, Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Dutch.
Henrique closes with gratitude. The pandemic had interrupted production and kept him from his mother, yet listeners who supported his films, podcasts and Patreon helped him keep working. He thanks the audience and Michelle for helping him through an isolating year; Michelle returns the sentiment. The old fundraising references are preserved here only as historical context—not a current solicitation.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/bd86dc22-993a-409d-bc7a-6ae6078c9ba0Mon, 30 Nov 2020 05:01:00 +0000Henrique Couto“2020 is unexpected chicken ramen” becomes the perfect accidental slogan for this November 2020 conversation. Michelle explains how two cups of imitation-chicken kosher ramen were missing their seasoning, while Henrique Couto recounts ordering a large...Henrique finally gets the backyard shed he had ordered months earlier. A single installer arrives ahead of the expected time, builds the structure over two days and ultimately leaves behind work Henrique is pleased with. The process includes dog-yard embarrassment, classic rock, a painting delay and uncertainty about how much to tip, all framed as one customer’s 2020 experience rather than a verdict on the installer, retailer or construction practices.
The Thanksgiving recap mixes warmth with blood. Michelle describes a brief family visit and her vegetarian holiday favorites, while Henrique shares a limited gathering built around a prepared turkey dinner. Before guests arrive, he cuts his toe on a folded dog crate and discovers that he has bled into the white lining of his new slipper. He recounts cleaning, gluing and bandaging the wound, but none of those choices are offered as first-aid advice. The evening improves with friends, food, Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Dutch.
Henrique closes with gratitude. The pandemic had interrupted production and kept him from his mother, yet listeners who supported his films, podcasts and Patreon helped him keep working. He thanks the audience and Michelle for helping him through an isolating year; Michelle returns the sentiment. The old fundraising references are preserved here only as historical context—not a current solicitation.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2781true56fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/freelance-pay-vs-exposure-career-lessons-orchestra-grudges--56706618Henrique remembers low-budget music-video pitches, crowdfunding proposals, wedding videos, photography sessions and commercial work. He explains how scope changes what a tiny budget can reasonably buy, why promised creative freedom often disappears, and how deposits or time-for-portfolio collaborations worked in his own practice. He also acknowledges that friendship, curiosity or a genuinely useful opportunity sometimes made free work worthwhile.
That leads to the practical lessons school did—and did not—teach them. The hosts compare short units on résumés, checks, letters, typing, cooking and sewing with years of traditional coursework, then discuss networking as a skill Henrique still values. Michelle remembers learning household basics, while Henrique reflects on leaving high school for home education and ultimately choosing work outside the graduation path others expected.
The funniest and most uncomfortable memories come from orchestra. Henrique figured out that attendance alone secured most of his grade, skipped performance “pass-offs,” and enjoyed watching far more serious classmates lose chair placements to naturally gifted friends. Looking back, he recognizes the class pressure, poverty and resentment behind his teenage schadenfreude. The story stays focused on his own younger behavior; private classmates, teachers and unverified allegations are deliberately left out.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/0d8dad15-de62-4f6d-b661-db57ad0a2260Mon, 23 Nov 2020 05:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoA strange freelance offer launches this November 2020 conversation: instead of ordinary payment, someone asks whether Henrique Couto would accept marijuana or tea. Henrique and Michelle use the moment to examine the difference between a collaboration...Henrique remembers low-budget music-video pitches, crowdfunding proposals, wedding videos, photography sessions and commercial work. He explains how scope changes what a tiny budget can reasonably buy, why promised creative freedom often disappears, and how deposits or time-for-portfolio collaborations worked in his own practice. He also acknowledges that friendship, curiosity or a genuinely useful opportunity sometimes made free work worthwhile.
That leads to the practical lessons school did—and did not—teach them. The hosts compare short units on résumés, checks, letters, typing, cooking and sewing with years of traditional coursework, then discuss networking as a skill Henrique still values. Michelle remembers learning household basics, while Henrique reflects on leaving high school for home education and ultimately choosing work outside the graduation path others expected.
The funniest and most uncomfortable memories come from orchestra. Henrique figured out that attendance alone secured most of his grade, skipped performance “pass-offs,” and enjoyed watching far more serious classmates lose chair placements to naturally gifted friends. Looking back, he recognizes the class pressure, poverty and resentment behind his teenage schadenfreude. The story stays focused on his own younger behavior; private classmates, teachers and unverified allegations are deliberately left out.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2158true55fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/returning-to-film-directing-creative-confidence-covid-era-sets-weather-anxiety--56706619That uncertainty becomes a candid conversation about creative confidence. Henrique trusts that his instincts will return once the camera is built and the actors arrive, because immediate production problems usually make him focused rather than fearful. Michelle encourages him while questioning how creative work should resume during the pandemic. Henrique describes the historical production as unusually small, largely outdoors and planned around limiting the number of people present. Their discussion reflects personal decisions made in 2020, not current health or workplace guidance.
Weather creates a second layer of preproduction anxiety. Rain appears in the forecast for separated shooting days, November daylight disappears early and Henrique hopes to finish before the project slips into December. He compares location filmmaking to blue-collar site work: the team arrives, establishes places for gear and spends a long day adapting to conditions. A memory from Boggy Creek: The Series illustrates the continuity challenge—falling snow produced a beautiful single-take scene, then disrupted much of the remaining schedule.
The friends also mark roughly one year of This Show Is Awkward, thank listeners who make the podcast part of their Monday routine and joke about hot tea, electric kettles and early winter darkness. Henrique opens with collector frustration over an imported 4K Dawn of the Dead set and its multiple cuts, while Michelle patiently follows the region-coding explanation. Together, these side trips frame the central story: experience does not eliminate nerves, but returning to meaningful work can make confidence feel possible again.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/12bbb332-26b9-46ba-a09b-8c3035313e44Mon, 16 Nov 2020 05:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoIn November 2020, Henrique Couto is preparing to direct a small narrative feature after more than a year away from the kind of physical set he loves. A nearly completed webcam-style found-footage project still counts as filmmaking, but it has not...That uncertainty becomes a candid conversation about creative confidence. Henrique trusts that his instincts will return once the camera is built and the actors arrive, because immediate production problems usually make him focused rather than fearful. Michelle encourages him while questioning how creative work should resume during the pandemic. Henrique describes the historical production as unusually small, largely outdoors and planned around limiting the number of people present. Their discussion reflects personal decisions made in 2020, not current health or workplace guidance.
Weather creates a second layer of preproduction anxiety. Rain appears in the forecast for separated shooting days, November daylight disappears early and Henrique hopes to finish before the project slips into December. He compares location filmmaking to blue-collar site work: the team arrives, establishes places for gear and spends a long day adapting to conditions. A memory from Boggy Creek: The Series illustrates the continuity challenge—falling snow produced a beautiful single-take scene, then disrupted much of the remaining schedule.
The friends also mark roughly one year of This Show Is Awkward, thank listeners who make the podcast part of their Monday routine and joke about hot tea, electric kettles and early winter darkness. Henrique opens with collector frustration over an imported 4K Dawn of the Dead set and its multiple cuts, while Michelle patiently follows the region-coding explanation. Together, these side trips frame the central story: experience does not eliminate nerves, but returning to meaningful work can make confidence feel possible again.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2006true54fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/one-year-of-awkward-diy-touring-disasters-bedbugs-a-myspace-friendship--56706667Henrique then asks Michelle to reconstruct the beginning of their friendship. She remembers a connection through her employer’s social circle, messages on MySpace and AOL Instant Messenger, and an early walk around Princeton. A later drive to dinner at Michelle’s family home ended with Henrique badly lost on unfamiliar roads; he says the experience sent him to buy a GPS the next morning. They estimate that they met around 2007 and note that most of their long friendship has unfolded across distance.
The anniversary prompt leads into Michelle’s most uncomfortable DIY touring memories. One late show continued into a nearly empty noise set around 3 a.m., leaving her to sleep in her car. Another began hours behind schedule, shuffled performers around and included a chaotic screen-door injury. She also recalls poorly promoted house shows, arriving after another date had fallen through, realizing almost nobody would attend and discovering what she believed was a bedbug rash. The stories are personal recollections, not travel, lodging or medical advice.
Halloween provides the closing detour. Michelle considers socially distanced candy bags, debates whether to visit her neighbors’ porch and finally reveals homemade paper ears and a paper nose as a Gigs costume. Before that reveal, the friends riff on a cholera joke from Red Dead Redemption 2 and discuss how some depictions of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol can echo antisemitic visual stereotypes. From podcast anxiety to friendship history and rough touring nights, the episode celebrates endurance without pretending that creative work is ever tidy.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/2690123b-d09c-4a89-936d-63459e7e9372Mon, 09 Nov 2020 05:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoThis Show Is Awkward reaches its one-year mark with 54 recorded episodes and, to Henrique Couto’s surprise, no missed weeks. He and Michelle reflect on maintaining a conversational podcast through the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, including...Henrique then asks Michelle to reconstruct the beginning of their friendship. She remembers a connection through her employer’s social circle, messages on MySpace and AOL Instant Messenger, and an early walk around Princeton. A later drive to dinner at Michelle’s family home ended with Henrique badly lost on unfamiliar roads; he says the experience sent him to buy a GPS the next morning. They estimate that they met around 2007 and note that most of their long friendship has unfolded across distance.
The anniversary prompt leads into Michelle’s most uncomfortable DIY touring memories. One late show continued into a nearly empty noise set around 3 a.m., leaving her to sleep in her car. Another began hours behind schedule, shuffled performers around and included a chaotic screen-door injury. She also recalls poorly promoted house shows, arriving after another date had fallen through, realizing almost nobody would attend and discovering what she believed was a bedbug rash. The stories are personal recollections, not travel, lodging or medical advice.
Halloween provides the closing detour. Michelle considers socially distanced candy bags, debates whether to visit her neighbors’ porch and finally reveals homemade paper ears and a paper nose as a Gigs costume. Before that reveal, the friends riff on a cholera joke from Red Dead Redemption 2 and discuss how some depictions of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol can echo antisemitic visual stereotypes. From podcast anxiety to friendship history and rough touring nights, the episode celebrates endurance without pretending that creative work is ever tidy.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2005true53fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/pandemic-burnout-halloween-isolation-the-great-yo-mama-joke-marathon--56706670The fatigue opens a vulnerable discussion about comfort eating, weight, missed friends and approaching holidays. Henrique describes using food as a reward during early lockdown and feeling distressed by the result, while Michelle offers support without pretending spinach can solve the problem. They also acknowledge that Thanksgiving and Christmas will not follow their usual patterns. All health, testing, masking and transmission comments reflect an uncertain conversation in October 2020; they are personal recollections rather than current medical or nutrition guidance.
Halloween supplies both tension and comic relief. Michelle hopes children will collect the generous candy bags she has prepared without crowding her porch, and the hosts joke about head bumps, pets, dark fall weather and text messages written in all caps. A question about Hanukkah leads Michelle to give an informal summary of the oil miracle and explain that the holiday’s modern prominence is partly tied to its calendar proximity to Christmas. The notes preserve her framing as a personal explanation, not a complete religious history.
Then Henrique remembers the Yo Mama jokes of his childhood and refuses to stop. He recites increasingly dated one-liners from memory, secretly searches for more and eventually reads categories of jokes while Michelle alternates between analysis, silence and reluctant laughter. They close by affirming that both of their actual mothers are kind and by making Michelle offer a skeleton joke. The episode moves from political and pandemic dread to deliberately ridiculous humor, capturing why an old bad joke can sometimes create a useful break in a difficult week.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/1a0d71bd-c3b3-4c5a-9770-b4f199840f43Mon, 02 Nov 2020 05:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in late October 2020, this episode begins with Henrique Couto exhausted, achy and overwhelmed by a month that stayed busy even without his usual travel, conventions or film festivals. He has produced an extra anniversary installment of Weekly...The fatigue opens a vulnerable discussion about comfort eating, weight, missed friends and approaching holidays. Henrique describes using food as a reward during early lockdown and feeling distressed by the result, while Michelle offers support without pretending spinach can solve the problem. They also acknowledge that Thanksgiving and Christmas will not follow their usual patterns. All health, testing, masking and transmission comments reflect an uncertain conversation in October 2020; they are personal recollections rather than current medical or nutrition guidance.
Halloween supplies both tension and comic relief. Michelle hopes children will collect the generous candy bags she has prepared without crowding her porch, and the hosts joke about head bumps, pets, dark fall weather and text messages written in all caps. A question about Hanukkah leads Michelle to give an informal summary of the oil miracle and explain that the holiday’s modern prominence is partly tied to its calendar proximity to Christmas. The notes preserve her framing as a personal explanation, not a complete religious history.
Then Henrique remembers the Yo Mama jokes of his childhood and refuses to stop. He recites increasingly dated one-liners from memory, secretly searches for more and eventually reads categories of jokes while Michelle alternates between analysis, silence and reluctant laughter. They close by affirming that both of their actual mothers are kind and by making Michelle offer a skeleton joke. The episode moves from political and pandemic dread to deliberately ridiculous humor, capturing why an old bad joke can sometimes create a useful break in a difficult week.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2271true52fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/a-nightmare-on-elm-street-1-7-michelle-s-freddy-krueger-recall-test--56706673Michelle remembers Nancy trying to stay awake in the 1984 original, the nightmarish bus and queer subtext of Freddy’s Revenge, and the hospital patients who become Dream Warriors. Henrique supplies character names, endings and the series rule that fear gives Freddy power. The Dream Master brings returning survivors and Alice absorbing dream abilities; The Dream Child uses an unborn child’s dreams and Gothic imagery. Michelle’s uncertainty becomes part of the joke, but she recalls more images and plot turns than either host expected.
The biggest disagreement surrounds Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare. Michelle remembers it as aggressively cartoony and rates it below the other entries, while Henrique recounts the wayward-teen clinic, the Power Glove sequence and Freddy’s explosive defeat. Wes Craven’s New Nightmare then shifts into metafiction, with Heather Langenkamp playing herself and an ancient child-threatening evil using Freddy as its latest story. After assigning rough star ratings, Michelle concludes that the stronger installments outweigh the weaker ones.
Before the marathon, the hosts discuss collector complaints about a newly released Friday the 13th box set, including disc errors, packaging-color differences and parody posts about defective orders. They also puzzle over a viral dog-or-clown optical illusion. The Halloween coda covers construction-paper costumes, squirrels stealing fake cobwebs and Henrique’s improvised bloody-jack-o’-lantern solution. Release, replacement-disc and availability comments reflect October 2020 rather than current product information.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/06d28354-e6d3-492f-9e56-3d95c9afc14eMon, 26 Oct 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoOne week before Halloween, lifelong horror fan and filmmaker Henrique Couto gives Michelle an unexpected assignment: reconstruct the first seven A Nightmare on Elm Street movies from memory. Years earlier, after Michelle’s shoulder surgery, they...Michelle remembers Nancy trying to stay awake in the 1984 original, the nightmarish bus and queer subtext of Freddy’s Revenge, and the hospital patients who become Dream Warriors. Henrique supplies character names, endings and the series rule that fear gives Freddy power. The Dream Master brings returning survivors and Alice absorbing dream abilities; The Dream Child uses an unborn child’s dreams and Gothic imagery. Michelle’s uncertainty becomes part of the joke, but she recalls more images and plot turns than either host expected.
The biggest disagreement surrounds Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare. Michelle remembers it as aggressively cartoony and rates it below the other entries, while Henrique recounts the wayward-teen clinic, the Power Glove sequence and Freddy’s explosive defeat. Wes Craven’s New Nightmare then shifts into metafiction, with Heather Langenkamp playing herself and an ancient child-threatening evil using Freddy as its latest story. After assigning rough star ratings, Michelle concludes that the stronger installments outweigh the weaker ones.
Before the marathon, the hosts discuss collector complaints about a newly released Friday the 13th box set, including disc errors, packaging-color differences and parody posts about defective orders. They also puzzle over a viral dog-or-clown optical illusion. The Halloween coda covers construction-paper costumes, squirrels stealing fake cobwebs and Henrique’s improvised bloody-jack-o’-lantern solution. Release, replacement-disc and availability comments reflect October 2020 rather than current product information.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2147true51fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/everyday-deal-breakers-slow-close-toilet-seats-drawing-tablets-gas-stoves--56706680Michelle’s indispensable tool is a drawing tablet. She prefers the feel of paper, but a stylus lets her prepare digital artwork without scanning faint pencil lines or drawing with a mouse. Friends’ answers expand the debate to automatic headlights, air fryers, ice makers, cruise control, music storage, wireless headphones, air conditioning and electric kettles. Some conveniences barely register for one host and feel essential to the other: Michelle refuses cruise control, dislikes ice and cannot find wireless earbuds that fit comfortably.
Kitchen choices spark the strongest opinions. Michelle prefers a gas range because the visible flame responds quickly and stops heating when switched off, while Henrique appreciates the speed and easy-to-clean flat surface of his ceramic electric stove. They agree on temperature-controlled electric kettles and discuss garbage disposals, bidets, hot sauce and heated car features without reaching a universal definition of necessity. These personal preferences are not appliance, food-safety, electrical, driving or purchasing recommendations.
The final comparison shifts from household products to creative technology. Musician Ray Mattis describes how computer-based recording simplified composing to picture after years of timing scenes and recording on a standalone multitrack system. Henrique contrasts that transition with film schools that still required costly celluloid work when he was considering college, while Michelle recalls recording her first EP during a class and valuing the independence she gained from school. The episode turns a broken toilet seat into a broader conversation about tools, habits and the point when convenience becomes a genuine deal breaker.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/1eceae74-f1db-4765-aa1a-ef2401ecb486Mon, 19 Oct 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoFor their 50th episode, Henrique Couto and Michelle compare the everyday upgrades they would hate to surrender. The question begins with Henrique’s slow-close toilet seat, which matters enough that he tries to replace a broken one while recovering...Michelle’s indispensable tool is a drawing tablet. She prefers the feel of paper, but a stylus lets her prepare digital artwork without scanning faint pencil lines or drawing with a mouse. Friends’ answers expand the debate to automatic headlights, air fryers, ice makers, cruise control, music storage, wireless headphones, air conditioning and electric kettles. Some conveniences barely register for one host and feel essential to the other: Michelle refuses cruise control, dislikes ice and cannot find wireless earbuds that fit comfortably.
Kitchen choices spark the strongest opinions. Michelle prefers a gas range because the visible flame responds quickly and stops heating when switched off, while Henrique appreciates the speed and easy-to-clean flat surface of his ceramic electric stove. They agree on temperature-controlled electric kettles and discuss garbage disposals, bidets, hot sauce and heated car features without reaching a universal definition of necessity. These personal preferences are not appliance, food-safety, electrical, driving or purchasing recommendations.
The final comparison shifts from household products to creative technology. Musician Ray Mattis describes how computer-based recording simplified composing to picture after years of timing scenes and recording on a standalone multitrack system. Henrique contrasts that transition with film schools that still required costly celluloid work when he was considering college, while Michelle recalls recording her first EP during a class and valuing the independence she gained from school. The episode turns a broken toilet seat into a broader conversation about tools, habits and the point when convenience becomes a genuine deal breaker.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2847true50fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/diet-coke-vs-coke-zero-ghost-of-tsushima-michelle-s-new-comic--56706681A return to movie theaters adds two more pop-culture discoveries. Henrique describes seeing Akira in 4K and the independent horror film Shortcut in sparsely attended screenings, then eating sushi in the car between shows. He dates the experience to the pandemic and explains his own comfort level rather than recommending a health or safety practice. Availability, seating procedures and theater conditions may have changed since the recording.
