Average Joe Nerdcast | Pop Culture, Nostalgia & Critical Thinking

Thanksgiving is coming. Uncle Gary has been doing his own research. And the Average Joe Nerdcast is here to make sure you're prepared.

CTRL + ALT + DELUSION IS BACK!

We're kicking off an entire month of conspiracy theories, internet rabbit holes, and spectacularly questionable claims with one of the strangest historical conspiracies floating around online: TARTARIA.

According to the theory, an advanced civilization once spanned enormous portions of the world, harnessed mysterious free-energy technology, and constructed magnificent buildings before being wiped from the historical record.

The evidence? Old maps, historic architecture, world's fairs, and apparently... basement windows.

Yeah. Basement windows.

But here's where things get interesting: Tartary really did appear on historical maps. So, what was it? Why did the name disappear? And how did a genuine piece of history become the foundation of an elaborate worldwide conspiracy?

Join Nate, your resident Average Joe, as we investigate the real history, unravel the claims, and attempt to maintain some semblance of professionalism.

And this time, Player 2 has officially tagged in to keep Nate's cynicism in check.

Good luck with that!

Plus, we're introducing the official Uncle Gary Threat Level, rating just how badly each conspiracy could derail your Thanksgiving dinner.

Grab your coffee, keep an open mind, and prepare to question everything.

Except maybe the basement windows.

Stay Gold, Nerd Bold.

Join the conversation in The Lobby, our Average Joe Nerdcast Discord community!

Link To Discord: https://discord.gg/mhxUD67Yp

Disclaimer: This episode examines conspiracy theories for entertainment, historical discussion, and critical analysis. Unsupported claims are discussed as claims, not established facts.

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All rights reserved.

#Tartaria #CtrlAltDelusion #AverageJoeNerdcast #ConspiracyTheories #MudFlood #TartarianEmpire #LostCivilizations #HistoricalMysteries #ConspiracyDebunked #InternetMysteries #Podcast

After traveling the world in search of terrifying folklore, the Average Joe Nerdcast is bringing Nerdoween 2026 back to Kentucky!

First, we're heading to 1955 for one of the strangest encounters in American UFO history: the Hopkinsville Goblins. What really happened when a Kentucky family claimed their farmhouse was surrounded by mysterious little creatures?

Then we're visiting Octagon Hall, a historic Kentucky landmark with a reputation for paranormal activity. And this time, Nate has a story of his own to tell from a ghost-hunting adventure with friends back in 2008.

Two Kentucky mysteries. One final campfire. And a heartfelt goodbye to Nerdoween 2026.

A quick note: The final boss of Nerdoween turned out to be a nasty head cold. This episode was recorded while Nate was under the weather, so forgive the occasional congestion and rough edges. But we weren't letting a little plague stop us from bringing the World Tour home!

Enjoyed the episode? Like, subscribe, and share!

Got a hometown ghost story? Join us in The Lobby: https://discord.gg/4Cx7FZw3Q

Stay Gold. Nerd Bold.

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All rights reserved.

#AverageJoeNerdcast #Nerdoween2026 #HopkinsvilleGoblins #OctagonHall #KentuckyGhostStories #ParanormalPodcast #KentuckyFolklore #GhostStories #Halloween2026 #PassportToTheParanormal

Our Passport to the Paranormal World Tour continues as Nate travels to Latin America for two terrifying tales from Mexico and Venezuela.

First, we meet La Llorona, the Weeping Woman, whose cries echo along the riverbanks as she searches for the children she lost.

Then we head to the Venezuelan plains to meet El Silbón, the Whistler, a wandering spirit whose eerie whistle might mean he's much closer than you think.

Along the way, we explore the folklore behind these legends, their cultural roots, and what happens when a Kentucky boy attempts to pronounce Spanish words in front of a microphone.

Grab a blanket, dim the lights, and pull up a chair.

The fire's burning.

And we've got stories to tell.

Enjoyed the episode? Hit LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and share it with somebody who loves a good ghost story!

Got a creepy hometown legend or an unexplained experience? Join us in The Lobby, our Average Joe Nerdcast Discord community!

Join The Lobby:

https://discord.gg/4Cx7FZw3Q

Stay Gold. Nerd Bold.

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All rights reserved.

Original narration, commentary, scripting, and podcast production are the property of Average Joe Nerdcast. Historical events and traditional folklore are presented for storytelling and cultural exploration. Dramatic reconstructions are not claims of verified supernatural events.

Third-party music, sound effects, and artwork remain the property of their respective owners and are used subject to applicable permissions and licenses.

#AverageJoeNerdcast #Nerdoween2026 #LaLlorona #ElSilbon #GhostStories #LatinAmericanFolklore #PassportToTheParanormal #Halloween2026 #ParanormalPodcast #SpookySeason

Some actors play a character. Others become the character.

And then there's Raúl freaking Juliá.

In this Nerdoween 2026 Checkpoint Thursday, Nate celebrates the gloriously unhinged, hopelessly romantic, sword-wielding madman who made Gomez Addams absolutely unforgettable.

From his incredible chemistry with Anjelica Huston's Morticia to his theatrical charm, impeccable comedic timing, and genuine heart, Juliá didn't just play Gomez Addams. He made the role his own.

We're revisiting 1991's The Addams Family and 1993's Addams Family Values, celebrating one of the most iconic performances of our childhoods, and remembering an extraordinary actor we lost far too soon.

No disrespect to the other actors who've worn the pinstripes, but for this Average Joe, Raúl Juliá will ALWAYS be Gomez Addams.

Like, subscribe, and share with a fellow Addams Family fan!

Join The Lobby: https://discord.gg/4Cx7FZw3Q

Stay Gold, Nerd Bold.

#RaulJulia #GomezAddams #TheAddamsFamily #AddamsFamilyValues #Nerdoween2026 #90sNostalgia #HalloweenMovies #AverageJoeNerdcast #MovieNostalgia #ChristopherLloyd

Copyright Disclaimer: Average Joe Nerdcast is an independent commentary and entertainment podcast. The Addams Family, its characters, and related film properties belong to their respective copyright holders. Any referenced third-party material is used for commentary, criticism, and appreciation where permitted by applicable law. No affiliation with or endorsement by the rights holders is implied.

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. Original commentary and podcast content. All rights reserved.

Welcome back to the Average Joe Nerdcast, Average Joes!

Our Passport to the Paranormal World Tour continues as Nate takes us across Europe for two chilling tales rooted in centuries of folklore.

Plus, Nate catches everyone up on his family's Universal Orlando adventure, explains the new storytelling-focused Nerdoween format, and teases a collection of upcoming YouTube-exclusive Quick Saves!

Grab a blanket, dim the lights, and pull up a chair.

The fire's burning.

And we've got stories to tell.

Enjoyed tonight's stories? Hit LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and share this episode with somebody who loves a good ghost story!

Got a creepy hometown legend or a paranormal experience of your own? Come hang out in The Lobby, our Average Joe Nerdcast Discord community, and tell us about it!

🎮 Join The Lobby:

https://discord.gg/4Cx7FZw3Q

And don't forget, we've got more YouTube-exclusive Quick Saves coming your way, including plenty of stories from House Freeman's Universal Orlando adventure!

Stay Gold. Nerd Bold.

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All rights reserved.

Original narration, commentary, scripting, and podcast production are the property of Average Joe Nerdcast. Historical events, traditional folklore, and public-domain source material remain with their respective rights holders or are in the public domain as applicable.

This episode contains dramatized retellings of historical accounts and folklore for entertainment and educational purposes. Supernatural claims are presented as elements of tradition, not established fact.

Third-party music, sound effects, artwork, and other licensed materials remain the property of their respective owners and are used subject to applicable licenses and permissions.

#AverageJoeNerdcast #Nerdoween2026 #PassportToTheParanormal #BlackShuck #Banshee #GhostStories #IrishFolklore #EnglishFolklore #ParanormalPodcast #Halloween2026 #SpookySeason #HorrorStories

Happy Halloween, Average Joes!

Nerdoween 2026 continues, and after our first stop on the Passport to the Paranormal World Tour, we're heading back to the '90s to dig up something buried deep in the dusty corners of our childhood:

Bone Chillers.

Before we had streaming libraries full of horror at our fingertips, the '90s were an absolute golden age of spooky stuff made specifically for kids. Goosebumps. Are You Afraid of the Dark? Eerie, Indiana.

And somewhere in the middle of all of it was Bone Chillers, a series that somehow gave us 23 books, an ABC Saturday-morning TV show, Edgar Allan Poe High School, giant frog teachers, Linda freaking Cardellini...

and, of course...