The biggest adventure is Ghost of Tsushima. Henrique is absorbed in its samurai standoffs, haiku writing, hot-spring reflections and conflict between honor and survival. He recounts side stories involving stolen rice, poisoned villagers and the choices that follow a defeated enemy, while Michelle questions his increasingly enthusiastic approach to virtual violence. This section contains game spoilers and discussion of fictional executions, war, poisoning and death.
Michelle closes with a vulnerable update on a post-apocalyptic comic she was preparing to publish on Webtoon. She considers the title At the End of Everything, discusses a missing chapter cover and explains why consistent art, memorable characters and reader connection matter to her. Henrique praises the work and the expanding role of Rick, a character who began as a real estate agent. The original source linked the comic, but its 2020 launch status is historical and the old URL is not reproduced here.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/6cd4ebc5-07bc-46e2-b3b6-868f1a712a90Mon, 12 Oct 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto opens a debate with surprisingly high stakes: Coke or Pepsi, cans or two-liter bottles, name brand or store brand? His real loyalty is to Diet Coke, which leads to a comparison with regular Coca-Cola, Diet Pepsi, Diet Dr Pepper and Coke...A return to movie theaters adds two more pop-culture discoveries. Henrique describes seeing Akira in 4K and the independent horror film Shortcut in sparsely attended screenings, then eating sushi in the car between shows. He dates the experience to the pandemic and explains his own comfort level rather than recommending a health or safety practice. Availability, seating procedures and theater conditions may have changed since the recording.
The biggest adventure is Ghost of Tsushima. Henrique is absorbed in its samurai standoffs, haiku writing, hot-spring reflections and conflict between honor and survival. He recounts side stories involving stolen rice, poisoned villagers and the choices that follow a defeated enemy, while Michelle questions his increasingly enthusiastic approach to virtual violence. This section contains game spoilers and discussion of fictional executions, war, poisoning and death.
Michelle closes with a vulnerable update on a post-apocalyptic comic she was preparing to publish on Webtoon. She considers the title At the End of Everything, discusses a missing chapter cover and explains why consistent art, memorable characters and reader connection matter to her. Henrique praises the work and the expanding role of Rick, a character who began as a real estate agent. The original source linked the comic, but its 2020 launch status is historical and the old URL is not reproduced here.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2150true49fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/harsh-film-critics-creative-resilience-a-2020-halloween-plan--56706623The joke opens into a much more vulnerable discussion of criticism. Henrique says published reviewers and anonymous commenters have told him to kill himself, attacked his collaborators and mocked a premiere dedication to a late friend. He distinguishes constructive criticism from personal cruelty and describes “thick skin” as being hurt without letting the hurt end his creative work. He also disputes specific reviews of Babysitter Massacre that, in his account, misstated the production’s camera and sound equipment.
A gentler family update changes the mood. After a long estrangement, Henrique and his grandmother had begun speaking again, exchanging cards and bonding over pictures of his dogs. Her delight in the pets offered a welcome connection while she was isolated during the 2020 lockdown. The moment also captures why Henrique and Michelle describe the podcast as a personal conversation between close friends rather than a formal filmmaking interview.
The hosts close by brainstorming Halloween during the pandemic. Michelle imagines webbing off her porch and leaving candy outside, while Henrique discovers that his community had scheduled Beggars Night and considers a mask-based costume and individually packed treat bags. Their excitement, jokes and improvised precautions reflect one conversation from 2020—not current public-health guidance. Michelle also explains how forced theme days at Hot Topic exhausted her enthusiasm for costumes.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/1f53bc36-142c-4b31-b0f4-a3dfdbfa4c47Mon, 05 Oct 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoA photograph of filmmaker Uwe Boll in a boxing ring sends Henrique Couto into a story about Boll challenging critics to sanctioned matches. Henrique explains why he printed the image for his office and recalls appearing for a few seconds in a...The joke opens into a much more vulnerable discussion of criticism. Henrique says published reviewers and anonymous commenters have told him to kill himself, attacked his collaborators and mocked a premiere dedication to a late friend. He distinguishes constructive criticism from personal cruelty and describes “thick skin” as being hurt without letting the hurt end his creative work. He also disputes specific reviews of Babysitter Massacre that, in his account, misstated the production’s camera and sound equipment.
A gentler family update changes the mood. After a long estrangement, Henrique and his grandmother had begun speaking again, exchanging cards and bonding over pictures of his dogs. Her delight in the pets offered a welcome connection while she was isolated during the 2020 lockdown. The moment also captures why Henrique and Michelle describe the podcast as a personal conversation between close friends rather than a formal filmmaking interview.
The hosts close by brainstorming Halloween during the pandemic. Michelle imagines webbing off her porch and leaving candy outside, while Henrique discovers that his community had scheduled Beggars Night and considers a mask-based costume and individually packed treat bags. Their excitement, jokes and improvised precautions reflect one conversation from 2020—not current public-health guidance. Michelle also explains how forced theme days at Hot Topic exhausted her enthusiasm for costumes.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2130true48fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/lockdown-depression-creative-frustration-good-days-and-bad-days--56706657Even ordinary entertainment could bring the pandemic rushing back. A masked photo shoot in an instructional video prompts the hosts to discuss how COVID-19 changed their reactions to photography, older television and public life. They also wrestle with personal risk decisions: Michelle had returned to public-facing work, while Henrique questioned when and how he could responsibly make films again. Their uncertainty belongs to September 2020 and is not medical, workplace or production-safety guidance.
Much of Henrique’s distress comes from creative work put on hold. He wanted to make a Babysitter Massacre sequel as promised through crowdfunding, yet feared changing the project beyond recognition or exposing a cast and crew. A webcam-based movie and an extremely small production offered possible alternatives, but neither erased the frustration. Michelle connects that pain to an earlier lockdown period when she could not draw, and both hosts describe creativity as something that can feel like a burden and a lifeboat at the same time.
The conversation finds modest points of connection rather than a simple cure. Recording podcasts, photographing a sunset and watching anime together online gave the hosts moments of purpose, even when plans failed or worry remained. They discuss Re:Zero, Mob Psycho 100 and Erased before ending with a deliberately inappropriate bar joke. This candid episode includes depression, anxiety, panic, isolation, brief references to suicide and overdose, chronic pain, COVID-19 exposure, profanity, violent humor and sexual material involving an animal.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/adf0c1d2-187c-4b53-b7b6-2033aa11d5f5Mon, 28 Sep 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto and Michelle begin with an unusually direct question: what do you do when depression starts to spiral? Speaking only from their own experiences, they compare sadness, sleep disruption and the struggle to keep functioning. Henrique...Even ordinary entertainment could bring the pandemic rushing back. A masked photo shoot in an instructional video prompts the hosts to discuss how COVID-19 changed their reactions to photography, older television and public life. They also wrestle with personal risk decisions: Michelle had returned to public-facing work, while Henrique questioned when and how he could responsibly make films again. Their uncertainty belongs to September 2020 and is not medical, workplace or production-safety guidance.
Much of Henrique’s distress comes from creative work put on hold. He wanted to make a Babysitter Massacre sequel as promised through crowdfunding, yet feared changing the project beyond recognition or exposing a cast and crew. A webcam-based movie and an extremely small production offered possible alternatives, but neither erased the frustration. Michelle connects that pain to an earlier lockdown period when she could not draw, and both hosts describe creativity as something that can feel like a burden and a lifeboat at the same time.
The conversation finds modest points of connection rather than a simple cure. Recording podcasts, photographing a sunset and watching anime together online gave the hosts moments of purpose, even when plans failed or worry remained. They discuss Re:Zero, Mob Psycho 100 and Erased before ending with a deliberately inappropriate bar joke. This candid episode includes depression, anxiety, panic, isolation, brief references to suicide and overdose, chronic pain, COVID-19 exposure, profanity, violent humor and sexual material involving an animal.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2500true47fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/pandemic-era-vet-visits-pet-anxiety-henwolf-s-dog-bed-rebellion--56706659Henrique Couto has spent much more time at a veterinary hospital after Henwolf’s surgery and Chicano’s dental procedure. His latest appointment goes wrong when the clinic cannot find a booking that he confirmed by text. Although the staff offers to fit Henwolf in whenever a doctor becomes available, Henrique reschedules because he wants her usual veterinarian to examine an older dog, discuss new paw chewing and provide a proper checkup. He is angry about the inconvenience but deliberately avoids blaming the staff for an ordinary mistake.
The friends compare how differently their animals handle travel and care. Henwolf loves car rides, prances toward the clinic and seems delighted even after vaccinations; Chicano is more apprehensive but settles down to nap during long drives. Gigs can tolerate unfamiliar places yet hates the moving car. That contrast leads to bedtime routines, rescue histories and Henwolf’s rebellion against a replacement dog bed. After losing an expensive cushioned bed, she chooses the floor or Chicano’s older bed instead of the new orthopedic model, despite Henrique’s attempts to make it smell familiar.
A darker delivery story opens the episode. Michelle recounts a Facebook post about a missing package of cremains that was eventually found in a flowerpot, prompting the hosts to imagine what porch thieves expect to discover. From misdelivered Amazon boxes to contactless food photos that resemble snapshots of Henrique’s house, they consider how quickly people became comfortable sharing addresses and accepting rides or meals from strangers found online. Package mishaps, nervous pet parents and a very opinionated dog all point to the same awkward truth: convenience never removes uncertainty.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/b0712721-5455-4a45-a2fe-5dfdf6a188d0Mon, 21 Sep 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoMichelle’s cat Gigs has made it through a long-delayed veterinary visit, but getting there means confronting Michelle’s fear of doctors and handing her pet over without entering the clinic. Gigs cries through the car ride, behaves well for the staff...Henrique Couto has spent much more time at a veterinary hospital after Henwolf’s surgery and Chicano’s dental procedure. His latest appointment goes wrong when the clinic cannot find a booking that he confirmed by text. Although the staff offers to fit Henwolf in whenever a doctor becomes available, Henrique reschedules because he wants her usual veterinarian to examine an older dog, discuss new paw chewing and provide a proper checkup. He is angry about the inconvenience but deliberately avoids blaming the staff for an ordinary mistake.
The friends compare how differently their animals handle travel and care. Henwolf loves car rides, prances toward the clinic and seems delighted even after vaccinations; Chicano is more apprehensive but settles down to nap during long drives. Gigs can tolerate unfamiliar places yet hates the moving car. That contrast leads to bedtime routines, rescue histories and Henwolf’s rebellion against a replacement dog bed. After losing an expensive cushioned bed, she chooses the floor or Chicano’s older bed instead of the new orthopedic model, despite Henrique’s attempts to make it smell familiar.
A darker delivery story opens the episode. Michelle recounts a Facebook post about a missing package of cremains that was eventually found in a flowerpot, prompting the hosts to imagine what porch thieves expect to discover. From misdelivered Amazon boxes to contactless food photos that resemble snapshots of Henrique’s house, they consider how quickly people became comfortable sharing addresses and accepting rides or meals from strangers found online. Package mishaps, nervous pet parents and a very opinionated dog all point to the same awkward truth: convenience never removes uncertainty.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2327true46fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/henrique-s-34th-birthday-time-travel-alternate-timelines-friendship--56706685Michelle soon reveals that she is supposedly visiting from 2024. This future version says she drove back through time with balloons, wrote the wrong age in Henrique’s card and replaced her 2020 counterpart. She also warns that Henrique will someday be struck by an air conditioner on a cruise near the Bermuda Triangle. None of this is presented as a real event; the hosts keep building a deliberately ridiculous science-fiction scenario in real time.
The alternate timeline grows darker and stranger. Future Michelle has become a political leader, accidentally started an international war and committed mass violence, yet hopes Henrique can help manage the fallout. They debate returning to the future together, staging his resurrection, pursuing immortality and surviving hyperinflation. Absurd claims about later pandemics, vaccines, elections and cryptocurrency belong entirely to the fictional role-play and should not be treated as medical, political or financial information.
Beneath the escalating satire is a warm joke about how much the hosts value one another. Henrique is willing to overlook time travel, murder and dictatorship, but he is deeply offended that Michelle lied about the cat eating her notes. He ultimately asks for time to decide whether they can resume their friendship, leaving the birthday adventure on a mock-serious cliffhanger. The story contains extensive spoilers, profanity, fictional death and genocide, pandemic fatalities, assassination, suicide-adjacent self-killing, traumatic brain injury and political violence.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/446c33c3-25a1-4b27-b626-7f8da8c88eadMon, 14 Sep 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto expects Michelle to unveil an elaborate celebration for the episode nearest his 34th birthday. Instead, she claims her cat ate the handwritten material and her computer destroyed the outline. His exaggerated disappointment turns the...Michelle soon reveals that she is supposedly visiting from 2024. This future version says she drove back through time with balloons, wrote the wrong age in Henrique’s card and replaced her 2020 counterpart. She also warns that Henrique will someday be struck by an air conditioner on a cruise near the Bermuda Triangle. None of this is presented as a real event; the hosts keep building a deliberately ridiculous science-fiction scenario in real time.
The alternate timeline grows darker and stranger. Future Michelle has become a political leader, accidentally started an international war and committed mass violence, yet hopes Henrique can help manage the fallout. They debate returning to the future together, staging his resurrection, pursuing immortality and surviving hyperinflation. Absurd claims about later pandemics, vaccines, elections and cryptocurrency belong entirely to the fictional role-play and should not be treated as medical, political or financial information.
Beneath the escalating satire is a warm joke about how much the hosts value one another. Henrique is willing to overlook time travel, murder and dictatorship, but he is deeply offended that Michelle lied about the cat eating her notes. He ultimately asks for time to decide whether they can resume their friendship, leaving the birthday adventure on a mock-serious cliffhanger. The story contains extensive spoilers, profanity, fictional death and genocide, pandemic fatalities, assassination, suicide-adjacent self-killing, traumatic brain injury and political violence.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>1788true45fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/tree-removal-shed-dreams-writing-campfire-horror--56706661The work was more eventful than planned. Henrique recounts falling from a ladder after one leg sank into disturbed ground, then describes the exhausting two-day cleanup and his relief at avoiding a serious injury. The episode also includes discussion of chainsaws, herbicide, ladders, tree roots and power lines. These are personal anecdotes, not landscaping or safety instructions; hazardous tree work, chemicals and electrical-clearance problems belong with qualified professionals.
Clearing the yard makes room for the real prize: a 10-by-10 barn-style shed with a loft. Henrique is delighted by the prospect of moving lawn equipment and sealed movie costumes out of his garage, while Michelle teases him about reaching the age when storage buildings feel thrilling. Because the shed was only ordered when this episode was recorded, the conversation preserves the anticipation and possible wait rather than treating installation, pricing or availability as current.
The final turn celebrates Michelle’s story “Eh, Real Monsters from NEPA,” written for the young-adult anthology Campfire Stories to Tell in the Dark and narrated for Weekly Spooky. The friends compare prose, comic and screenplay writing, talk about internal dialogue in light-novel adaptations and gently argue over whether Michelle should write more fiction. The closing spider confession restores the episode’s theme: both hosts can be sentimental about living things until fear, weeds or mosquitoes complicate the principle. Contains profanity, a ladder fall, risky yard-work discussion, insect death, dark historical jokes and inserted casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/dc5541f0-b220-476c-a7d4-837d60f73eedMon, 07 Sep 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoIn this September 2020 conversation, Henrique Couto admits he cut down the fast-growing mulberry and honeysuckle trees crowding his rented home. Michelle mourns the lost berries while he explains why branches near the fence, gutters and power line had...The work was more eventful than planned. Henrique recounts falling from a ladder after one leg sank into disturbed ground, then describes the exhausting two-day cleanup and his relief at avoiding a serious injury. The episode also includes discussion of chainsaws, herbicide, ladders, tree roots and power lines. These are personal anecdotes, not landscaping or safety instructions; hazardous tree work, chemicals and electrical-clearance problems belong with qualified professionals.
Clearing the yard makes room for the real prize: a 10-by-10 barn-style shed with a loft. Henrique is delighted by the prospect of moving lawn equipment and sealed movie costumes out of his garage, while Michelle teases him about reaching the age when storage buildings feel thrilling. Because the shed was only ordered when this episode was recorded, the conversation preserves the anticipation and possible wait rather than treating installation, pricing or availability as current.
The final turn celebrates Michelle’s story “Eh, Real Monsters from NEPA,” written for the young-adult anthology Campfire Stories to Tell in the Dark and narrated for Weekly Spooky. The friends compare prose, comic and screenplay writing, talk about internal dialogue in light-novel adaptations and gently argue over whether Michelle should write more fiction. The closing spider confession restores the episode’s theme: both hosts can be sentimental about living things until fear, weeds or mosquitoes complicate the principle. Contains profanity, a ladder fall, risky yard-work discussion, insect death, dark historical jokes and inserted casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2339true44fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/muckraking-michelle-a-fake-presidential-campaign-white-house-perks--56706674The joke begins with Michelle criticizing Midwestern Beggars’ Night traditions, then expands into a friendly argument about Ohio, Pennsylvania and the East Coast. Henrique decides that her reluctance to seek office makes her an ideal president, while Michelle briefly warms to the idea of a dependable salary. What follows is less a campaign platform than two friends testing how long a fictional candidate can keep explaining away an impossible record.
A 2020 online list of presidential compensation and benefits becomes the episode’s second half. The hosts react to the salary, White House rooms and staff, Air Force One, Marine One, Secret Service protection, health care, pensions, transition expenses and state funerals. They imagine an orange, sponsor-covered White House, an unused guest residence and a family moving company hired at absurd rates. The figures and rules are read from contemporaneous web results and discussed comedically; they are not current legal, financial or government guidance.
Michelle finally accepts the imaginary job mainly so she can dismantle its excesses, although Henrique predicts that another term would require the oldest political trick in the book. The conversation remains satire rather than a real endorsement, candidacy or factual account of any person’s conduct. Contains extensive profanity and intentionally offensive fictional statements involving antisemitism, the Holocaust, racism, slavery, rape, AIDS, terrorism, war and death, plus political cynicism, alcohol references and inserted casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/2329fd2b-66ac-4745-afac-0e0eb1593dddMon, 31 Aug 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto prepares Michelle for a presidential campaign she has never agreed to run by “muckraking” a completely invented political past. He produces fake social-media posts, concert transcripts and notarized statements; she counters every...The joke begins with Michelle criticizing Midwestern Beggars’ Night traditions, then expands into a friendly argument about Ohio, Pennsylvania and the East Coast. Henrique decides that her reluctance to seek office makes her an ideal president, while Michelle briefly warms to the idea of a dependable salary. What follows is less a campaign platform than two friends testing how long a fictional candidate can keep explaining away an impossible record.
A 2020 online list of presidential compensation and benefits becomes the episode’s second half. The hosts react to the salary, White House rooms and staff, Air Force One, Marine One, Secret Service protection, health care, pensions, transition expenses and state funerals. They imagine an orange, sponsor-covered White House, an unused guest residence and a family moving company hired at absurd rates. The figures and rules are read from contemporaneous web results and discussed comedically; they are not current legal, financial or government guidance.