FRANKENTURKEY.

So where did Bone Chillers come from?

How big did this thing actually get?

And if it was big enough to make the jump to network television...

why the hell did so many of us forget about it?

Grab your Scholastic book order and come dig through the second shelf of '90s nostalgia with me.

🎃 NERDOWEEN SCHEDULING NOTE

Week 2 of Nerdoween may look a little different than originally planned.

I'm currently on vacation with my family, and some unexpected circumstances back home changed the amount of time I had to get everything finished and scheduled before we left.

Nerdoween isn't going anywhere, we may just shuffle the release schedule around a little bit.

Thanks for bearing with me, Average Joes. We've still got plenty of spooky stuff ahead of us.

IN MEMORY OF TROOPER HAYDEN PHILLIPS

At the end of this episode, I take a moment to remember Kentucky State Police Trooper Hayden Phillips, Unit 369, who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty on September 28, 2026.

Trooper Phillips leaves behind a family now facing the unimaginable.

The Kentucky State Police Foundation is accepting donations to support his family. According to the Foundation, 100% of donations designated through its giving page will go directly to Trooper Phillips' family to assist with meals, household bills, and other everyday necessities.

Money can never replace the husband, father, son, friend, and fellow officer they lost. But if you're able and feel moved to help, maybe together we can take one small piece of weight off their shoulders while they navigate what comes next.

Support Trooper Hayden Phillips' family through the official Kentucky State Police Foundation:

https://kspfoundation.org/

Rest easy, Trooper.

End of Watch: September 28, 2026.

Come hang out with us in The Lobby, the official Average Joe Nerdcast Discord, and tell us what forgotten piece of '90s horror we need to dig up next.

Link to Discord: https://discord.gg/4Cx7FZw3Q

Stay Gold. Nerd Bold.

#AverageJoeNerdcast #Nerdoween #BoneChillers #90sKids #90sNostalgia #90sHorror #KidsHorror #Halloween #HalloweenNostalgia #BetsyHaynes #SaturdayMorningTV #RetroTV #RetroHorror #Podcast #Nerdoween2026

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All rights reserved.

Average Joe Nerdcast, Nerdoween, and associated original audio, commentary, graphics, branding, and written material are the property of Average Joe Nerdcast unless otherwise noted.

All third-party names, titles, characters, trademarks, images, clips, and other referenced properties remain the property of their respective copyright and trademark holders. Their use in this program is for purposes of commentary, criticism, discussion, education, and review.

Average Joe Nerdcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by the creators, publishers, broadcasters, rights holders, or other entities associated with Bone Chillers.

Nerdoween is back. And this year, we're leaving home.

Welcome to Nerdoween 2026: Passport to the Paranormal, a four-week journey around the world chasing the stories people tell when the lights go out.

Our first stop: Japan.

We begin aboard a train in January 2004, where a person posting online as Hasumi claims their familiar ride home suddenly stopped being familiar at all, eventually leaving them alone at a station nobody could seem to find:

Kisaragi Station.

But that's only where tonight begins.

Around our first international campfire, we're traveling from the haunted well of Okiku at Himeji Castle to the late-'70s panic surrounding Kuchisake-onna, the Slit-Mouthed Woman. Then we're passing the flashlight to people who claim they've had their own unexplained encounters in Japan before returning to Kisaragi Station to discover what happened after Hasumi stepped off that train.

Finally, we'll turn the lights back on and explore how Halloween found a home in modern Japan, from early celebrations in Harajuku to Shibuya and the absolute insanity of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Japan.

Welcome to Nerdoween 2026.

GOT A PARANORMAL STORY OF YOUR OWN?

Send it to averagejoenerdcast@gmail.com or join The Lobby and drop it in the Nerdoween channel. Your story might make it around the fire before October is over.

Link to Discord: https://discord.gg/4Cx7FZw3Q

A QUICK NERDOWEEN SCHEDULE NOTE:

Week Two of Nerdoween may look a little different from our normal release schedule. Everything's okay on the AJN side, we're just giving a little room to something important happening outside the show.

Stay tuned for Thursday's episode for a brief explanation and an update on what to expect next week.

Thanks for bearing with us, Average Joes. The Passport to the Paranormal isn't finished yet.