Michelle finally accepts the imaginary job mainly so she can dismantle its excesses, although Henrique predicts that another term would require the oldest political trick in the book. The conversation remains satire rather than a real endorsement, candidacy or factual account of any person’s conduct. Contains extensive profanity and intentionally offensive fictional statements involving antisemitism, the Holocaust, racism, slavery, rape, AIDS, terrorism, war and death, plus political cynicism, alcohol references and inserted casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2186true43fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/silicone-earplugs-audio-mixing-beggars-night-traditions--56706655That experiment opens a wider conversation about making and hearing music. Henrique remembers learning home recording from a book, placing instruments across a stereo field and discovering that a fresh listen can expose a mix that felt finished the night before. Michelle brings her audio-school perspective, while both compare concert earplugs, movie-theater volume, earbuds that never fit and the patience required to find equipment that works for unusually shaped ears. Product prices, availability and claimed benefits belong to the 2020 recording.
A sudden rainstorm sends Michelle away from the microphone to close windows and a door, prompting a tour of the mysterious ways water enters her house. From there the friends arrive at the approaching pandemic-era Halloween. Henrique explains the Midwestern custom of a municipality scheduling trick-or-treating as Beggars’ Night, sometimes separately from Halloween, while Michelle contrasts it with East Coast Mischief Night and the certainty that she would not be opening her door that year.
The nostalgic close becomes more personal when Henrique remembers his childhood home being toilet-papered by bullies. He repurposed the paper as fake gore for backyard horror movies, and Michelle imagines traveling back in time to guard his block before realizing a future car, identity and mortgage would create complications of their own. Contains profanity, bullying and a homophobic slur in the source discussion, hearing and injury anecdotes, firearms references, flooding jokes, pandemic uncertainty and inserted casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/9a99febc-f54a-4d01-963a-d24d7627b8a3Mon, 24 Aug 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto begins with a lockdown purchase he describes as “sunglasses for your ears”: tiny silicone inserts marketed as a way to make sound feel calmer and clearer without acting like ordinary earplugs. After wearing them for only a few hours, he...That experiment opens a wider conversation about making and hearing music. Henrique remembers learning home recording from a book, placing instruments across a stereo field and discovering that a fresh listen can expose a mix that felt finished the night before. Michelle brings her audio-school perspective, while both compare concert earplugs, movie-theater volume, earbuds that never fit and the patience required to find equipment that works for unusually shaped ears. Product prices, availability and claimed benefits belong to the 2020 recording.
A sudden rainstorm sends Michelle away from the microphone to close windows and a door, prompting a tour of the mysterious ways water enters her house. From there the friends arrive at the approaching pandemic-era Halloween. Henrique explains the Midwestern custom of a municipality scheduling trick-or-treating as Beggars’ Night, sometimes separately from Halloween, while Michelle contrasts it with East Coast Mischief Night and the certainty that she would not be opening her door that year.
The nostalgic close becomes more personal when Henrique remembers his childhood home being toilet-papered by bullies. He repurposed the paper as fake gore for backyard horror movies, and Michelle imagines traveling back in time to guard his block before realizing a future car, identity and mortgage would create complications of their own. Contains profanity, bullying and a homophobic slur in the source discussion, hearing and injury anecdotes, firearms references, flooding jokes, pandemic uncertainty and inserted casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2754true42fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/michelle-s-stray-cats-at-the-end-of-everything-everyone-except-me--56706690First, however, Michelle has to survive another home-improvement project. She painted different parts of her upper and lower kitchen cabinets blue, disliked the mismatch and spent days removing paint before starting again. Henrique is stunned to learn that her thumbnails served as the main scraping tools until she switched solvents. This is a comic account of a 2020 project, not painting, solvent, renovation or personal-protective-equipment guidance; acetone, damaged finishes and bare-hand exposure are discussed without endorsement.
The real centerpiece is Michelle’s comics. She explains the post-apocalyptic Philadelphia world of Stray Cats and introduces At the End of Everything, a newer zombie story whose character Felix is trying to buy a house while society quietly unravels. The hosts discuss publishing webcomics, balancing two long-running projects, creative drought during the early pandemic and Michelle’s route from shōjo manga such as Fushigi Yûgi to favorites including Dorohedoro and One-Punch Man. Any platform or release status reflects the original recording.
Henrique also turns the spotlight on Michelle’s music as Everyone Except Me. He remembers first hearing her CD, attending coffeehouse, record-store and house shows, briefly acting as her roadie and recognizing the strange, fearless performer who became his closest friend. Michelle resists every compliment, but Henrique makes the episode’s purpose explicit: the podcast exists partly so listeners can discover her songs, comics and point of view. Contains profanity, risky solvent and DIY discussion, animal-feeding anecdotes, depression and creative-block references, bullying humor and inserted casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/bc01e876-fc22-4c51-af64-e4254bed9f8cMon, 17 Aug 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto opens by celebrating minor improvements: suction-cup storage has cleared his sink, and a bulk purchase should finally end the mystery of vanishing scissors and pens. The friends then pretend this prerecorded episode can report on a...First, however, Michelle has to survive another home-improvement project. She painted different parts of her upper and lower kitchen cabinets blue, disliked the mismatch and spent days removing paint before starting again. Henrique is stunned to learn that her thumbnails served as the main scraping tools until she switched solvents. This is a comic account of a 2020 project, not painting, solvent, renovation or personal-protective-equipment guidance; acetone, damaged finishes and bare-hand exposure are discussed without endorsement.
The real centerpiece is Michelle’s comics. She explains the post-apocalyptic Philadelphia world of Stray Cats and introduces At the End of Everything, a newer zombie story whose character Felix is trying to buy a house while society quietly unravels. The hosts discuss publishing webcomics, balancing two long-running projects, creative drought during the early pandemic and Michelle’s route from shōjo manga such as Fushigi Yûgi to favorites including Dorohedoro and One-Punch Man. Any platform or release status reflects the original recording.
Henrique also turns the spotlight on Michelle’s music as Everyone Except Me. He remembers first hearing her CD, attending coffeehouse, record-store and house shows, briefly acting as her roadie and recognizing the strange, fearless performer who became his closest friend. Michelle resists every compliment, but Henrique makes the episode’s purpose explicit: the podcast exists partly so listeners can discover her songs, comics and point of view. Contains profanity, risky solvent and DIY discussion, animal-feeding anecdotes, depression and creative-block references, bullying humor and inserted casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2274true41fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/cabin-vacation-vhs-nostalgia-an-8mm-film-experiment--56706668The cabin also gives Henrique an excuse to revisit childhood suspense. He plans to bring an Alfred Hitchcock story collection and hopes the unfamiliar house, private lake and old movies will create exactly the right atmosphere. Michelle counters with her own ideal trip: a quiet rental in rural Japan, preferably one with a ghost story attached. Their conversation wanders through horror films, haunted-house listings, solo travel, childhood flights and the difference between wanting to see the world and wanting absolutely no strangers nearby.
Creative experiments travel with Henrique even when he is supposed to be resting. He describes testing a standard 8mm camera with photographer Michael Raso for the Film Photography Podcast, learning the limits of a tiny viewfinder and waiting for the film to be processed before judging the results. The friends also discuss an upcoming young-adult horror anthology featuring a Michelle story, the appeal of analog images and the possibility that a cabin full of obsolete home video could become its own miniature film festival. Project and release details reflect the original recording.
Under the jokes is a sincere argument about rest during the first pandemic year. Henrique believes Michelle deserves a real break after working continuously; Michelle worries about money, her cats, arranging time away and being around other people. Their debate covers savings, a government stimulus payment and the fantasy of friends funding a getaway, but it is a personal 2020 conversation—not travel, health, employment or financial advice. Contains profanity, a near-traffic collision, pandemic anxiety, suicide-location references, stereotypes and dark humor, plus an inserted social-casino advertisement.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/a2a6d5d1-0578-495d-8015-aee8b581fb38Mon, 10 Aug 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto and Michelle prepare for something unusually radical in the summer of 2020: Henrique is taking three days off. This prerecorded episode imagines the lakeside cabin waiting for him, with kayaks, canoes, a tube television, shelves of VHS...The cabin also gives Henrique an excuse to revisit childhood suspense. He plans to bring an Alfred Hitchcock story collection and hopes the unfamiliar house, private lake and old movies will create exactly the right atmosphere. Michelle counters with her own ideal trip: a quiet rental in rural Japan, preferably one with a ghost story attached. Their conversation wanders through horror films, haunted-house listings, solo travel, childhood flights and the difference between wanting to see the world and wanting absolutely no strangers nearby.
Creative experiments travel with Henrique even when he is supposed to be resting. He describes testing a standard 8mm camera with photographer Michael Raso for the Film Photography Podcast, learning the limits of a tiny viewfinder and waiting for the film to be processed before judging the results. The friends also discuss an upcoming young-adult horror anthology featuring a Michelle story, the appeal of analog images and the possibility that a cabin full of obsolete home video could become its own miniature film festival. Project and release details reflect the original recording.
Under the jokes is a sincere argument about rest during the first pandemic year. Henrique believes Michelle deserves a real break after working continuously; Michelle worries about money, her cats, arranging time away and being around other people. Their debate covers savings, a government stimulus payment and the fantasy of friends funding a getaway, but it is a personal 2020 conversation—not travel, health, employment or financial advice. Contains profanity, a near-traffic collision, pandemic anxiety, suicide-location references, stereotypes and dark humor, plus an inserted social-casino advertisement.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2350true40fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/dreadlocks-personal-style-the-surreal-side-of-funerals--56706622That opens a wider discussion about choosing to look conspicuous. Henrique remembers growing his hair long as a bullied twelve-year-old, while Michelle describes the praise, criticism and unsolicited questions attached to her hair, tattoos, patches and body hair. The hosts compare outfits, silhouettes, public staring and compliments that sound suspiciously like insults. Their stories are personal recollections, not dreadlock, scalp, hygiene or hair-care instructions; home remedies and biological claims are included only as things said in the 2020 conversation.
Then the show pivots from appearance to two experiences that felt unreal to Henrique. At New York’s Ground Zero, tourists once asked to pose with him in the middle of a solemn visit. At a friend’s military funeral, a long procession, heavy snow, ceremonial gunfire and a trumpet made grief feel staged like a movie. Michelle adds a story about a milkshake thrown during a funeral procession, and the friends debate why anyone attends weddings or funerals in the first place.
The closing stretch compares a joyless Catholic wedding with a moving, performance-filled Catholic funeral before wandering into Halloween scheduling, regional religious life and arguments about pronouncing orange, Florida, Nevada, Colorado and Quebec. The hosts’ religious, ethnic, national and regional jokes reflect their improvised conversation and are not presented as factual descriptions of any group. Contains profanity, cultural-appropriation discussion, bullying, death and funeral material, racial and religious stereotypes, body-hair talk and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/185dcac6-1ccc-4e8c-9597-453bcfbc3b0bMon, 03 Aug 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoMichelle reluctantly lets Henrique Couto ask the questions he somehow never asked during a decade of friendship: why did she choose dreadlocks, how were they started and what has changed over eleven years? She talks about touring, backcombing, drying,...That opens a wider discussion about choosing to look conspicuous. Henrique remembers growing his hair long as a bullied twelve-year-old, while Michelle describes the praise, criticism and unsolicited questions attached to her hair, tattoos, patches and body hair. The hosts compare outfits, silhouettes, public staring and compliments that sound suspiciously like insults. Their stories are personal recollections, not dreadlock, scalp, hygiene or hair-care instructions; home remedies and biological claims are included only as things said in the 2020 conversation.
Then the show pivots from appearance to two experiences that felt unreal to Henrique. At New York’s Ground Zero, tourists once asked to pose with him in the middle of a solemn visit. At a friend’s military funeral, a long procession, heavy snow, ceremonial gunfire and a trumpet made grief feel staged like a movie. Michelle adds a story about a milkshake thrown during a funeral procession, and the friends debate why anyone attends weddings or funerals in the first place.
The closing stretch compares a joyless Catholic wedding with a moving, performance-filled Catholic funeral before wandering into Halloween scheduling, regional religious life and arguments about pronouncing orange, Florida, Nevada, Colorado and Quebec. The hosts’ religious, ethnic, national and regional jokes reflect their improvised conversation and are not presented as factual descriptions of any group. Contains profanity, cultural-appropriation discussion, bullying, death and funeral material, racial and religious stereotypes, body-hair talk and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2532true39fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/fake-net-worth-sites-sick-day-tv-social-anxiety--56706672Reality is less glamorous. Henrique’s dog Chicano has returned from a dental cleaning and minor extraction, prompting relief, vet-bill talk and questions about aging dogs’ teeth. The discussion then drifts to the television that comforted each host while home sick: Unsolved Mysteries, Star Trek, The Price Is Right, Nickelodeon, MTV, MuchMusic, Toonami, Sailor Moon and Inuyasha. They compare falling asleep to ominous narration, childhood cable setups and the era when a bedroom television felt luxurious.
School memories turn more serious as the friends compare emotional and physical bullying, fake sick days and whether adversity really builds character. They explicitly question Henrique’s old belief that hardship is automatically useful, but also improvise about trauma, sexual assault research, personality and resilience. Those remarks are personal recollections of an unsourced 2020 discussion—not psychological, medical or research guidance—and no listener’s response to trauma is judged against them.
Henrique’s supposed dark secret is ultimately ordinary insecurity. For years he worried that his loud, outgoing style had pressured quiet Michelle into friendship; she explains that decisive friends often spare her the anxiety of choosing. They explore introversion, extroversion, social anxiety, parties and the unexpectedly hard work of being oneself around other people, ending with memories of family visits, getting spectacularly lost in New Jersey and buying a GPS the next morning. Contains profanity, bullying, sexual-assault and violent-crime discussion, anxiety, insensitive identity jokes, pet medical details and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/7a5068a1-e2cc-441a-8e2f-b34551c105feMon, 27 Jul 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto has discovered a secret even his bank account did not know: according to an auto-generated celebrity site, he was worth somewhere between one and five million dollars in 2019. He reads Michelle the broken biography, wrong zodiac sign,...Reality is less glamorous. Henrique’s dog Chicano has returned from a dental cleaning and minor extraction, prompting relief, vet-bill talk and questions about aging dogs’ teeth. The discussion then drifts to the television that comforted each host while home sick: Unsolved Mysteries, Star Trek, The Price Is Right, Nickelodeon, MTV, MuchMusic, Toonami, Sailor Moon and Inuyasha. They compare falling asleep to ominous narration, childhood cable setups and the era when a bedroom television felt luxurious.
School memories turn more serious as the friends compare emotional and physical bullying, fake sick days and whether adversity really builds character. They explicitly question Henrique’s old belief that hardship is automatically useful, but also improvise about trauma, sexual assault research, personality and resilience. Those remarks are personal recollections of an unsourced 2020 discussion—not psychological, medical or research guidance—and no listener’s response to trauma is judged against them.
Henrique’s supposed dark secret is ultimately ordinary insecurity. For years he worried that his loud, outgoing style had pressured quiet Michelle into friendship; she explains that decisive friends often spare her the anxiety of choosing. They explore introversion, extroversion, social anxiety, parties and the unexpectedly hard work of being oneself around other people, ending with memories of family visits, getting spectacularly lost in New Jersey and buying a GPS the next morning. Contains profanity, bullying, sexual-assault and violent-crime discussion, anxiety, insensitive identity jokes, pet medical details and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
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Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2725true38fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/cucumber-beetles-refrigerator-pickles-buzzfeed-quiz-rage--56706662The garden story leads into a more vulnerable conversation about eating under stress. Michelle has lost weight during the early pandemic because snacks stopped sounding good and work consumed her days; Henrique contrasts that with his own tendency to eat through ordinary stress and lose his appetite only when anxiety becomes extreme. They look back at how difficult 2019 felt, the shock of seeing Henrique’s income on a tax return and the exhausting unreality of 2020. Nothing in the discussion is nutritional, medical, mental-health or financial advice.
Henrique also describes the relentless political advertising that came with living in Ohio during the 2020 election. He is tired of campaign posts from every direction, suspicious of self-righteous appeals and frustrated that filmmaking—the distraction he used during earlier elections—was unavailable. The episode preserves that moment as historical context without repeating political claims or endorsing a candidate, voting strategy or view of current events.
Then BuzzFeed quizzes arrive to make everybody angrier. A color-food quiz labels Michelle a Generation Xer after choices involving curry, corn, Caesar salad, blueberries and salmon. A kindergarten quiz somehow assigns her a teenage mental age, though it does prompt the true story of the boy she kicked after he declared girls could not do things. The friends abandon further image-heavy quizzes in disbelief. Contains profanity, pandemic stress, appetite and weight discussion, political frustration, childhood fighting, death jokes and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/c4155166-dfe0-4cfc-94fe-a46536521cd3Mon, 20 Jul 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoMichelle’s container garden has produced Japanese cucumbers, one suspiciously ordinary cucumber and an army of cucumber beetles. She explains how the insects damaged the plants, why supermarket cucumbers fail her crunch test and how an urgent harvest...The garden story leads into a more vulnerable conversation about eating under stress. Michelle has lost weight during the early pandemic because snacks stopped sounding good and work consumed her days; Henrique contrasts that with his own tendency to eat through ordinary stress and lose his appetite only when anxiety becomes extreme. They look back at how difficult 2019 felt, the shock of seeing Henrique’s income on a tax return and the exhausting unreality of 2020. Nothing in the discussion is nutritional, medical, mental-health or financial advice.
Henrique also describes the relentless political advertising that came with living in Ohio during the 2020 election. He is tired of campaign posts from every direction, suspicious of self-righteous appeals and frustrated that filmmaking—the distraction he used during earlier elections—was unavailable. The episode preserves that moment as historical context without repeating political claims or endorsing a candidate, voting strategy or view of current events.
Then BuzzFeed quizzes arrive to make everybody angrier. A color-food quiz labels Michelle a Generation Xer after choices involving curry, corn, Caesar salad, blueberries and salmon. A kindergarten quiz somehow assigns her a teenage mental age, though it does prompt the true story of the boy she kicked after he declared girls could not do things. The friends abandon further image-heavy quizzes in disbelief. Contains profanity, pandemic stress, appetite and weight discussion, political frustration, childhood fighting, death jokes and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2107true37fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/unsolved-mysteries-reboot-electrical-mysteries-friendship-alibis--56706688That leads directly to Unsolved Mysteries. Henrique explains the original Robert Stack series to Michelle: multiple stories per episode, eerie reenactments, lost-family reunions, fugitives, UFOs and the incomparable excitement of an on-screen update. He remembers watching daytime reruns while home sick and recounts segments that kept changing as tips arrived and cases developed. D. B. Cooper, Adam West’s cameo on NewsRadio and the show’s journey from phone numbers to a website all enter the nostalgia tour.
Henrique then reviews the 2020 Netflix revival after watching four of its first six episodes. He appreciates the production resources and some compelling interviews but misses the host, variety, brevity and viewer-participation energy of the earlier format. He also briefly recommends the Netflix documentary series Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich while summarizing allegations and financial speculation discussed by that program. Those remarks describe what the hosts said about a then-current documentary; disputed figures, motives and private relationships are not repeated as established fact here.
The episode ends by testing friendship under increasingly absurd pressure. Would Michelle forgive Henrique for stealing from her? Would she report him for murder? Could he at least shower before explaining why he is covered in somebody else’s blood? Each hypothetical becomes more extreme until the friends finally agree that self-defense, accidents and helping an injured person deserve a conversation before judgment. Contains profanity, electrical-risk discussion, true crime, missing persons, child sexual-abuse allegations, murder and body-disposal jokes, identity-based humor and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/3b97bc0d-083d-4d7a-9f4d-45dd96aef1b6Mon, 13 Jul 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto begins with mysteries inside his own house. An electrician has added weather-protected outdoor outlets, repurposed a kitchen switch that seemed to control nothing and connected a dining-room light that previously required a...That leads directly to Unsolved Mysteries. Henrique explains the original Robert Stack series to Michelle: multiple stories per episode, eerie reenactments, lost-family reunions, fugitives, UFOs and the incomparable excitement of an on-screen update. He remembers watching daytime reruns while home sick and recounts segments that kept changing as tips arrived and cases developed. D. B. Cooper, Adam West’s cameo on NewsRadio and the show’s journey from phone numbers to a website all enter the nostalgia tour.
Henrique then reviews the 2020 Netflix revival after watching four of its first six episodes. He appreciates the production resources and some compelling interviews but misses the host, variety, brevity and viewer-participation energy of the earlier format. He also briefly recommends the Netflix documentary series Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich while summarizing allegations and financial speculation discussed by that program. Those remarks describe what the hosts said about a then-current documentary; disputed figures, motives and private relationships are not repeated as established fact here.
The episode ends by testing friendship under increasingly absurd pressure. Would Michelle forgive Henrique for stealing from her? Would she report him for murder? Could he at least shower before explaining why he is covered in somebody else’s blood? Each hypothetical becomes more extreme until the friends finally agree that self-defense, accidents and helping an injured person deserve a conversation before judgment. Contains profanity, electrical-risk discussion, true crime, missing persons, child sexual-abuse allegations, murder and body-disposal jokes, identity-based humor and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2028true36fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/rejecting-dates-foot-problems-quitting-a-bad-job--56706665The discussion expands into dating boundaries, religion, long-distance messages and strangers who ask whether Michelle lives alone. The hosts criticize people who refuse to accept no, but their improvised examples also include national and ethnic stereotypes that do not describe any group. Quantum Leap briefly rescues the conversation as Henrique remembers a series built around empathy, identity and Scott Bakula stepping into lives unlike his own.
Then the episode spends exactly as much time on feet as the original warning promised. Michelle describes a split little-toe nail that catches and bleeds; Henrique remembers a fungal toenail infection, prescription treatment and a friend who had a nail removed. They compare home treatments, sandals, wet socks and one ill-fated attempt to air out a pair of socks through a moving car window. This is graphic personal history from a 2020 comedy show—not diagnosis, podiatry, medication, nail-removal, infection-control or hygiene advice.
Michelle’s final answer to the opening question is quitting a job. It can take her years because she fears disappointing people, even when an employer ignores an agreed schedule, withholds part of a raise or suggests she find work “chasing butterflies.” Henrique contrasts a nonprofit job he liked in every respect except its manager and jokes about gaining authority solely to fire that person. Contains profanity, coercive-dating and possible-trafficking fears, stereotypes, rejection, blood and foot-infection details, workplace mistreatment, self-harm and violent jokes, plus repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/aa146a65-f2c3-48ff-9ac8-99b8328634dcMon, 06 Jul 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoWhat is the hardest thing Michelle has ever done? Opening an artichoke jar is a contender, but the real answer begins with telling someone she does not want to date them. She and Henrique Couto compare rejection, staying in relationships to avoid...The discussion expands into dating boundaries, religion, long-distance messages and strangers who ask whether Michelle lives alone. The hosts criticize people who refuse to accept no, but their improvised examples also include national and ethnic stereotypes that do not describe any group. Quantum Leap briefly rescues the conversation as Henrique remembers a series built around empathy, identity and Scott Bakula stepping into lives unlike his own.
Then the episode spends exactly as much time on feet as the original warning promised. Michelle describes a split little-toe nail that catches and bleeds; Henrique remembers a fungal toenail infection, prescription treatment and a friend who had a nail removed. They compare home treatments, sandals, wet socks and one ill-fated attempt to air out a pair of socks through a moving car window. This is graphic personal history from a 2020 comedy show—not diagnosis, podiatry, medication, nail-removal, infection-control or hygiene advice.
Michelle’s final answer to the opening question is quitting a job. It can take her years because she fears disappointing people, even when an employer ignores an agreed schedule, withholds part of a raise or suggests she find work “chasing butterflies.” Henrique contrasts a nonprofit job he liked in every respect except its manager and jokes about gaining authority solely to fire that person. Contains profanity, coercive-dating and possible-trafficking fears, stereotypes, rejection, blood and foot-infection details, workplace mistreatment, self-harm and violent jokes, plus repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2487true35fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/henwolf-s-vet-recovery-giving-pets-pills-cats-vs-dogs--56706691Henwolf makes treatment look deceptively easy. She charges happily into the clinic and will swallow a capsule with the smallest dab of canned cheese. Chicano fears the vet, detects medicine inside food and may wait hours rather than eat a disguised flea treatment. Their opposite reactions lead Michelle to remember a childhood cat who intimidated veterinary staff, traveled happily with the family until one long trip ended in vomiting and became skilled at hiding tranquilizer pills in his mouth.
The friends compare dogs’ and cats’ communication, fear and affection. Henrique recalls Henwolf warning a much larger mastiff with one carefully placed mouth, while Chicano’s history may explain why he once cowered at a raised hand. Michelle sees a similar pattern in her mother’s cat. Both hosts emphasize how trust can improve, then imagine Henwolf leaving home for a professional basketball career and returning years later with sunglasses, a suitcase and a tearful apology.
The closing detour compares Futurama with Rick and Morty and asks whether criticism of movies makes any more sense when it is expressed through cans of tuna containing human fingers. All medication, wound, feeding, behavior and breed remarks are personal stories from 2020—not veterinary, pharmacological, animal-training or emergency-care advice; owners should consult a qualified veterinarian. Contains surgical-wound and blood details, cancer testing, animal mistreatment history, pet anxiety and vomiting, Hitler and murder jokes, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/0aac96cd-b229-474f-8f9d-ec9bdbdd3d19Mon, 29 Jun 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto has good news after weeks of veterinary appointments: lab testing found no cancer in the masses removed from Henwolf. The bad news is that fourteen days in a battered recovery cone did not quite finish the job. Hours after her staples...Henwolf makes treatment look deceptively easy. She charges happily into the clinic and will swallow a capsule with the smallest dab of canned cheese. Chicano fears the vet, detects medicine inside food and may wait hours rather than eat a disguised flea treatment. Their opposite reactions lead Michelle to remember a childhood cat who intimidated veterinary staff, traveled happily with the family until one long trip ended in vomiting and became skilled at hiding tranquilizer pills in his mouth.
The friends compare dogs’ and cats’ communication, fear and affection. Henrique recalls Henwolf warning a much larger mastiff with one carefully placed mouth, while Chicano’s history may explain why he once cowered at a raised hand. Michelle sees a similar pattern in her mother’s cat. Both hosts emphasize how trust can improve, then imagine Henwolf leaving home for a professional basketball career and returning years later with sunglasses, a suitcase and a tearful apology.
The closing detour compares Futurama with Rick and Morty and asks whether criticism of movies makes any more sense when it is expressed through cans of tuna containing human fingers. All medication, wound, feeding, behavior and breed remarks are personal stories from 2020—not veterinary, pharmacological, animal-training or emergency-care advice; owners should consult a qualified veterinarian. Contains surgical-wound and blood details, cancer testing, animal mistreatment history, pet anxiety and vomiting, Hitler and murder jokes, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2399true34fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/humane-mole-control-dog-anxiety-lockdown-grilled-cheese--56706671Wildlife is only the beginning of the animal chaos. Henwolf is home after surgery wearing a giant recovery cone that crashes through furniture and terrifies Chicano. Pain medication upset her stomach, and the dogs’ normal routines have been replaced by incision checks, cleanup and cone repairs. Nearby fireworks reveal how severe Chicano’s noise anxiety can become, leading Henrique to research a veterinarian-prescribed oral gel and immediately encounter contradictory message-board horror stories.
The hosts step back to ask why frightening anecdotes so easily overpower professional advice. A neighborhood complaint about a veterinary hospital reminds Henrique of grieving people who blame medical staff after a loss, even when no malpractice is established. Michelle admits she could not handle telling families that a patient had died, and “sociopath Michelle” responds by scheduling every death for the same convenient afternoon. These jokes and anecdotes are not medical, veterinary, medication, pest-control or animal-care guidance.
Food finally offers relief. Henrique tries traditional cucumber sandwiches with white bread, cream cheese, mayonnaise, dill and chives, then abandons the trimmed crusts for a full-size version. That sparks a survey of grilled cheese, quesadillas, favorite cheeses and Michelle’s fantasy of living far from people in a forest, growing vegetables and relying on a hunting dog who does the hunting alone. Contains profanity, animal-surgery and medication details, fireworks anxiety, death and malpractice discussion, Hitler and serial-killer jokes, plus repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/9abb2fd0-f48d-4c8b-b583-1182cd671239Mon, 22 Jun 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto has a mole—or vole, or gopher—problem. Fresh tunnels and dirt piles are damaging his front yard and have already contributed to a sore ankle, but he does not want to kill the animals. He and Michelle investigate solar sound stakes,...Wildlife is only the beginning of the animal chaos. Henwolf is home after surgery wearing a giant recovery cone that crashes through furniture and terrifies Chicano. Pain medication upset her stomach, and the dogs’ normal routines have been replaced by incision checks, cleanup and cone repairs. Nearby fireworks reveal how severe Chicano’s noise anxiety can become, leading Henrique to research a veterinarian-prescribed oral gel and immediately encounter contradictory message-board horror stories.
The hosts step back to ask why frightening anecdotes so easily overpower professional advice. A neighborhood complaint about a veterinary hospital reminds Henrique of grieving people who blame medical staff after a loss, even when no malpractice is established. Michelle admits she could not handle telling families that a patient had died, and “sociopath Michelle” responds by scheduling every death for the same convenient afternoon. These jokes and anecdotes are not medical, veterinary, medication, pest-control or animal-care guidance.
Food finally offers relief. Henrique tries traditional cucumber sandwiches with white bread, cream cheese, mayonnaise, dill and chives, then abandons the trimmed crusts for a full-size version. That sparks a survey of grilled cheese, quesadillas, favorite cheeses and Michelle’s fantasy of living far from people in a forest, growing vegetables and relying on a hunting dog who does the hunting alone. Contains profanity, animal-surgery and medication details, fireworks anxiety, death and malpractice discussion, Hitler and serial-killer jokes, plus repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2416true33fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/steins-gate-japanese-deathmatch-wrestling-godzilla-culture--56706676Henrique is also waiting to bring Henwolf home after a dental cleaning, two tooth extractions and removal of two masses. He explains why the veterinarian recommended lab testing for one growth and why he chose to combine procedures under one anesthetic event. The relief in his voice arrives when the clinic confirms Henwolf is awake. Costs, credit, anesthesia, dental health, tumor margins and surgery are personal 2020 recollections—not veterinary, medical or financial guidance.
Then Michelle supplies the Japan stuff with Steins;Gate. She describes its self-styled mad scientist, accidental time machine, transformed bananas and shift from an initially difficult comedy into an affecting story about alternate outcomes and quantum suicide. The discussion widens to Godzilla, Japanese horror films, a college horror course and the subtle differences Michelle notices between anime and the American animated series RWBY. Titles, interpretations and availability reflect the original conversation.
Henrique contributes Japanese professional wrestling, especially the deathmatches he watched from the 1980s and 1990s. He recounts barbed-wire ropes, small explosive charges, thumbtacks, fluorescent tubes, beds of nails, cinder blocks and even a piranha tank, while contrasting that spectacle with audiences that applaud clean breaks and sportsmanship. The violence is described as performance but involves real injury risk and is not instruction or endorsement. Contains profanity, anxiety, pet surgery and cancer testing, quantum-suicide discussion, graphic wrestling violence, animal-danger imagery and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/4ba443b1-29cd-443d-8d3a-28b0c23fda98Mon, 15 Jun 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoA summer heat wave has moved Michelle’s half of the podcast into a blue bathroom, the only place far enough from her portable air conditioner to record. Henrique Couto compares the problem with shutting off his central air whenever he narrates Weekly...Henrique is also waiting to bring Henwolf home after a dental cleaning, two tooth extractions and removal of two masses. He explains why the veterinarian recommended lab testing for one growth and why he chose to combine procedures under one anesthetic event. The relief in his voice arrives when the clinic confirms Henwolf is awake. Costs, credit, anesthesia, dental health, tumor margins and surgery are personal 2020 recollections—not veterinary, medical or financial guidance.
Then Michelle supplies the Japan stuff with Steins;Gate. She describes its self-styled mad scientist, accidental time machine, transformed bananas and shift from an initially difficult comedy into an affecting story about alternate outcomes and quantum suicide. The discussion widens to Godzilla, Japanese horror films, a college horror course and the subtle differences Michelle notices between anime and the American animated series RWBY. Titles, interpretations and availability reflect the original conversation.
Henrique contributes Japanese professional wrestling, especially the deathmatches he watched from the 1980s and 1990s. He recounts barbed-wire ropes, small explosive charges, thumbtacks, fluorescent tubes, beds of nails, cinder blocks and even a piranha tank, while contrasting that spectacle with audiences that applaud clean breaks and sportsmanship. The violence is described as performance but involves real injury risk and is not instruction or endorsement. Contains profanity, anxiety, pet surgery and cancer testing, quantum-suicide discussion, graphic wrestling violence, animal-danger imagery and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2906true32fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/freelance-video-clients-getting-paid-six-years-self-employed--56706677The hosts also confess that saving money can become its own source of distress. Henrique will celebrate a good payment with the same modest Blu-ray and dinner he bought when broke; Michelle feels guilty about a mango aloe drink because homemade iced tea costs less. They distinguish liking something from believing it is objectively valuable and explain how business purchases can feel like personal rewards even when they mostly provide better tools for more work. No spending, tax or business remark is financial advice.
That leads to Henrique’s sixth anniversary of full-time self-employment. He remembers being fired on June 4, the day he jokingly calls Independence Day, and explains how films, licensing and freelance video jobs became one unpredictable livelihood. Strange clients arrive quickly: musicians who want a music video but no concept, people who demand writing without paying for it and a political candidate who publicly used a campaign video without paying the contractor who hired Henrique. Names and identifying details are omitted.
Freelance collections once meant repeated calls, surprise office visits and arguments over who actually guaranteed payment. Henrique has since learned to set scope, price concept development separately and walk away from bad arrangements—especially the band that promised “creative freedom” for a werewolf video and rejected his nun-turned-werewolf idea. Despite the stress, he says the independence remains fulfilling. Contains profanity, obsessive breath anxiety, political and protest references, suspected drug activity, unpaid-work and confrontation stories, violent werewolf imagery and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/ffc761b6-0fca-45ab-bd42-7befa33004b6Mon, 08 Jun 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto has upgraded his mouthwash to a two-chamber system that looks like futuristic drain cleaner, all in service of an old fear that his breath is worse than anyone else can detect. He and Michelle compare water flossers, electric...The hosts also confess that saving money can become its own source of distress. Henrique will celebrate a good payment with the same modest Blu-ray and dinner he bought when broke; Michelle feels guilty about a mango aloe drink because homemade iced tea costs less. They distinguish liking something from believing it is objectively valuable and explain how business purchases can feel like personal rewards even when they mostly provide better tools for more work. No spending, tax or business remark is financial advice.
That leads to Henrique’s sixth anniversary of full-time self-employment. He remembers being fired on June 4, the day he jokingly calls Independence Day, and explains how films, licensing and freelance video jobs became one unpredictable livelihood. Strange clients arrive quickly: musicians who want a music video but no concept, people who demand writing without paying for it and a political candidate who publicly used a campaign video without paying the contractor who hired Henrique. Names and identifying details are omitted.
Freelance collections once meant repeated calls, surprise office visits and arguments over who actually guaranteed payment. Henrique has since learned to set scope, price concept development separately and walk away from bad arrangements—especially the band that promised “creative freedom” for a werewolf video and rejected his nun-turned-werewolf idea. Despite the stress, he says the independence remains fulfilling. Contains profanity, obsessive breath anxiety, political and protest references, suspected drug activity, unpaid-work and confrontation stories, violent werewolf imagery and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>3201true31fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/covid-antibody-results-three-chaotic-internet-quizzes--56706687The better reason to celebrate is that This Show Is Awkward has reached its thirtieth episode—roughly twenty hours of Henrique and Michelle talking. They compare that total with Henrique’s much longer early podcast, The Freak Forum, imagine the show as an elaborate interrogation method and briefly discuss gardens and late frost. Then Henrique decides the milestone demands a medically prescribed internet quiz, a phrase that should reassure absolutely no one.
The first twenty-nine-question quiz asks about relationships, careers, confidence, pets, money, terrain and contentment before diagnosing Michelle’s problem as “missing a pet.” The comments are substantially darker than the result. A second quiz asks about lottery purchases, dance, travel, entertainment and favorite foods, changes its questions when the page is reloaded and ultimately reveals that it was only collecting answers for friends to compare rather than calculating any result.
A final quiz tests how magical Michelle is through telekinesis, phoenixes, cloaks, quests and badly spelled choices. She earns the verdict “somewhat magical,” which feels designed to let her down gently. The episode preserves the sites’ conclusions as absurd entertainment, not psychological, relationship, financial or life advice. Contains profanity, pandemic and medical-test discussion, torture and terrorism jokes, a quiz comment referencing suicide, antisemitic humor, self-esteem and depression references, and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/b33bac21-3772-462b-a81c-95e57fe0a1f4Mon, 01 Jun 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoThree episodes after raising the question, Henrique Couto finally remembers to deliver Michelle’s 2020 COVID-19 antibody-test result: it was negative. The friends immediately turn a medical update into jokes about communism, licking objects and...The better reason to celebrate is that This Show Is Awkward has reached its thirtieth episode—roughly twenty hours of Henrique and Michelle talking. They compare that total with Henrique’s much longer early podcast, The Freak Forum, imagine the show as an elaborate interrogation method and briefly discuss gardens and late frost. Then Henrique decides the milestone demands a medically prescribed internet quiz, a phrase that should reassure absolutely no one.
The first twenty-nine-question quiz asks about relationships, careers, confidence, pets, money, terrain and contentment before diagnosing Michelle’s problem as “missing a pet.” The comments are substantially darker than the result. A second quiz asks about lottery purchases, dance, travel, entertainment and favorite foods, changes its questions when the page is reloaded and ultimately reveals that it was only collecting answers for friends to compare rather than calculating any result.
A final quiz tests how magical Michelle is through telekinesis, phoenixes, cloaks, quests and badly spelled choices. She earns the verdict “somewhat magical,” which feels designed to let her down gently. The episode preserves the sites’ conclusions as absurd entertainment, not psychological, relationship, financial or life advice. Contains profanity, pandemic and medical-test discussion, torture and terrorism jokes, a quiz comment referencing suicide, antisemitic humor, self-esteem and depression references, and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2574true30fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/braces-palate-expanders-henrique-s-long-dental-history--56706683The real subject begins when toothpaste and whitening lead Henrique into a decade of dental history. A fractured molar became infected while he was awaiting gallbladder surgery; after medical clearance, the tooth was extracted and later replaced with an implant. He discusses sensitivity toothpaste, whitening strips, retainers, a replacement crown and the painful limits of local anesthetic around infection. Product opinions, pain medication and procedure descriptions are not dental or medical recommendations.
Both hosts then compare childhood orthodontia. Each had a palate expander and remembers the key, the pressure and food getting trapped against the roof of the mouth. Henrique also wore a lip bumper and braces for roughly five and a half years after an early injury affected the development of his lower teeth. Springs, separate wire gauges and unusually positioned adult teeth made his treatment complicated enough that photographs of his mouth appeared in his orthodontist’s educational book.