Stay Gold. Nerd Bold.

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All rights reserved.

#Nerdoween #AverageJoeNerdcast #PassportToTheParanormal #KisaragiStation #JapaneseGhostStories #JapaneseFolklore #KuchisakeOnna #OkikusWell #UrbanLegends #GhostStories #Paranormal #Halloween #Halloween2026 #HorrorPodcast #NerdCulture

Remember when October seemed to take over the entire television?

This week on Average Joe Nerdcast, Nate fires up the CRT and heads back to Halloween TV in the ’90s, when TGIF felt like an appointment, sitcoms went spooky for the season, and one random creepy episode could permanently lodge itself in your childhood brain.

We’re remembering the Wereman from Dinosaurs, Tim Taylor’s completely unhinged commitment to Halloween pranks, Boy Meets World turning into a full-blown slasher movie in “And Then There Was Shawn,” and Sabrina the Teenage Witch doing what Sabrina did best: making every week feel a little like Halloween.

Along the way, Producer Steve returns from wherever the hell he’s been to correct one very important childhood memory, Nate discovers that his internal television calendar is apparently based entirely on vibes, and we get into why TGIF, SNICK, Disney Channel and those old seasonal TV traditions meant so much in the first place.

Because maybe what we really miss isn’t just the shows.

Maybe it’s who was sitting on the couch beside us.

Happy Halloween, Average Joes.

Nerdoween 2026 is officially upon us.

Stay Gold. Nerd Bold.

#AverageJoeNerdcast #90sKids #90sNostalgia #Halloween #HalloweenTV #TGIF #BoyMeetsWorld #HomeImprovement #SabrinaTheTeenageWitch #Dinosaurs #Nerdoween

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All rights reserved.

Going to the mall used to BE the plan.

So why does walking through one today feel so different?

After looking down an almost completely empty hallway in his local mall a hallway Nate remembers being lined with stores your resident Average Joe accidentally found himself asking a much bigger question:

What happened to the mall?

This week, we’re heading back to the mall of our childhood: game stores, arcades, music shops, food courts, Spencer’s, wandering around with absolutely no money, and somehow spending an entire Saturday there anyway.

Then we’re following the rabbit hole into what changed, why the story of the “dead mall” isn’t quite as simple as it seems, and what these places gave us beyond somewhere to shop.

Because maybe what we miss isn’t the stores.

Maybe we just miss having somewhere to go.

ENOYING THE SHOW? THEN JOIN THE LOBBY

The official Average Joe Nerdcast Discord: https://discord.gg/4Cx7FZw3Q

Stay Gold. Nerd Bold.

#AverageJoeNerdcast #90sNostalgia #ShoppingMall #90sKids #Nostalgia

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All rights reserved.

Remember when the snack aisle was absolutely UNHINGED?

Butterfinger BB's. PB Crisps. Doritos 3D. Surge. Fruitopia. Life Savers Holes.

The '90s gave us some of the greatest snacks and drinks of our childhood, and then, somewhere along the way, a bunch of them just...disappeared.

This week on Average Joe Nerdcast, Nate is taking you on a trip back to the glorious days of questionable food innovations, unforgettable commercials, and brightly colored beverages that probably had no business being sold to children.

We're talking about Bart Simpson selling Butterfinger BB's, why Surge had a bunch of Kentucky kids pretending to be Stone Cold Steve Austin, and the time Life Savers managed to create a choking hazard with the packaging.

Plus, we discover that Canada is apparently hoarding Fruitopia, give the legendary SoBe lizard drinks their flowers, and discuss the sacred parenting tradition known as the Dunkaroos Dad Tax.

So grab your favorite childhood snack, crack open a cold one (preferably Surge), and come hang out with us over in The Lobby, the official Average Joe Nerdcast Discord server! We're building a digital campfire for average Joes who love gaming, movies, nostalgia, and everything in between.

And don't forget: Nerdoween 2026 is almost here! Our Passport to the Paranormal is getting ready to take you around the world for spooky stories, folklore, and things that go bump in the night.

Subscribe or follow Average Joe Nerdcast so you don't miss a thing!

Stay Gold, Nerd Bold! 🤘

#AverageJoeNerdcast #90sKid #90sNostalgia #ForgottenFoods #90sSnacks #ButterfingerBBs #PBCrisps #Doritos3D #Surge #Fruitopia #Dunkaroos #SoBe #90sCommercials #ChildhoodNostalgia #CheckpointThursday #Nerdoween2026

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All Rights Reserved.