Michelle remembers believing braces would never feel normal and becoming so distressed that her father wanted to confront the orthodontist. Henrique remembers his mother’s determination that he should be able to smile confidently and the technicians crying when his long treatment ended. Friendship turns a painful subject unexpectedly comforting—at least until he recalls an emergency toothache triggered after putting peroxide on an irritated gum. Contains profanity, graphic dental and tongue details, infected tooth and surgery discussion, prescription opioid references, religious and ethnic jokes, body-image anxiety and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/d2285ed7-c8ea-4251-bf60-a3d077b06b6bMon, 25 May 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoLunch gives Henrique Couto hope, right up until an overfilled hot dog deposits habanero relish and mustard across his face. That mishap revives memories of touching his eye after cutting peppers, seeking stronger imported mints and eating so many sour...The real subject begins when toothpaste and whitening lead Henrique into a decade of dental history. A fractured molar became infected while he was awaiting gallbladder surgery; after medical clearance, the tooth was extracted and later replaced with an implant. He discusses sensitivity toothpaste, whitening strips, retainers, a replacement crown and the painful limits of local anesthetic around infection. Product opinions, pain medication and procedure descriptions are not dental or medical recommendations.
Both hosts then compare childhood orthodontia. Each had a palate expander and remembers the key, the pressure and food getting trapped against the roof of the mouth. Henrique also wore a lip bumper and braces for roughly five and a half years after an early injury affected the development of his lower teeth. Springs, separate wire gauges and unusually positioned adult teeth made his treatment complicated enough that photographs of his mouth appeared in his orthodontist’s educational book.
Michelle remembers believing braces would never feel normal and becoming so distressed that her father wanted to confront the orthodontist. Henrique remembers his mother’s determination that he should be able to smile confidently and the technicians crying when his long treatment ended. Friendship turns a painful subject unexpectedly comforting—at least until he recalls an emergency toothache triggered after putting peroxide on an irritated gum. Contains profanity, graphic dental and tongue details, infected tooth and surgery discussion, prescription opioid references, religious and ethnic jokes, body-image anxiety and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>3009true29fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/plandemic-conspiracies-pandemic-frustration-tiger-king--56706666The conversation turns to Plandemic, the viral conspiracy video Henrique had not watched before it was removed from YouTube. He criticizes recycled stories about secret elites and traces how vague conspiracy language can descend into antisemitic myths about Jews, the Illuminati and lizard people. The hosts also debate whether removing misinformation can make believers feel vindicated. This is a historical discussion of conspiracy thinking—not an endorsement of the video or a reliable account of COVID-19 origins, laboratories, governments, public-health agencies or platform policy.
Pandemic fatigue drives the politics underneath the episode. Henrique describes distrusting leaders across parties, needing comfort food while income is uncertain and feeling more visibly failed by institutions than usual. The friends compare 2020 stimulus payments, direct deposit, a debit card issued with a one-month expiration and their shared instinct to save rather than celebrate. Every political, banking, tax and relief-program detail reflects an improvised 2020 conversation and is not current public-health, financial or government-benefits guidance.
Tiger King offers a stranger distraction. Henrique is fascinated less by the animals than by the people who accept exploitation, unpaid labor and cultlike control for access to big cats; Michelle still is not convinced the series deserves her time. From tiger sanctuaries they wander into golf, sanctioned yelling, funk musicians’ vocal sounds and songs Michelle invents for Gigs. Contains pandemic misinformation discussion, politics, antisemitic conspiracy material, anxiety and financial distress, animal exploitation and death references, profanity, and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/6a472a8b-a60e-4b33-a662-468b642b717bMon, 18 May 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto begins by proposing 167 Questions, a childhood game he invented moments earlier, then records as if the show were already two weeks in the future and the pandemic had ended by tearing a dinosaur-filled hole in Earth. Michelle responds...The conversation turns to Plandemic, the viral conspiracy video Henrique had not watched before it was removed from YouTube. He criticizes recycled stories about secret elites and traces how vague conspiracy language can descend into antisemitic myths about Jews, the Illuminati and lizard people. The hosts also debate whether removing misinformation can make believers feel vindicated. This is a historical discussion of conspiracy thinking—not an endorsement of the video or a reliable account of COVID-19 origins, laboratories, governments, public-health agencies or platform policy.
Pandemic fatigue drives the politics underneath the episode. Henrique describes distrusting leaders across parties, needing comfort food while income is uncertain and feeling more visibly failed by institutions than usual. The friends compare 2020 stimulus payments, direct deposit, a debit card issued with a one-month expiration and their shared instinct to save rather than celebrate. Every political, banking, tax and relief-program detail reflects an improvised 2020 conversation and is not current public-health, financial or government-benefits guidance.
Tiger King offers a stranger distraction. Henrique is fascinated less by the animals than by the people who accept exploitation, unpaid labor and cultlike control for access to big cats; Michelle still is not convinced the series deserves her time. From tiger sanctuaries they wander into golf, sanctioned yelling, funk musicians’ vocal sounds and songs Michelle invents for Gigs. Contains pandemic misinformation discussion, politics, antisemitic conspiracy material, anxiety and financial distress, animal exploitation and death references, profanity, and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2557true28fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/covid-antibody-testing-essential-work-anxiety-a-lockdown-birthday--56706669Michelle has just completed a COVID-19 antibody test at a Quest Diagnostics location and is waiting four to five days for a result. She describes checking in by QR code, waiting anxiously in her car and having blood drawn from her dominant arm because she did not want to inconvenience the technician. Then the friends explore both possible outcomes: a negative result might mean caution or luck, while a positive result would make Michelle fear that asymptomatic work in supermarkets had unknowingly harmed someone.
That guilt becomes the emotional center. Michelle imagines a chain of transmission leading from a cough, sigh or touched surface to a stranger’s death; Henrique reminds her that a virus moving through a population is not the same as one person intentionally causing harm. They compare Henrique’s own brief episode of fatigue and aching joints, 2020 uncertainty about antibodies and reinfection, local case counts, testing capacity and delayed reopening. Those claims and figures were incomplete even at the time and are not restated as medical fact.
Two days after the recording, Michelle turns thirty-six. Her usual family meal and day off have become a half day of essential work, a virtual gathering and the hope that the laboratory result arrives early. Henrique wishes he could do more, celebrates the friend who has helped him through months of isolation and asks listeners to send birthday wishes after the fact. Contains pandemic anxiety, death and transmission guilt, medical testing and blood draws, inaccurate or outdated health speculation, dark humor, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/8c2c17cc-fcf3-4d2b-99b2-9d6cfb53e9ddMon, 11 May 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoIn May 2020, Ohio was beginning a gradual reopening while the Philadelphia area remained under tighter restrictions. Henrique Couto feels unexpectedly energized by the smallest hint of change, but he and Michelle immediately collide over masks,...Michelle has just completed a COVID-19 antibody test at a Quest Diagnostics location and is waiting four to five days for a result. She describes checking in by QR code, waiting anxiously in her car and having blood drawn from her dominant arm because she did not want to inconvenience the technician. Then the friends explore both possible outcomes: a negative result might mean caution or luck, while a positive result would make Michelle fear that asymptomatic work in supermarkets had unknowingly harmed someone.
That guilt becomes the emotional center. Michelle imagines a chain of transmission leading from a cough, sigh or touched surface to a stranger’s death; Henrique reminds her that a virus moving through a population is not the same as one person intentionally causing harm. They compare Henrique’s own brief episode of fatigue and aching joints, 2020 uncertainty about antibodies and reinfection, local case counts, testing capacity and delayed reopening. Those claims and figures were incomplete even at the time and are not restated as medical fact.
Two days after the recording, Michelle turns thirty-six. Her usual family meal and day off have become a half day of essential work, a virtual gathering and the hope that the laboratory result arrives early. Henrique wishes he could do more, celebrates the friend who has helped him through months of isolation and asks listeners to send birthday wishes after the fact. Contains pandemic anxiety, death and transmission guilt, medical testing and blood draws, inaccurate or outdated health speculation, dark humor, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2476true27fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/lockdown-comforts-campfire-stories-missing-family--56706699Food offers Henrique an immediate refuge, from grilled cheese and eggs on toast to hot dogs, pizza and carefully appreciated delivery orders. Michelle is having the opposite experience, describing stress, nausea and familiar foods that no longer taste comforting. She finds more pleasure in turning protective clothing into a creative project, including layered masks, a turquoise poncho and plans for increasingly strange accessories.
Henrique’s biggest bright spot is Uncle Henny’s Campfire Stories, a weekly livestream where he builds a faux-woods set and reads mean-spirited children’s horror from the Scary Stories for Sleepovers books. Audience messages, new friendships and unexpectedly generous tips make the ritual feel meaningful; one father even says that he and his young son listen together before bedtime. Michelle also values an online Gurren Lagann watch party and looks forward to more Mob Psycho.
The positivity gets harder when both hosts talk about missing their mothers, regional case differences and the uncertain prospect of reopening. They acknowledge that they do not know the true infection rate or the right timetable, then end with Giggs the cat trying to shut down Michelle’s computer. Contains depression, anxiety, disordered appetite discussion, pandemic illness and death, inaccurate or outdated health speculation, profanity, dark humor and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/7edc5dbc-7794-4aca-bdad-06f30f77cdb0Mon, 04 May 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded during the first pandemic spring of 2020, Henrique Couto and Michelle try to follow an emotionally heavy conversation with an episode about whatever is still bringing them comfort. The attempt begins with friendship: Henrique thanks Michelle...Food offers Henrique an immediate refuge, from grilled cheese and eggs on toast to hot dogs, pizza and carefully appreciated delivery orders. Michelle is having the opposite experience, describing stress, nausea and familiar foods that no longer taste comforting. She finds more pleasure in turning protective clothing into a creative project, including layered masks, a turquoise poncho and plans for increasingly strange accessories.
Henrique’s biggest bright spot is Uncle Henny’s Campfire Stories, a weekly livestream where he builds a faux-woods set and reads mean-spirited children’s horror from the Scary Stories for Sleepovers books. Audience messages, new friendships and unexpectedly generous tips make the ritual feel meaningful; one father even says that he and his young son listen together before bedtime. Michelle also values an online Gurren Lagann watch party and looks forward to more Mob Psycho.
The positivity gets harder when both hosts talk about missing their mothers, regional case differences and the uncertain prospect of reopening. They acknowledge that they do not know the true infection rate or the right timetable, then end with Giggs the cat trying to shut down Michelle’s computer. Contains depression, anxiety, disordered appetite discussion, pandemic illness and death, inaccurate or outdated health speculation, profanity, dark humor and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2665true26fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/pandemic-burnout-essential-work-doing-the-dishes--56706679The anime opens a larger discussion of concentration, nightmares and the invisible baseline of stress. Henrique says movies no longer hold his attention and describes several nights of frightening dreams; Michelle explains why stories about people overcoming adversity are the only entertainment that currently feels useful. Both recognize that poor sleep, anxiety and constant uncertainty make ordinary tasks feel heavier.
Henrique then recounts facing a sink full of dishes after days of avoidance. He explains how a large mess can register as one impossible object rather than a series of manageable pieces, how shame led him to take a long “depression nap,” and how he finally got up after midnight to wash everything while Henwolf and Chicano kept him company. The clean sink and a later hour clearing leaves from the patio become rare, tangible accomplishments.
Michelle contrasts that struggle with the relentless demands of work, protecting coworkers, worrying about family and still maintaining her home. The friends reject the idea that “essential” and “non-essential” people should compete over who has it worse, and Henrique praises Michelle’s empathy while admitting that staying home does not feel like a purpose. They close with soft pants, Honey Smacks, creative work and the reminder that effort can count even when it does not feel impressive. Contains depression, anxiety, self-loathing, sleep disturbance, disordered eating and body-image language, pandemic workplace stress, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/bb20dabb-0365-4603-8ec9-5266e87fb036Mon, 27 Apr 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded during the first pandemic spring of 2020, this unusually candid conversation finds Henrique Couto and Michelle exhausted in different ways. Michelle spends a week away from essential grocery-store work but worries about returning the entire...The anime opens a larger discussion of concentration, nightmares and the invisible baseline of stress. Henrique says movies no longer hold his attention and describes several nights of frightening dreams; Michelle explains why stories about people overcoming adversity are the only entertainment that currently feels useful. Both recognize that poor sleep, anxiety and constant uncertainty make ordinary tasks feel heavier.
Henrique then recounts facing a sink full of dishes after days of avoidance. He explains how a large mess can register as one impossible object rather than a series of manageable pieces, how shame led him to take a long “depression nap,” and how he finally got up after midnight to wash everything while Henwolf and Chicano kept him company. The clean sink and a later hour clearing leaves from the patio become rare, tangible accomplishments.
Michelle contrasts that struggle with the relentless demands of work, protecting coworkers, worrying about family and still maintaining her home. The friends reject the idea that “essential” and “non-essential” people should compete over who has it worse, and Henrique praises Michelle’s empathy while admitting that staying home does not feel like a purpose. They close with soft pants, Honey Smacks, creative work and the reminder that effort can count even when it does not feel impressive. Contains depression, anxiety, self-loathing, sleep disturbance, disordered eating and body-image language, pandemic workplace stress, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2487true25fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/nightmares-rescue-pets-sleep-paralysis--56706686The doppelgänger-cat dream leads to Giggs and the complicated emotions of loving an animal whose visible injury came from a painful past. Henrique compares that experience with adopting older rescue dogs Henwolf and Chicano, describing Henwolf’s transformation from an obese couch potato into an energetic companion and Chicano’s gradual recovery from fear. The hosts discuss shelters, foster homes, less-adoptable animals and the uncertainty of never knowing a rescue pet’s full history.
Henrique remembers the moment Chicano saw him after a week apart, realized he had returned and raced to the car. He also describes Henwolf checking on Chicano after the dogs were reunited, while Michelle explains why recent encounters with death make adopting an older animal emotionally difficult for her. These are personal adoption stories rather than veterinary, behavioral or animal-welfare guidance.
The episode returns to dreams as Michelle admits that her most upsetting nightmares involve loved ones treating her cruelly. Henrique shares a dream in which nobody will tell him the year, then explains his experiences with sleep paralysis: sensing an unseen presence, seeing a figure beside the bed and mistaking a dark door for a towering person. His dogs’ calm behavior helps him reorient after waking. Contains nightmares, sleep paralysis, pandemic and prison anxiety, animal injury, suspected abuse and abandonment, pet death, profanity, dark humor and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/fa78d3b6-bda2-439c-9fff-677e521de53eMon, 20 Apr 2020 04:03:00 +0000Henrique CoutoQuarantine has left Henrique Couto short on stories, so he hands Michelle control of the conversation and asks her to fill the show. She begins with a nightmare about receiving life without parole while illness spreads through a prison. That opens a...The doppelgänger-cat dream leads to Giggs and the complicated emotions of loving an animal whose visible injury came from a painful past. Henrique compares that experience with adopting older rescue dogs Henwolf and Chicano, describing Henwolf’s transformation from an obese couch potato into an energetic companion and Chicano’s gradual recovery from fear. The hosts discuss shelters, foster homes, less-adoptable animals and the uncertainty of never knowing a rescue pet’s full history.
Henrique remembers the moment Chicano saw him after a week apart, realized he had returned and raced to the car. He also describes Henwolf checking on Chicano after the dogs were reunited, while Michelle explains why recent encounters with death make adopting an older animal emotionally difficult for her. These are personal adoption stories rather than veterinary, behavioral or animal-welfare guidance.
The episode returns to dreams as Michelle admits that her most upsetting nightmares involve loved ones treating her cruelly. Henrique shares a dream in which nobody will tell him the year, then explains his experiences with sleep paralysis: sensing an unseen presence, seeing a figure beside the bed and mistaking a dark door for a towering person. His dogs’ calm behavior helps him reorient after waking. Contains nightmares, sleep paralysis, pandemic and prison anxiety, animal injury, suspected abuse and abandonment, pet death, profanity, dark humor and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2403true24fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/essential-work-anxiety-lockdown-routines-centralia--56706695Michelle is living the opposite version of lockdown inside busy grocery stores. After weeks of scarce paper products, nonstop messages and customers crowding the aisles, new entry limits finally make the workplace feel slightly more manageable. She plans a week off but expects to spend it helping employees remotely and worrying that she chose the wrong moment. Their case numbers, projections, testing estimates and reopening assumptions were tentative even when recorded and are not current medical or public-health guidance.
A detour takes the friends back to their visit to Centralia, Pennsylvania, where an underground mine fire led most residents to leave. They remember wandering a cemetery, finding the abandoned portion of Pennsylvania Route 61, walking cracked pavement covered with graffiti and discovering afterward that they had taken a needlessly difficult route. News that the graffiti highway was being covered prompts equal parts nostalgia, jokes and relief that crowds would stop gathering there.
The conversation returns to Michelle’s vacation plans: fan art, a back patch, mowing, driveway chalk and experimenting with bleach designs. Anxiety keeps turning every plan into a fear of getting sick, dying or disappointing people, while Henrique tries to make her promise she will be safe. They end by watching an ant cross the floor as Giggs remains occupied. Contains pandemic illness and death anxiety, outdated health and hospital-capacity speculation, workplace stress, a minor cooking burn, body disposal jokes, swastika references, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/53774bf6-7741-4c45-9c47-a2c82e34ef5bMon, 13 Apr 2020 04:03:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in April 2020, Henrique Couto admits that his promise to stop making coronavirus episodes lasted about two weeks. Nearly a month into staying home, he is measuring time through laundry, grocery trips, perfecting grilled cheese and a grease...Michelle is living the opposite version of lockdown inside busy grocery stores. After weeks of scarce paper products, nonstop messages and customers crowding the aisles, new entry limits finally make the workplace feel slightly more manageable. She plans a week off but expects to spend it helping employees remotely and worrying that she chose the wrong moment. Their case numbers, projections, testing estimates and reopening assumptions were tentative even when recorded and are not current medical or public-health guidance.
A detour takes the friends back to their visit to Centralia, Pennsylvania, where an underground mine fire led most residents to leave. They remember wandering a cemetery, finding the abandoned portion of Pennsylvania Route 61, walking cracked pavement covered with graffiti and discovering afterward that they had taken a needlessly difficult route. News that the graffiti highway was being covered prompts equal parts nostalgia, jokes and relief that crowds would stop gathering there.
The conversation returns to Michelle’s vacation plans: fan art, a back patch, mowing, driveway chalk and experimenting with bleach designs. Anxiety keeps turning every plan into a fear of getting sick, dying or disappointing people, while Henrique tries to make her promise she will be safe. They end by watching an ant cross the floor as Giggs remains occupied. Contains pandemic illness and death anxiety, outdated health and hospital-capacity speculation, workplace stress, a minor cooking burn, body disposal jokes, swastika references, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2438true23fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/dorohedoro-manga-stripped-to-kill-a-media-exchange--56706692After five chapters, Henrique is fascinated by Dorohedoro’s mix of grotesque violence, food comedy and unexpectedly sweet friendship. He tries to explain Caiman, a man with a lizard head who bites sorcerers so the mysterious person inside his mouth can identify whoever cursed him, and Nikaido, his gyoza-making companion. Failed magic experiments, theatrical masks and lines about gyoza keep colliding in a world whose logic is disturbing and funny at once.
The manga reminds Henrique of two rare earlier comic experiences: Godzilla vs. Barkley and the violent Columbus-made Voodoo Joe, whose cursed hero must help strangers take revenge. Michelle is more interested in what Henrique will think as Dorohedoro introduces additional sorcerers, while he promises to continue reading beyond the assigned chapters and appreciates that an unfamiliar format could still make him laugh aloud.
Michelle’s Stripped to Kill notes cover an undercover police officer entering a strip club, elaborate dance sequences, an effective mystery reveal and her conclusion that she is not sexually attracted to women. Henrique places Katt Shea’s Roger Corman production within the wave of stripper thrillers that followed, then discusses exploitation formulas, women as both victims and heroes, and later B-movie variations. Contains graphic comic violence, murder, dismemberment, sexualized nudity and stripping, a brief child-sexual-abuse reference, abortion and reanimated-fetus imagery, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/6fcd6deb-cc67-4038-a530-10fa13b18036Mon, 06 Apr 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto and Michelle begin a new media-exchange experiment built around things the other person might never discover alone. Their friendship has long included trading art across personal taste—from all seven original Nightmare on Elm Street...After five chapters, Henrique is fascinated by Dorohedoro’s mix of grotesque violence, food comedy and unexpectedly sweet friendship. He tries to explain Caiman, a man with a lizard head who bites sorcerers so the mysterious person inside his mouth can identify whoever cursed him, and Nikaido, his gyoza-making companion. Failed magic experiments, theatrical masks and lines about gyoza keep colliding in a world whose logic is disturbing and funny at once.
The manga reminds Henrique of two rare earlier comic experiences: Godzilla vs. Barkley and the violent Columbus-made Voodoo Joe, whose cursed hero must help strangers take revenge. Michelle is more interested in what Henrique will think as Dorohedoro introduces additional sorcerers, while he promises to continue reading beyond the assigned chapters and appreciates that an unfamiliar format could still make him laugh aloud.
Michelle’s Stripped to Kill notes cover an undercover police officer entering a strip club, elaborate dance sequences, an effective mystery reveal and her conclusion that she is not sexually attracted to women. Henrique places Katt Shea’s Roger Corman production within the wave of stripper thrillers that followed, then discusses exploitation formulas, women as both victims and heroes, and later B-movie variations. Contains graphic comic violence, murder, dismemberment, sexualized nudity and stripping, a brief child-sexual-abuse reference, abortion and reanimated-fetus imagery, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2341true22fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/2020-shutdown-orders-essential-grocery-work-a-clickbait-rant--56706689Their routines have changed just as sharply. Henrique starts making grocery lists, reduces shopping trips, sanitizes his phone and tries to stretch a repetitive pantry; Michelle watches stores restock only to see tissues and other goods vanish before she can buy them. Both discuss handwashing, coughs, allergies, temperature checks, asymptomatic infection and limiting family contact. These observations reflect uncertainty in March 2020 and are not current medical, legal, workplace or public-health guidance.
Henrique’s frustration peaks over a Forbes headline saying New York Governor Andrew Cuomo had ordered “100% of businesses” to close when the article described exemptions for essential services. He argues that frightening, imprecise headlines can drive unnecessary panic and compares the ethical problem with the television station in George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead continuing to display outdated shelter addresses to retain viewers. His concern about misinformation is preserved without asserting that a particular headline caused deaths.
The hosts also compare Ohio’s statewide stay-at-home order with Pennsylvania’s county-by-county approach, reduced traffic, changed police responses and the difficulty of balancing health precautions with economic survival. “Wine with DeWine,” a nearly empty Chick-fil-A drive-through and an argument over whether landscaping can operate safely add gallows humor. Contains pandemic illness and death, obsolete health and emergency-order discussion, police and crime references, economic distress, profanity, dark humor and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/f4d36d87-de8c-4d9d-a580-7ab654e47bd2Mon, 30 Mar 2020 04:02:00 +0000Henrique CoutoRecorded in late March 2020, this episode captures Henrique Couto and Michelle living opposite sides of the first COVID-19 shutdowns. Henrique’s planned movie production disappears as Ohio closes schools and businesses, leaving him isolated with very...Their routines have changed just as sharply. Henrique starts making grocery lists, reduces shopping trips, sanitizes his phone and tries to stretch a repetitive pantry; Michelle watches stores restock only to see tissues and other goods vanish before she can buy them. Both discuss handwashing, coughs, allergies, temperature checks, asymptomatic infection and limiting family contact. These observations reflect uncertainty in March 2020 and are not current medical, legal, workplace or public-health guidance.
Henrique’s frustration peaks over a Forbes headline saying New York Governor Andrew Cuomo had ordered “100% of businesses” to close when the article described exemptions for essential services. He argues that frightening, imprecise headlines can drive unnecessary panic and compares the ethical problem with the television station in George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead continuing to display outdated shelter addresses to retain viewers. His concern about misinformation is preserved without asserting that a particular headline caused deaths.
The hosts also compare Ohio’s statewide stay-at-home order with Pennsylvania’s county-by-county approach, reduced traffic, changed police responses and the difficulty of balancing health precautions with economic survival. “Wine with DeWine,” a nearly empty Chick-fil-A drive-through and an argument over whether landscaping can operate safely add gallows humor. Contains pandemic illness and death, obsolete health and emergency-order discussion, police and crime references, economic distress, profanity, dark humor and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2364true21fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/pet-smells-dark-internet-quizzes-medication-side-effects--56706678That pet conversation becomes an excuse for another surprise internet quiz, but Henrique has searched for something “sad.” The questions rapidly move from mood and sleep to hopelessness, self-loathing, death wishes and self-harm, making the quiz’s flippant framing uncomfortable even as the hosts use dark humor. Its cheerful result—that Michelle is not sad at all—exposes how little authority the test deserves. It is not a mental-health assessment, screening tool or substitute for professional care.
Michelle then gives a personal update about changing prescribed anxiety medication after three difficult weeks on the prior drug, including waking frightened and shaking. One week into the replacement, she thinks she may feel better but is uncertain how quickly it could work. The hosts discuss their experiences and informal reading without giving medical advice; no listener should start, stop or change medication based on this 2020 conversation.
A second quiz asks about friends, ideal homes, personal style, Disney characters and favorite birds before declaring Michelle part snake, mouse, bear and cat. A joke about snakes ends with the sad memory of accidentally hitting one with a lawnmower, completing the episode’s route from pleasant pet smells to grim quiz results. Contains depression, anxiety, self-loathing, suicidal ideation and self-harm questions, psychiatric medication and side effects, animal death, profanity, dark humor and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/3e919fe4-3c68-4dec-aa00-17638cc67176Mon, 23 Mar 2020 04:01:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto begins with freshly groomed dogs Henwolf and Chicano, whose enormous clean coats make them feel “reupholstered.” He and Michelle compare the smell of dogs, cats and cat saliva, remember bathing Henrique’s childhood cat and debate...That pet conversation becomes an excuse for another surprise internet quiz, but Henrique has searched for something “sad.” The questions rapidly move from mood and sleep to hopelessness, self-loathing, death wishes and self-harm, making the quiz’s flippant framing uncomfortable even as the hosts use dark humor. Its cheerful result—that Michelle is not sad at all—exposes how little authority the test deserves. It is not a mental-health assessment, screening tool or substitute for professional care.
Michelle then gives a personal update about changing prescribed anxiety medication after three difficult weeks on the prior drug, including waking frightened and shaking. One week into the replacement, she thinks she may feel better but is uncertain how quickly it could work. The hosts discuss their experiences and informal reading without giving medical advice; no listener should start, stop or change medication based on this 2020 conversation.
A second quiz asks about friends, ideal homes, personal style, Disney characters and favorite birds before declaring Michelle part snake, mouse, bear and cat. A joke about snakes ends with the sad memory of accidentally hitting one with a lawnmower, completing the episode’s route from pleasant pet smells to grim quiz results. Contains depression, anxiety, self-loathing, suicidal ideation and self-harm questions, psychiatric medication and side effects, animal death, profanity, dark humor and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2013true20fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/first-covid-shutdowns-grocery-exposure-panic-buying--56706624Before those shutdowns, the friends were measuring risk through handwashing, awkwardly avoided handshakes and a Cleveland convention where Henrique expected to greet hundreds of people. They debate symptoms, transmission, hospital demand, family contact and whether large events will proceed. Many claims were incomplete or wrong even by later 2020 standards, so the description preserves the uncertainty rather than repeating percentages or recommendations as fact.
The discussion turns to toilet paper, sanitizer, ammunition and the psychology of panic buying. Henrique argues that people create the scarcity they fear when they buy extra because they expect everyone else to do the same; a routine warehouse-club cart can suddenly look like evidence of disaster. They also criticize sensational coverage, compare Ohio with coastal cities and reflect on the cancellations of South by Southwest and Coachella.
Michelle’s grocery-delivery work makes the risk personal. She moves among four supermarkets, struggles to find requested products and describes customers and employees coughing within inches of her. Severe anxiety convinces her she will become infected and unknowingly transmit illness while asymptomatic, while Henrique turns the fear into a deliberately false horror-movie joke about a virus traveling through the internet. Contains pandemic illness and death, obsolete or inaccurate medical speculation, anxiety, workplace exposure, firearms and ammunition discussion, profanity, dark humor and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/3f299e72-fa63-4a84-b8d9-de62f5c4fb43Mon, 16 Mar 2020 04:05:00 +0000Henrique CoutoThis March 2020 recording opens with an addendum because the situation changed dramatically between taping and release. Ohio had closed bars and restaurant dining, several Pennsylvania counties had restricted businesses, and the hosts no longer felt...Before those shutdowns, the friends were measuring risk through handwashing, awkwardly avoided handshakes and a Cleveland convention where Henrique expected to greet hundreds of people. They debate symptoms, transmission, hospital demand, family contact and whether large events will proceed. Many claims were incomplete or wrong even by later 2020 standards, so the description preserves the uncertainty rather than repeating percentages or recommendations as fact.
The discussion turns to toilet paper, sanitizer, ammunition and the psychology of panic buying. Henrique argues that people create the scarcity they fear when they buy extra because they expect everyone else to do the same; a routine warehouse-club cart can suddenly look like evidence of disaster. They also criticize sensational coverage, compare Ohio with coastal cities and reflect on the cancellations of South by Southwest and Coachella.
Michelle’s grocery-delivery work makes the risk personal. She moves among four supermarkets, struggles to find requested products and describes customers and employees coughing within inches of her. Severe anxiety convinces her she will become infected and unknowingly transmit illness while asymptomatic, while Henrique turns the fear into a deliberately false horror-movie joke about a virus traveling through the internet. Contains pandemic illness and death, obsolete or inaccurate medical speculation, anxiety, workplace exposure, firearms and ammunition discussion, profanity, dark humor and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2136true19fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/work-burnout-relaxation-guilt-adult-impostor-syndrome--56706707Three days after the project ends, Henrique still cannot make himself watch Scarface, enjoy a bowl of popcorn or stop feeling guilty about time away from work. Even cabins, movies, video games and strict evening cutoffs can become assignments he might fail. He loves making films, podcasts and short work, but turning a hobby into a livelihood means creative escape has become another source of pressure, and he fears burnout because nobody else can catch the business if he collapses.
Michelle understands the cycle. Animation school once burned her out so thoroughly that she stopped drawing for roughly a decade, and her current relaxation still depends on scheduled television, manga and a firm cutoff from work. She also interrupts the conversation to stop Giggs from eating plastic tape, then reassures Henrique that honest frustration with a dream job is not ingratitude. Their exchange offers personal experience, not mental-health, employment or business guidance.
The friends move from work identity to adult impostor syndrome. Michelle worries that an ordinary-looking insurance card will derail someone else’s driving test and says a recent prescribed dosage increase has made her more nervous; Henrique admits that running every creative and financial part of a business still does not make him feel like an “adulty adult.” Hearing that Michelle’s parents also improvise their way through life is unexpectedly comforting. Contains depression, anxiety, burnout, psychiatric medication and dosage discussion, legal speculation, death jokes, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/a3832a29-09f4-4f73-8c1e-dcc4b955a993Mon, 09 Mar 2020 04:05:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto begins with a deliberately bad explanation of one-party and all-party recording-consent laws before discovering that Pennsylvania’s rules differ from Ohio’s. The joke gives way to the real question: after completing a long, emotionally...Three days after the project ends, Henrique still cannot make himself watch Scarface, enjoy a bowl of popcorn or stop feeling guilty about time away from work. Even cabins, movies, video games and strict evening cutoffs can become assignments he might fail. He loves making films, podcasts and short work, but turning a hobby into a livelihood means creative escape has become another source of pressure, and he fears burnout because nobody else can catch the business if he collapses.
Michelle understands the cycle. Animation school once burned her out so thoroughly that she stopped drawing for roughly a decade, and her current relaxation still depends on scheduled television, manga and a firm cutoff from work. She also interrupts the conversation to stop Giggs from eating plastic tape, then reassures Henrique that honest frustration with a dream job is not ingratitude. Their exchange offers personal experience, not mental-health, employment or business guidance.
The friends move from work identity to adult impostor syndrome. Michelle worries that an ordinary-looking insurance card will derail someone else’s driving test and says a recent prescribed dosage increase has made her more nervous; Henrique admits that running every creative and financial part of a business still does not make him feel like an “adulty adult.” Hearing that Michelle’s parents also improvise their way through life is unexpectedly comforting. Contains depression, anxiety, burnout, psychiatric medication and dosage discussion, legal speculation, death jokes, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>1916true18fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/learner-s-permits-parallel-parking-first-car-stories--56706696Both hosts remember learning to drive as an anxious ordeal. Henrique’s mother tried teaching him in an Ohio neighborhood before repeatedly shouting that he was too close to something, so a professional instructor with a second brake pedal took over. Michelle’s New Jersey process required instructor time, and her first road test ended during parallel parking. These stories describe procedures from many years ago and are not current licensing, driving or safety guidance.
Henrique waited until eighteen to avoid a driver-education course he disliked, then discovered that the green Volkswagen Beetle his mother had been driving was secretly his first car. He passed the road portion of his Ohio test but failed a cone-based maneuverability exercise, practiced repeatedly after hours and succeeded on the next attempt. Michelle later passed while crying from nerves, only for the examiner to think the fear was personal.
The friends compare Ohio maneuverability with East Coast parallel-parking tests, debate cones versus real cars and trace how different vehicle sizes change muscle memory. Henrique remembers people paying to use his small Beetle for their own tests, while Michelle describes regular city parking in a Honda Fit. The conversation ends with family reactions to strangers staring at their distinctive style and Michelle insisting that the podcast is being captured on “tape.” Contains driving-test anxiety, unsafe or obsolete test-taking claims, brief medication and painkiller discussion, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/f20ecf97-8a0c-473d-8f47-b3b132a817e7Mon, 02 Mar 2020 05:05:00 +0000Henrique CoutoMichelle has just lent her Honda Fit to a young coworker for a driving test after helping her practice. The test does not end in a license, but Henrique Couto insists that offering a car and patient instruction is a generous act—especially when nobody...Both hosts remember learning to drive as an anxious ordeal. Henrique’s mother tried teaching him in an Ohio neighborhood before repeatedly shouting that he was too close to something, so a professional instructor with a second brake pedal took over. Michelle’s New Jersey process required instructor time, and her first road test ended during parallel parking. These stories describe procedures from many years ago and are not current licensing, driving or safety guidance.
Henrique waited until eighteen to avoid a driver-education course he disliked, then discovered that the green Volkswagen Beetle his mother had been driving was secretly his first car. He passed the road portion of his Ohio test but failed a cone-based maneuverability exercise, practiced repeatedly after hours and succeeded on the next attempt. Michelle later passed while crying from nerves, only for the examiner to think the fear was personal.
The friends compare Ohio maneuverability with East Coast parallel-parking tests, debate cones versus real cars and trace how different vehicle sizes change muscle memory. Henrique remembers people paying to use his small Beetle for their own tests, while Michelle describes regular city parking in a Honda Fit. The conversation ends with family reactions to strangers staring at their distinctive style and Michelle insisting that the podcast is being captured on “tape.” Contains driving-test anxiety, unsafe or obsolete test-taking claims, brief medication and painkiller discussion, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2303true17fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/fiber-internet-billing-fight-personal-days-anxiety-medication--56706626The disagreement lands in the middle of a burnout spiral. After reaching his limit around midday, Henrique works another twelve hours, finishes at one in the morning and declares the next day a personal day—during which he still works several times by accident. Pizza, Better Call Saul and a conversation with his mother help him realize that seven-hour weekend days were not actually time off. His remarks about pricing, contracts and tax deductions are personal recollection, not consumer, legal or financial advice.
Michelle questions whether making comics and music is truly fun when she feels compelled to keep doing it. That leads to her recent experience with two remote therapy appointments that offered familiar advice and did not feel like the right fit. She then met remotely with a medical professional, began a daily prescribed anxiety medication and, on day three, reports insomnia, an indescribably strange feeling and an unexpected thought that the nice weather might justify a walk.
Both hosts compare those early side effects with previous experiences using prescribed as-needed medication, difficulty obtaining a refill and fear of bothering clinicians. Henrique stresses that different therapeutic approaches can fit different people, while Michelle remains uncertain that anything will improve. This is a historical personal conversation, not diagnosis, medication guidance or a reason to start, stop, split or change any prescription. Contains anxiety, burnout, hopelessness, intrusive thoughts, psychiatric medication and side effects, alcohol and drug references, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/b20af7cb-3ae2-4254-bda0-15f30cc9e2cdMon, 24 Feb 2020 06:52:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto finally has fiber internet fast enough to turn a twenty-hour media upload into roughly an hour, a major upgrade for delivering television and film files. The joy fades when canceling a bundled television trial appears to raise his...The disagreement lands in the middle of a burnout spiral. After reaching his limit around midday, Henrique works another twelve hours, finishes at one in the morning and declares the next day a personal day—during which he still works several times by accident. Pizza, Better Call Saul and a conversation with his mother help him realize that seven-hour weekend days were not actually time off. His remarks about pricing, contracts and tax deductions are personal recollection, not consumer, legal or financial advice.
Michelle questions whether making comics and music is truly fun when she feels compelled to keep doing it. That leads to her recent experience with two remote therapy appointments that offered familiar advice and did not feel like the right fit. She then met remotely with a medical professional, began a daily prescribed anxiety medication and, on day three, reports insomnia, an indescribably strange feeling and an unexpected thought that the nice weather might justify a walk.
Both hosts compare those early side effects with previous experiences using prescribed as-needed medication, difficulty obtaining a refill and fear of bothering clinicians. Henrique stresses that different therapeutic approaches can fit different people, while Michelle remains uncertain that anything will improve. This is a historical personal conversation, not diagnosis, medication guidance or a reason to start, stop, split or change any prescription. Contains anxiety, burnout, hopelessness, intrusive thoughts, psychiatric medication and side effects, alcohol and drug references, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>1877true16fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/dark-web-mystery-boxes-ebay-ghosts-calling-police-on-a-printer--56706694The hosts move from YouTube to eBay, where haunted dolls and sealed Dybbuk boxes come with elaborate histories, warnings never to open them and policy disclaimers that paranormal results cannot be guaranteed. Henrique reads listings about a sick child, a Missouri barn full of spirits and an abandoned miniature-golf course; Michelle appreciates the micro-fiction until a seller claims to have trapped an innocent wandering spirit. They treat every supernatural claim as storytelling, not evidence.
Michelle then shares her own recent haunting. While rebooting a computer to stream Dorohedoro, she hears patterned movement and a bang upstairs in her empty attached house. Giggs hears it too, but Michelle steps outside, calls her mother and reluctantly asks police to search the rooms and the attic. Three officers find no intruder, leaving her embarrassed and still uncertain about the noise.