⚠️ MAJOR MOVIE SPOILERS AHEAD. Watch the film first if you want to go in fresh!

What happens when two longtime Resident Evil fans and one horror-loving Player Two walk away from the same movie saying, “Holy shit, that was good” but for completely different reasons?

This week on the Average Joe Nerdcast, Nate heads back into Raccoon City to talk about Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil movie. After going media-dark following the first teaser, Nate and Ian came out of the film comparing creature mutations, weapon progression, missed healing items, and one spectacularly mishandled diamond key. Player Two? She was too busy being terrified and hoping Bryan would make it home.

We’re digging into what makes an adaptation feel like Resident Evil, why an original story can belong in a familiar universe, and how one unlucky courier made us think twice about all those anonymous monsters we’ve blasted through in the games.

Plus: the Resident Evil fandom’s impossible expectations, the legacy of the earlier live-action movies, Ian’s biological-weapons detective work, and a dog whose head opens like a goddamn banana.

Join the conversation in The Lobby! Our Discord community is the place to share your thoughts on the movie, swap theories, and tell us which Resident Evil game still scares the hell out of you.

Link to the Discord: https://discord.gg/4QugKGfaV

🎃 Nerdoween is almost here! Have a supposedly true paranormal story? Share it in The Lobby’s Nerdoween channel or email AverageJoeNerdcast@gmail.com for a chance to have your story featured on the show.

Stay Gold, Nerd Bold.

#AverageJoeNerdcast #ResidentEvil #ResidentEvilMovie #ZachCregger #RaccoonCity #SurvivalHorror #HorrorMovies #VideoGameAdaptations #ResidentEvilFans #NerdCulture #Nerdoween #StayGoldNerdBold

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All rights reserved.

What happens when a talented creator becomes something bigger than a creator?

A legend.

After The Kojima Conundrum, Nate couldn't quite let one part of that rabbit hole go. Because the way we talk about Hideo Kojima isn't unique to Hideo Kojima. We do the same thing with filmmakers like Ridley Scott and James Cameron: hundreds of people collaborate to make something incredible, but eventually history remembers one name.

So, what exactly is an auteur? How much credit should the person steering the ship get? And when does celebrating someone's, creative vision turn into the mythology of the singular genius who apparently just needs everyone else to “let him cook”?

This week on Checkpoint Thursday, we're going from Alien and H.R. Giger to The Terminator, Aliens, and Metal Gear Solid 2, including a fascinating look back at 2001 Hideo Kojima, when the artist was also a Konami executive who understood firsthand that sometimes creative ambition needs somebody in the room willing to say:

“Dude... no.”

This isn't about tearing down Kojima, Scott, Cameron, or anybody else.

Give the auteur their flowers. Just remember there's an entire orchestra behind the person holding the baton.

If you haven't heard The Kojima Conundrum, check that episode out first for the rabbit hole that started this whole mess.

Then Come Join The Lobby, the official Average Joe Nerdcast Discord, and tell us where you land: Is auteur theory useful? When does appreciation become mythology? And should Producer Steve ever be allowed a director's cut?

(He should not.)

Link to Discord: https://discord.gg/4QugKGfaV

Follow the Average Joe Nerdcast wherever you listen, and if you're enjoying these rabbit holes, ratings, reviews, shares, and recommendations help more Average Joes find the show.

Stay Gold, Nerd Bold.

#AverageJoeNerdcast #CheckpointThursday #AuteurTheory #HideoKojima #MetalGearSolid #MetalGearSolid2 #RidleyScott #Alien #JamesCameron #Terminator #Aliens #VideoGames #Movies #GamingPodcast #MoviePodcast #NerdCulture

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All Rights Reserved.

Is Hideo Kojima a genius?

Yeah. Probably.

But somewhere along the way, “Hideo Kojima is a brilliant game director” became “Hideo Kojima can do no wrong.”

With Sony walking away from Physint, Xbox stepping in, and the internet once again declaring that somebody should simply “let Kojima cook,” Nate started wondering how we got here.

And, naturally, that turned into a rabbit hole.