At bedtime, the mystery resolves: rebooting the computer restored its wireless printer connection, releasing a week-old print queue. The printer produced part of a recipe, ran out of paper and shook an uneven desk loudly enough to sound like footsteps. Henrique imagines a more cinematic message from beyond while both hosts admit that printers, car doors and falling garage props have frightened them before. Contains alleged child murder, burglary, stalking, demons and ghosts, police response, fear of an intruder, scams, profanity, dark humor and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/c7a6f0a5-d2fd-4088-b59d-4d5d13279df6Mon, 17 Feb 2020 06:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto confesses that he cannot stop watching dark-web mystery-box videos. He knows the ominous backpacks, rusty knives, Dybbuk boxes and evidence of unseen crimes are almost certainly staged, yet one creator’s playful late-night scares remain...The hosts move from YouTube to eBay, where haunted dolls and sealed Dybbuk boxes come with elaborate histories, warnings never to open them and policy disclaimers that paranormal results cannot be guaranteed. Henrique reads listings about a sick child, a Missouri barn full of spirits and an abandoned miniature-golf course; Michelle appreciates the micro-fiction until a seller claims to have trapped an innocent wandering spirit. They treat every supernatural claim as storytelling, not evidence.
Michelle then shares her own recent haunting. While rebooting a computer to stream Dorohedoro, she hears patterned movement and a bang upstairs in her empty attached house. Giggs hears it too, but Michelle steps outside, calls her mother and reluctantly asks police to search the rooms and the attic. Three officers find no intruder, leaving her embarrassed and still uncertain about the noise.
At bedtime, the mystery resolves: rebooting the computer restored its wireless printer connection, releasing a week-old print queue. The printer produced part of a recipe, ran out of paper and shook an uneven desk loudly enough to sound like footsteps. Henrique imagines a more cinematic message from beyond while both hosts admit that printers, car doors and falling garage props have frightened them before. Contains alleged child murder, burglary, stalking, demons and ghosts, police response, fear of an intruder, scams, profanity, dark humor and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2092true15fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/dermatology-visit-japanese-writing-terrible-online-quizzes--56706703A detour into language learning reveals that Michelle can read hiragana and katakana while still searching for a resource that makes the wider Japanese writing system click. She explains how katakana helps her recognize borrowed words and manga sound effects, recalls slowly decoding “white stew” and describes understanding occasional simple anime dialogue. The hosts openly acknowledge that their improvised linguistic explanations may be wrong.
Henrique Couto then begins a supposedly elite psychological evaluation assembled from some of the worst quizzes he can find. Questions about imagination, visible abdominal muscles, living arrangements, beach confidence and which actor should play Michelle produce a “sexy score” of 54 out of 100. Henrique invents a Harvard–Yale–Gambia medical collaboration to give the nonsense borrowed authority.
The remaining quizzes declare that Michelle was God in a past life, will enter a relationship that never ends and is a risk-taking tomboy—even when her answers do not logically support any result. Typos, emojis, inadequate choices and abrupt endings become more revealing than the scores themselves. Contains skin-cancer concern and mole discussion, nudity and body-image questions, religion jokes, gender and relationship assumptions, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/69888746-19ff-4ffd-8d19-eb581a605132Mon, 10 Feb 2020 04:44:13 +0000Henrique CoutoMichelle has just completed a dermatology visit to have numerous moles and other skin features examined. Everything appears normal at that appointment, though the experience leaves her wondering how a person is supposed to interpret common visual...A detour into language learning reveals that Michelle can read hiragana and katakana while still searching for a resource that makes the wider Japanese writing system click. She explains how katakana helps her recognize borrowed words and manga sound effects, recalls slowly decoding “white stew” and describes understanding occasional simple anime dialogue. The hosts openly acknowledge that their improvised linguistic explanations may be wrong.
Henrique Couto then begins a supposedly elite psychological evaluation assembled from some of the worst quizzes he can find. Questions about imagination, visible abdominal muscles, living arrangements, beach confidence and which actor should play Michelle produce a “sexy score” of 54 out of 100. Henrique invents a Harvard–Yale–Gambia medical collaboration to give the nonsense borrowed authority.
The remaining quizzes declare that Michelle was God in a past life, will enter a relationship that never ends and is a risk-taking tomboy—even when her answers do not logically support any result. Typos, emojis, inadequate choices and abrupt endings become more revealing than the scores themselves. Contains skin-cancer concern and mole discussion, nudity and body-image questions, religion jokes, gender and relationship assumptions, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2157true14fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/scam-calls-apartment-neighbors-jersey-pizza--56706682The hosts also confront Henrique’s habit of using deliberately antisemitic statements to derail scripted calls. The material is presented as offensive provocation, not endorsement, and it leads into his angry refusal of a police-fundraiser recording. Memories of other unwanted calls, Wu-Tang Clan lyrics and the mechanics of human-controlled audio prompts blur prank, sales pitch and fraud; listeners should not treat the hosts’ assumptions as verified identification of any caller.
An apartment story turns more serious. A noise complaint reaches Henrique while he and a friend quietly eat Chinese food, and another neighbor begins banging walls until a normally friendly resident responds with threats and homophobic slurs. The confrontation stops, but the memory illustrates how quickly comic retaliation can become dangerous. Henrique then remembers meeting that resident’s Nation of Islam family and enjoying an easy conversation across religious differences.
That family asked for restaurant advice, which launches a passionate argument about Jersey pizza. The hosts compare East Coast slices, Ohio’s thin square-cut style, Chicago deep dish, Philadelphia disappointments and theories involving water, dough temperature and inherited technique. They close by considering a dumpster-pizza taste test and food left out overnight; none of that is food-safety guidance. Contains fraud and scam discussion, antisemitic and homophobic remarks in critical context, police, threats of violence, religion, unsafe food speculation, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/a53705d2-86b7-4eb7-a060-d50373d32f8aMon, 03 Feb 2020 13:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto keeps receiving suspicious final-expense calls whose agents insist that he is sixty years old. When he says he is thirty-three, one caller argues about his voice, hair and imaginary older wife before abruptly hanging up. Henrique and...The hosts also confront Henrique’s habit of using deliberately antisemitic statements to derail scripted calls. The material is presented as offensive provocation, not endorsement, and it leads into his angry refusal of a police-fundraiser recording. Memories of other unwanted calls, Wu-Tang Clan lyrics and the mechanics of human-controlled audio prompts blur prank, sales pitch and fraud; listeners should not treat the hosts’ assumptions as verified identification of any caller.
An apartment story turns more serious. A noise complaint reaches Henrique while he and a friend quietly eat Chinese food, and another neighbor begins banging walls until a normally friendly resident responds with threats and homophobic slurs. The confrontation stops, but the memory illustrates how quickly comic retaliation can become dangerous. Henrique then remembers meeting that resident’s Nation of Islam family and enjoying an easy conversation across religious differences.
That family asked for restaurant advice, which launches a passionate argument about Jersey pizza. The hosts compare East Coast slices, Ohio’s thin square-cut style, Chicago deep dish, Philadelphia disappointments and theories involving water, dough temperature and inherited technique. They close by considering a dumpster-pizza taste test and food left out overnight; none of that is food-safety guidance. Contains fraud and scam discussion, antisemitic and homophobic remarks in critical context, police, threats of violence, religion, unsafe food speculation, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2236true13fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/public-speaking-stage-fright-social-anxiety--56706697Michelle says performing music helped her discover that she enjoys speaking to a crowd, even though she is quiet and sometimes shy. She remembers an overlong classroom talk about punk, a disastrous high-school battle of the bands and the first house show she played as Everyone Except Me. Henrique and Michelle compare open mics, street performance, live shows and the strange relief that arrives once there is no time left to panic.
The harder part comes before and after the performance. Both hosts describe worrying about arrival times, late nights, small talk and whether other people think they are standoffish. Michelle recalls being singled out for acting awkward while touring, while Henrique remembers leaving early open mics to cry alone in his car during a period of depression. Their stories distinguish confidence onstage from the anxiety and loneliness that can return as soon as the set ends.
They close with a lighter confession about Michelle's Spotify habits: she mostly uses it for anime opening and ending themes, including music connected to Hunter x Hunter. The conversation also wanders through a fictional metal-band shirt, washboard accompaniment and Henrique's Miley Cyrus parody. Contains anxiety, depression, crying, social isolation, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/cb52d5fe-fbfe-4174-9526-a80e2f52fbeeMon, 27 Jan 2020 12:32:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto is preparing a last-minute talk about independent film distribution for a local organization that has rarely supported his work—and once called him Henry. Instead of settling the score, he plans to be the bigger person, fill thirty...Michelle says performing music helped her discover that she enjoys speaking to a crowd, even though she is quiet and sometimes shy. She remembers an overlong classroom talk about punk, a disastrous high-school battle of the bands and the first house show she played as Everyone Except Me. Henrique and Michelle compare open mics, street performance, live shows and the strange relief that arrives once there is no time left to panic.
The harder part comes before and after the performance. Both hosts describe worrying about arrival times, late nights, small talk and whether other people think they are standoffish. Michelle recalls being singled out for acting awkward while touring, while Henrique remembers leaving early open mics to cry alone in his car during a period of depression. Their stories distinguish confidence onstage from the anxiety and loneliness that can return as soon as the set ends.
They close with a lighter confession about Michelle's Spotify habits: she mostly uses it for anime opening and ending themes, including music connected to Hunter x Hunter. The conversation also wanders through a fictional metal-band shirt, washboard accompaniment and Henrique's Miley Cyrus parody. Contains anxiety, depression, crying, social isolation, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2197true12fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/grieving-pumpkin-adopting-gigs-the-worst-day--56706700The conversation turns to one of Michelle's saddest days: grieving the death of her cat Pumpkin while trying not to cry through an eight-hour shift. She tells Pumpkin's story from his life as a healthy neighborhood feral in New Jersey through an animal-control ultimatum, a slow adjustment to indoor life and an unexpected bond with her. After moving with Michelle to West Philadelphia, the frightened cat gradually became comfortable enough to emerge around visitors.
Pumpkin had survived a serious unexplained illness, but years later he developed congestive heart failure with no warning his family recognized. He died at the veterinary hospital while treatment options were still being discussed, only months after a routine checkup. Michelle describes the shock, grief and guilt that followed, including a rescue organization's later suggestion that she should have noticed sooner. These are personal recollections about veterinary care, not medical advice.
Still reeling, Michelle tried to adopt again almost immediately. Several placements failed because the timing, temperament or behavior was wrong, but she eventually found Fizzgig—known as Gigs—a friendly cat missing much of her nose and part of her mouth. The hosts remember their first meeting, Gigs's direct affection and why they both feel drawn to animals who may be harder to place. Contains pet illness and death, grief, crying, euthanasia discussion, antisemitic propaganda discussed critically, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/d88af734-2b6e-4af5-98a4-6ede9b20d31dMon, 20 Jan 2020 13:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto opens with a tiny act of rebellion: using a gas-station bathroom without buying anything. A failed search for colorful Crocs and Michelle's wind-damaged internet cables lead to cable-company stories, matzo ball soup and a critical...The conversation turns to one of Michelle's saddest days: grieving the death of her cat Pumpkin while trying not to cry through an eight-hour shift. She tells Pumpkin's story from his life as a healthy neighborhood feral in New Jersey through an animal-control ultimatum, a slow adjustment to indoor life and an unexpected bond with her. After moving with Michelle to West Philadelphia, the frightened cat gradually became comfortable enough to emerge around visitors.
Pumpkin had survived a serious unexplained illness, but years later he developed congestive heart failure with no warning his family recognized. He died at the veterinary hospital while treatment options were still being discussed, only months after a routine checkup. Michelle describes the shock, grief and guilt that followed, including a rescue organization's later suggestion that she should have noticed sooner. These are personal recollections about veterinary care, not medical advice.
Still reeling, Michelle tried to adopt again almost immediately. Several placements failed because the timing, temperament or behavior was wrong, but she eventually found Fizzgig—known as Gigs—a friendly cat missing much of her nose and part of her mouth. The hosts remember their first meeting, Gigs's direct affection and why they both feel drawn to animals who may be harder to place. Contains pet illness and death, grief, crying, euthanasia discussion, antisemitic propaganda discussed critically, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2502true11fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/saddest-day-questions-reliability-helping-strangers--56706702From there, the hosts consider what it means to be reliable. Both describe the pressure of a future commitment coloring an entire day and the anxiety of disappointing someone who depends on them. Henrique remembers driving from Ohio to help Michelle move in West Philadelphia, while Michelle explains that being seen as dependable matters deeply even when praise makes her worry about the next possible failure.
Reliability becomes action when another person needs help. Henrique checks on an older shopper whose knee gives out, and Michelle confronts teenagers harassing a homeless woman across the street. They also examine the risks of misreading a scene: Henrique once yelled at neighborhood children who appeared to be bullying a younger boy, only to learn they were trying to stop him from running away. Their stories are personal reflections, not emergency, self-defense or medical guidance.
The embarrassment theme continues through mistaken identities, awkward recognition in public and the temptation to invent absurd answers when someone asks, “Do I know you?” A final attempt to identify the happiest day of Michelle's life leads back to adopting Gigs: the day itself was frightening, but a later physical-therapy session—when the cat settled on her stomach—made Michelle realize the relationship might work. Contains death and grief discussion, anxiety, harassment, homelessness, injury and pain, weapons and police references, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/2ef88d9c-5150-4b54-b8a8-d3a95081d432Mon, 13 Jan 2020 13:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto asks Michelle to name the saddest day of her life, turning an icebreaker into an immediate test of vulnerability. He admits that his younger self sometimes asked new acquaintances which person they loved most who had died, hoping the...From there, the hosts consider what it means to be reliable. Both describe the pressure of a future commitment coloring an entire day and the anxiety of disappointing someone who depends on them. Henrique remembers driving from Ohio to help Michelle move in West Philadelphia, while Michelle explains that being seen as dependable matters deeply even when praise makes her worry about the next possible failure.
Reliability becomes action when another person needs help. Henrique checks on an older shopper whose knee gives out, and Michelle confronts teenagers harassing a homeless woman across the street. They also examine the risks of misreading a scene: Henrique once yelled at neighborhood children who appeared to be bullying a younger boy, only to learn they were trying to stop him from running away. Their stories are personal reflections, not emergency, self-defense or medical guidance.
The embarrassment theme continues through mistaken identities, awkward recognition in public and the temptation to invent absurd answers when someone asks, “Do I know you?” A final attempt to identify the happiest day of Michelle's life leads back to adopting Gigs: the day itself was frightening, but a later physical-therapy session—when the cat settled on her stomach—made Michelle realize the relationship might work. Contains death and grief discussion, anxiety, harassment, homelessness, injury and pain, weapons and police references, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2022true10fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/no-show-clients-bad-coworkers-a-sick-new-year--56706705The canceled session opens a catalog of workplace audacity. Henrique remembers a paid model who backed out after a night of drinking and a cable-access coworker who repeatedly called out before disappearing altogether. Michelle recalls an employee who claimed to be hospitalized while posting photos from a school field trip. They discuss what happens when trust collapses, why firing can move slowly and how unreliable coworkers shift more work onto everyone else.
Henrique also revisits an old supervisor who seemed to single him out, the relief of a coworker confirming that perception and a circular dispute over accrued vacation time. A sore throat then provides a live demonstration of the difference between recording this conversational show and preserving the dramatic sound of Weekly Spooky. His New Year's Eve plans changed because of illness, so he and Rachel stayed in pajamas, rested on separate couches and watched four movies.
Michelle spent the evening with Chinese food, The Twilight Zone and Kill la Kill before sleeping through midnight. The hosts compare fireworks, childhood snacks, nonalcoholic piña coladas, banging pots and pans and the importance Henrique places on counting down. They also discuss choosing not to drink and speculate about holiday alcohol use and unsafe driving; no statistics or safety claims should be taken as verified guidance. Contains workplace conflict, illness, alcohol and impaired-driving discussion, prescription pain medication references, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/2ecb9232-9717-4d1a-9965-a5313a94971aMon, 06 Jan 2020 13:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoOn New Year's Day 2020, Henrique Couto has a cold, a deeper voice and an unexpectedly empty calendar. A real-estate photography client canceled less than an hour before a holiday appointment, just as Henrique was preparing his equipment. Michelle...The canceled session opens a catalog of workplace audacity. Henrique remembers a paid model who backed out after a night of drinking and a cable-access coworker who repeatedly called out before disappearing altogether. Michelle recalls an employee who claimed to be hospitalized while posting photos from a school field trip. They discuss what happens when trust collapses, why firing can move slowly and how unreliable coworkers shift more work onto everyone else.
Henrique also revisits an old supervisor who seemed to single him out, the relief of a coworker confirming that perception and a circular dispute over accrued vacation time. A sore throat then provides a live demonstration of the difference between recording this conversational show and preserving the dramatic sound of Weekly Spooky. His New Year's Eve plans changed because of illness, so he and Rachel stayed in pajamas, rested on separate couches and watched four movies.
Michelle spent the evening with Chinese food, The Twilight Zone and Kill la Kill before sleeping through midnight. The hosts compare fireworks, childhood snacks, nonalcoholic piña coladas, banging pots and pans and the importance Henrique places on counting down. They also discuss choosing not to drink and speculate about holiday alcohol use and unsafe driving; no statistics or safety claims should be taken as verified guidance. Contains workplace conflict, illness, alcohol and impaired-driving discussion, prescription pain medication references, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2045true9fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/2019-burnout-filmmaking-setbacks-a-decade-of-friendship--56706637Christmas gives Henrique a reason to celebrate after difficult years and time spent living far from home. He remembers saving vacation days for short family visits, cashing in a change jar for presents and reclaiming the freedom to throw a party after leaving a bad living situation. The year's creative bright spots include making Popcorn Fodder, revisiting The Driller Killer and sharing the Nightmare on Elm Street series with Michelle.
Michelle describes her own 2019 as a stressful attempt to balance two jobs, a promotion and unpaid creative projects. One positive change was embracing her identity as an anime fan and introducing Henrique to Re:Zero, Death Note, Mob Psycho 100 and Erased. They discuss cinematic framing in animation, why they recommend strong entry points instead of every show they watch and how shared media became part of their friendship.
Their year-end inventory includes Michelle's house, Henrique adopting Chicano, possible touring plans, election-year dread and memories reaching back to 2009. What begins as an angry review becomes a warm acknowledgment that their friendship has lasted a decade through job trouble, financial strain, injury, creative risks and countless awkward conversations. Contains financial stress, burnout, depression and medication references, difficult living and workplace experiences, food-recovery anecdotes, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/8ba5751e-d4ea-438f-82b3-0a5fc295cf2fMon, 30 Dec 2019 13:02:00 +0000Henrique CoutoAs 2019 ends, Henrique Couto is cold, exhausted and ready to admit that the year hurt. A broken furnace compounds a major loss of filmmaking income after changes at Amazon Instant Video forced him to rethink his business. He recounts nearly going...Christmas gives Henrique a reason to celebrate after difficult years and time spent living far from home. He remembers saving vacation days for short family visits, cashing in a change jar for presents and reclaiming the freedom to throw a party after leaving a bad living situation. The year's creative bright spots include making Popcorn Fodder, revisiting The Driller Killer and sharing the Nightmare on Elm Street series with Michelle.
Michelle describes her own 2019 as a stressful attempt to balance two jobs, a promotion and unpaid creative projects. One positive change was embracing her identity as an anime fan and introducing Henrique to Re:Zero, Death Note, Mob Psycho 100 and Erased. They discuss cinematic framing in animation, why they recommend strong entry points instead of every show they watch and how shared media became part of their friendship.
Their year-end inventory includes Michelle's house, Henrique adopting Chicano, possible touring plans, election-year dread and memories reaching back to 2009. What begins as an angry review becomes a warm acknowledgment that their friendship has lasted a decade through job trouble, financial strain, injury, creative risks and countless awkward conversations. Contains financial stress, burnout, depression and medication references, difficult living and workplace experiences, food-recovery anecdotes, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2017true8fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/broken-furnace-dental-deep-cleaning-scare-second-opinions--56706642Michelle answers with an expensive problem of her own. After years without a local dentist, she books an online appointment at a large Philadelphia-area practice offering a membership plan. Instead of the cleaning she expected, the visit brings difficult X-rays, a warning about periodontal disease and a recommendation for an urgent deep scaling that could cost roughly a thousand dollars. Frightened that she had neglected her teeth, she nearly agreed.
A call from her father persuades Michelle to cancel and seek another opinion from her longtime New Jersey dentist. That dentist examines her, takes new X-rays, cleans her teeth and disputes the need for the proposed procedure. Michelle reflects on how vulnerable patients feel when a dentist, physician, mechanic or HVAC technician knows more about the system in question—and how alarm, flattery and unfamiliar terminology can make an expensive recommendation difficult to challenge.
The hosts compare the experience with questionable oil-change pitches, key-fob confusion and repairs that are hard to evaluate. Michelle plans to document her experience in reviews but remains uncertain about who may legally diagnose periodontal disease in Pennsylvania. This is a dated personal account of conflicting dental opinions, not a finding of fraud or medical, legal, automotive or HVAC advice; anyone with a health concern should consult a qualified professional. Contains dental disease and procedure discussion, financial stress, accusations of dishonesty, cold-weather home concerns, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/f88c0bce-bc80-40d1-b497-9c6abfb2d021Mon, 23 Dec 2019 13:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto's furnace fails the morning after a technician installs a replacement circuit board. With the temperature below freezing outside, he tries to record two podcasts, arrange a repair, take Henwolf to the veterinarian and finish several...Michelle answers with an expensive problem of her own. After years without a local dentist, she books an online appointment at a large Philadelphia-area practice offering a membership plan. Instead of the cleaning she expected, the visit brings difficult X-rays, a warning about periodontal disease and a recommendation for an urgent deep scaling that could cost roughly a thousand dollars. Frightened that she had neglected her teeth, she nearly agreed.
A call from her father persuades Michelle to cancel and seek another opinion from her longtime New Jersey dentist. That dentist examines her, takes new X-rays, cleans her teeth and disputes the need for the proposed procedure. Michelle reflects on how vulnerable patients feel when a dentist, physician, mechanic or HVAC technician knows more about the system in question—and how alarm, flattery and unfamiliar terminology can make an expensive recommendation difficult to challenge.
The hosts compare the experience with questionable oil-change pitches, key-fob confusion and repairs that are hard to evaluate. Michelle plans to document her experience in reviews but remains uncertain about who may legally diagnose periodontal disease in Pennsylvania. This is a dated personal account of conflicting dental opinions, not a finding of fraud or medical, legal, automotive or HVAC advice; anyone with a health concern should consult a qualified professional. Contains dental disease and procedure discussion, financial stress, accusations of dishonesty, cold-weather home concerns, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2208true7fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/broken-arms-shoulder-dislocations-surgery-recovery--56706706As a teenager, Michelle fell down a large sand dune in North Carolina's Outer Banks and fully dislocated a shoulder that had already been prone to partial slips. An ambulance crew had to reach her away from the road, and her attempt to put the joint back herself failed. The shoulder later dislocated while she slept, leading to an emergency call, an embarrassing rescue while unclothed and a painful hospital visit she remembers as dismissive.
A second sleep-related dislocation in 2017 finally pushed Michelle toward surgery. She describes severe pain, fear of another recurrence, medication-related concerns and the challenge of choosing treatment while already overwhelmed. After the operation, pain medicine and an anti-nausea prescription helped but left her tired, and even walking transferred enough movement to hurt. These are personal recollections of injury and care, not medical instructions; do not attempt to reduce a dislocation based on this conversation.
Henrique traveled from Ohio to help during the second week of recovery, cooking, washing dishes and staging a complete Nightmare on Elm Street marathon. They even visited Centralia, Pennsylvania, while Michelle was still healing. Her shoulder now feels mostly normal, though she believes some range of motion remains limited and still avoids her former sleeping position. Contains broken bones, dislocations, bleeding, severe pain, surgery, emergency care, prescription medication, brief nonsexual nudity, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/24d81711-ee85-46c1-9b61-c410fe46a0afMon, 16 Dec 2019 13:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoMichelle's childhood injuries begin with a fake fall that became a real broken arm and a jump from a backyard slide that broke the other one. Because she cried often, adults initially underestimated both injuries. Henrique remembers similar disbelief...As a teenager, Michelle fell down a large sand dune in North Carolina's Outer Banks and fully dislocated a shoulder that had already been prone to partial slips. An ambulance crew had to reach her away from the road, and her attempt to put the joint back herself failed. The shoulder later dislocated while she slept, leading to an emergency call, an embarrassing rescue while unclothed and a painful hospital visit she remembers as dismissive.
A second sleep-related dislocation in 2017 finally pushed Michelle toward surgery. She describes severe pain, fear of another recurrence, medication-related concerns and the challenge of choosing treatment while already overwhelmed. After the operation, pain medicine and an anti-nausea prescription helped but left her tired, and even walking transferred enough movement to hurt. These are personal recollections of injury and care, not medical instructions; do not attempt to reduce a dislocation based on this conversation.
Henrique traveled from Ohio to help during the second week of recovery, cooking, washing dishes and staging a complete Nightmare on Elm Street marathon. They even visited Centralia, Pennsylvania, while Michelle was still healing. Her shoulder now feels mostly normal, though she believes some range of motion remains limited and still avoids her former sleeping position. Contains broken bones, dislocations, bleeding, severe pain, surgery, emergency care, prescription medication, brief nonsexual nudity, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2007true6fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/burning-doorbell-diy-home-repairs-too-many-lowe-s-trips--56706684That leaves Michelle testing wires, installing a button that does not ring and planning yet another trip to Lowe's. She explains why owning a house makes her want to understand every manageable repair, even when a professional could finish the job in minutes. Henrique admires her persistence and proposes an audio doorbell, while Michelle weighs wired and wireless replacements against the inconvenient hole and live wires already in the doorframe.
The hosts compare their limits as do-it-yourself homeowners. Michelle can replace a bathtub cartridge but once needed a handyman to free inaccessible kitchen-faucet hardware. Henrique recalls resetting an unreliable furnace, choosing between a circuit board and a costly gas valve, and clearing an air-conditioner condensate line after his longtime HVAC technician retired. These are dated anecdotes, not electrical, plumbing or HVAC instructions; shut off power and consult a qualified professional when safety is uncertain.
Car maintenance adds more examples of knowing when to stop. The hosts discuss filters, bulbs, wiring problems, oil changes, an old collision and insurance pricing before returning to holiday lights and the economics of “minimum quality.” Michelle expects the repair to require multiple purchases and returns, but still wants to solve it herself. Contains electrical overheating and sparking, fire concern, home and vehicle repair discussion, a car crash recollection, financial stress, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/ca38d4a6-8ed1-450f-9fb2-9dd0d8eb0ec3Mon, 09 Dec 2019 13:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoMichelle comes home to an unfamiliar electrical smell concentrated in her dining room. After checking the ceiling fan and upstairs floor, she discovers that her doorbell chime is warm and vibrating. Exposed wires left during a siding job had...That leaves Michelle testing wires, installing a button that does not ring and planning yet another trip to Lowe's. She explains why owning a house makes her want to understand every manageable repair, even when a professional could finish the job in minutes. Henrique admires her persistence and proposes an audio doorbell, while Michelle weighs wired and wireless replacements against the inconvenient hole and live wires already in the doorframe.
The hosts compare their limits as do-it-yourself homeowners. Michelle can replace a bathtub cartridge but once needed a handyman to free inaccessible kitchen-faucet hardware. Henrique recalls resetting an unreliable furnace, choosing between a circuit board and a costly gas valve, and clearing an air-conditioner condensate line after his longtime HVAC technician retired. These are dated anecdotes, not electrical, plumbing or HVAC instructions; shut off power and consult a qualified professional when safety is uncertain.
Car maintenance adds more examples of knowing when to stop. The hosts discuss filters, bulbs, wiring problems, oil changes, an old collision and insurance pricing before returning to holiday lights and the economics of “minimum quality.” Michelle expects the repair to require multiple purchases and returns, but still wants to solve it herself. Contains electrical overheating and sparking, fire concern, home and vehicle repair discussion, a car crash recollection, financial stress, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>1902true5fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/philadelphia-wage-tax-music-school-making-a-home--56706704Michelle then discovers that roughly $800 in Philadelphia wage tax has been withheld even though she neither lives nor works in the city. She suspects an incorrect work address and has asked her employer to correct it and help recover the money. The conversation expands to municipal tax differences, copyright registration, student-loan paperwork and the dread produced by an unexpected IRS envelope in USPS Informed Delivery. This is a dated personal account, not tax, legal or financial advice.
A detour through package delivery and discomfort with recorded voices reveals that Michelle dislikes hearing herself sing even though music is central to her life. She remembers a condescending response from the owner of a small New York record label, then traces her education from animation at the Art Institute of Philadelphia to Drexel University's music-industry program. The switch led toward recording and engineering just as digital production was changing the role of studios and labels.
College also deepened Michelle's connection to Philadelphia. She commuted from New Jersey, busked between classes and later worked through difficult apartments and repeated moves to return to the city she loved. Henrique argues that buying two homes in the area proves she succeeded in making Philadelphia home; Michelle remains characteristically reluctant to accept the compliment. Contains tax and financial stress, student-loan and copyright discussion, career uncertainty, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/6dd0e23e-75a7-41cc-99f7-f4b74646e205Mon, 02 Dec 2019 15:47:35 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto is printing receipts for tiny podcast expenses because taxes have never offered him the benefit of the doubt. He remembers receiving a frightening back-tax notice after a misplaced decimal point inflated the amount, correcting the error...Michelle then discovers that roughly $800 in Philadelphia wage tax has been withheld even though she neither lives nor works in the city. She suspects an incorrect work address and has asked her employer to correct it and help recover the money. The conversation expands to municipal tax differences, copyright registration, student-loan paperwork and the dread produced by an unexpected IRS envelope in USPS Informed Delivery. This is a dated personal account, not tax, legal or financial advice.
A detour through package delivery and discomfort with recorded voices reveals that Michelle dislikes hearing herself sing even though music is central to her life. She remembers a condescending response from the owner of a small New York record label, then traces her education from animation at the Art Institute of Philadelphia to Drexel University's music-industry program. The switch led toward recording and engineering just as digital production was changing the role of studios and labels.
College also deepened Michelle's connection to Philadelphia. She commuted from New Jersey, busked between classes and later worked through difficult apartments and repeated moves to return to the city she loved. Henrique argues that buying two homes in the area proves she succeeded in making Philadelphia home; Michelle remains characteristically reluctant to accept the compliment. Contains tax and financial stress, student-loan and copyright discussion, career uncertainty, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2179true4fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/hot-topic-shoplifters-spencer-s-stories-whole-foods-customers--56706701Henrique compares that with Spencer's Gifts, where the stated policy was to prosecute every shoplifter regardless of the item's value. He remembers confused teenagers waiting for police, friends asking when a detained boy would be released and supervisors leaving work to testify in court. Stolen merchandise ranged from Juggalo accessories to adult products, while Henrique entertained other customers with fake ex-wife stories and ominous Ouija-board advice borrowed from a movie.
Both hosts remember that good coworkers could make a repetitive shift enjoyable. Michelle nevertheless found supervising socially exhausting, accepted promotions partly because saying no felt wrong and stayed at Hot Topic for about eight years. The company supported some of her touring and even hosted small performances, but fear of quitting later kept her at Whole Foods long after the job had become deeply unpleasant.
Whole Foods produced its own customer mythology: shoppers who asked cashiers not to scan barcodes with lasers, wanted bare produce on the conveyor belt, credited organic food with curing cancer or expected salad dressing not to count toward a pay-by-weight meal. The hosts recount those claims skeptically; they are not health information. Contains stalking and harassment, shoplifting, police and court involvement, adult products, cancer and health misinformation discussed critically, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/a3f1d85e-71b3-4eae-91f6-c3f428bd2d25Mon, 25 Nov 2019 13:00:00 +0000Henrique CoutoMichelle's Black Friday memories from Hot Topic are less about holiday chaos than the ordinary problems that made retail difficult. She recalls a customer demanding a later sale price, managers who could not be reached and men whose repeated visits...Henrique compares that with Spencer's Gifts, where the stated policy was to prosecute every shoplifter regardless of the item's value. He remembers confused teenagers waiting for police, friends asking when a detained boy would be released and supervisors leaving work to testify in court. Stolen merchandise ranged from Juggalo accessories to adult products, while Henrique entertained other customers with fake ex-wife stories and ominous Ouija-board advice borrowed from a movie.
Both hosts remember that good coworkers could make a repetitive shift enjoyable. Michelle nevertheless found supervising socially exhausting, accepted promotions partly because saying no felt wrong and stayed at Hot Topic for about eight years. The company supported some of her touring and even hosted small performances, but fear of quitting later kept her at Whole Foods long after the job had become deeply unpleasant.
Whole Foods produced its own customer mythology: shoppers who asked cashiers not to scan barcodes with lasers, wanted bare produce on the conveyor belt, credited organic food with curing cancer or expected salad dressing not to count toward a pay-by-weight meal. The hosts recount those claims skeptically; they are not health information. Contains stalking and harassment, shoplifting, police and court involvement, adult products, cancer and health misinformation discussed critically, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>1988true3fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/social-anxiety-stage-banter-heckling-stories--56706698Michelle identifies social anxiety, not simple quietness, as the harder part of being around people. At parties she often becomes an active listener because she does not know when to speak, struggles to enter a group conversation and gives up when the moment passes. Henrique admits that his outgoing style hides anxiety too, especially when he fears that attracting attention as a guest would be rude or that he is talking over his friend.
Onstage, structure changes everything. Michelle can joke between songs, respect a small attentive audience and talk comfortably for a short time after a set. Henrique compares crowd sizes and introduces the intimacy of NWA Power's studio wrestling, where a single shout can interrupt a performer's interview. That direct interaction leads naturally to their own stories of requests, interruptions and heckling.
Michelle mostly receives song requests or audience members who start conversations while she is still onstage. Henrique remembers overpowering a drunk heckler through the PA, answering “you suck” with “that hurt my feelings” and watching musicians exaggerate a mild “just play” complaint all night. The most serious incident involved an intoxicated woman kicking him in the testicles during a set and the venue declining to remove her. Contains social anxiety, stress sweating and body-odor discussion, death and grief references, intoxication, heckling, physical assault, genital injury, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/e14b7f37-81de-45a7-b1f7-1ea2eecd9c2cWed, 13 Nov 2019 22:00:28 +0000Henrique CoutoRecording a podcast makes Michelle sweat, and Henrique wants to know why. She describes stress perspiration, fear that she will have nothing interesting to say and the discomfort of creating something people can consume later. Performing music live...Michelle identifies social anxiety, not simple quietness, as the harder part of being around people. At parties she often becomes an active listener because she does not know when to speak, struggles to enter a group conversation and gives up when the moment passes. Henrique admits that his outgoing style hides anxiety too, especially when he fears that attracting attention as a guest would be rude or that he is talking over his friend.
Onstage, structure changes everything. Michelle can joke between songs, respect a small attentive audience and talk comfortably for a short time after a set. Henrique compares crowd sizes and introduces the intimacy of NWA Power's studio wrestling, where a single shout can interrupt a performer's interview. That direct interaction leads naturally to their own stories of requests, interruptions and heckling.
Michelle mostly receives song requests or audience members who start conversations while she is still onstage. Henrique remembers overpowering a drunk heckler through the PA, answering “you suck” with “that hurt my feelings” and watching musicians exaggerate a mild “just play” complaint all night. The most serious incident involved an intoxicated woman kicking him in the testicles during a set and the venue declining to remove her. Contains social anxiety, stress sweating and body-odor discussion, death and grief references, intoxication, heckling, physical assault, genital injury, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2059true2fullhttps://www.spreaker.com/episode/winter-crocs-jewish-identity-punk-scene-inclusion--56706693A flat tire sends the conversation through spare-tire practice, Volkswagen wheel-lock keys and the limits of do-it-yourself confidence. Michelle then discusses reading the Noragami manga after finishing the anime, plus the unpredictable gaps between seasons of One-Punch Man and Hunter x Hunter. That leads to a troubling online rabbit hole involving Japanese neo-Nazis and antisemitic claims about Jewish people and samurai.
Michelle recalls a supermarket customer assuming she was Jewish from her facial features and encouraging her to take a sponsored trip to Israel. Henrique asks about kosher food, synagogue, bar mitzvahs and what it was like growing up around a large Jewish population; he also remembers a drunk game-show participant calling him an antisemitic slur. The hosts discuss stereotypes and offensive language critically, but their improvised remarks are personal conversation rather than religious or cultural authority.
The final turn concerns race and inclusion in punk. Michelle remembers a show criticized for having too many white and cisgender people, then reflects on the tension between widening access and excluding artists because of identity. Henrique connects that debate to shifting definitions of whiteness and the public framing of Trayvon Martin's killing. Their discussion argues for evaluating individuals fairly, but it is not a comprehensive account of race, antisemitism or punk history. Contains frostbite speculation, antisemitism and racial stereotyping discussed critically, slurs, the killing of Trayvon Martin, identity politics, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>https://pinecast.com/guid/26002e0a-bfdb-491e-b705-260b5e9ef434Wed, 13 Nov 2019 21:45:53 +0000Henrique CoutoHenrique Couto sets a goal of wearing Crocs until Thanksgiving, then immediately faces a foot and a half of snow and fourteen-degree weather. Michelle worries about wet feet and frostbite while Henrique narrows the challenge to brief trips between...A flat tire sends the conversation through spare-tire practice, Volkswagen wheel-lock keys and the limits of do-it-yourself confidence. Michelle then discusses reading the Noragami manga after finishing the anime, plus the unpredictable gaps between seasons of One-Punch Man and Hunter x Hunter. That leads to a troubling online rabbit hole involving Japanese neo-Nazis and antisemitic claims about Jewish people and samurai.
Michelle recalls a supermarket customer assuming she was Jewish from her facial features and encouraging her to take a sponsored trip to Israel. Henrique asks about kosher food, synagogue, bar mitzvahs and what it was like growing up around a large Jewish population; he also remembers a drunk game-show participant calling him an antisemitic slur. The hosts discuss stereotypes and offensive language critically, but their improvised remarks are personal conversation rather than religious or cultural authority.
The final turn concerns race and inclusion in punk. Michelle remembers a show criticized for having too many white and cisgender people, then reflects on the tension between widening access and excluding artists because of identity. Henrique connects that debate to shifting definitions of whiteness and the public framing of Trayvon Martin's killing. Their discussion argues for evaluating individuals fairly, but it is not a comprehensive account of race, antisemitism or punk history. Contains frostbite speculation, antisemitism and racial stereotyping discussed critically, slurs, the killing of Trayvon Martin, identity politics, profanity and repeated inserted social-casino advertisements.
Links
Email the hosts: ThisShowisAwkward@gmail.com]]>2657true1full