From the messy history of Metal Gear Solid V and the development philosophy behind MGS2, to Tomokazu Fukushima, Jeremy Blaustein, Yoji Shinkawa, David Hayter, Norihiko Hibino, Death Stranding, and the rise of “A Hideo Kojima Game” as a brand unto itself, we're looking past the legend to tell the much more interesting story underneath it.

Because maybe Kojima really is one of gaming's great creative geniuses.

But no genius creates alone.

And sometimes the people standing behind the auteur deserve their flowers too.

Be sure to Come hang out in The Lobby, the official Average Joe Nerdcast Discord, and tell us where you land on the Kojima Conundrum. Is the auteur mythology deserved? Did Sony make a smart business decision or an enormous mistake? And can Metal Gear truly exist without Kojima?

Link To Discord: https://discord.gg/4QugKGfaV

Stay Gold, Nerd Bold.

#AverageJoeNerdcast #TheKojimaConundrum #HideoKojima #MetalGearSolid #MetalGear #Physint #DeathStranding #DavidHayter #GamingPodcast #VideoGames #GamingHistory #KojimaProductions

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All Rights Reserved.

Remember when breakfast came with loot?

Color-changing spoons. Wacky straws. Pokémon and Star Wars collectibles. Mini Hot Wheels. Mail-away prizes that took six-to-eight agonizing weeks to arrive. CD-ROM games you somehow got from buying breakfast. And the sacred childhood ritual of shaking the entire box to figure out where the prize was hiding.

This Checkpoint Thursday, Nate's heading back down the cereal aisle to remember when the box was half the fun and to figure out where all that ridiculous stuff went.

Don't want the fun to end after the episode? Then consider this your reminder to Join the Lobby: Come hang out in the Average Joe Nerdcast Discord and tell us the cereal prize you would absolutely lose your mind over finding again.

Link to The Lobby: https://discord.gg/4QugKGfaV

Stay Gold. Nerd Bold.

#AverageJoeNerdcast #90sKid #90sNostalgia #CerealPrizes #MillennialNostalgia #CheckpointThursday #SaturdayMorning #StayGoldNerdBold

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All Rights Reserved.

Have you ever heard a song, caught a familiar smell, booted up an old game, or seen something completely ordinary from your childhood, and suddenly felt like you were somewhere else?

Not just remembering it but missing it.

In this episode of the Average Joe Nerdcast, Nate goes down a rabbit hole that starts with a nostalgic TikTok song and one fascinating Welsh word: Hiraeth.

From there, we're digging into why some people seem to feel nostalgia so deeply, what empathy might have to do with it, why smells and music can seemingly teleport us decades into the past, and the particularly cruel phenomenon of missing a moment before it's even gone.

Along the way, we're talking Blockbuster, PlayStation, school pizza, old commercials, childhood Christmases, terrible 2000s music choices, and why the stupidest little things can somehow carry entire pieces of our lives inside them.

Maybe nostalgia isn't about believing everything used to be better. Maybe it's just about remembering what mattered.

AUDIO / MUSIC CREDITS

“aquatic ambience” - Scizzie

Written/composed by Jake Calum Mercier; performed and produced by Scizzie.

℗ 2022 Scizzie, under exclusive license to The System.

Used as a brief excerpt for commentary and discussion.

Original PlayStation startup audio - Sony Computer Entertainment / Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Used as a brief excerpt for commentary and discussion.

“The Reason” - Hoobastank

Written by Douglas Robb, Daniel Estrin, Markku Lappalainen, and Chris Hesse.

Performed by Hoobastank. Produced by Howard Benson.

℗ 2003 UMG Recordings, Inc. / Island Def Jam Music Group.

Brief excerpt used for commentary and discussion.

All copyrighted audio remains the property of its respective rights holders. No ownership is claimed by the Average Joe Nerdcast.

And after the episode be sure to come hang out with us in The Lobby Discord and tell us: what's your sensory time machine? A song, smell, food, game, commercial, anything that instantly takes you somewhere else.

Link to Discord: https://discord.gg/4QugKGfaV

Nerdoween is upon us! Be sure to get your true paranormal stories sent over to averagejoenerdcast@gmail.com some of your stories will be read on an episode during October!

Stay Gold. Nerd Bold.

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All Rights Reserved.

Every town has a story.

A haunted house. A road you don’t drive at night. A bridge everybody knows something happened on.

Nate grew up five minutes from one.

Years ago, he and some friends went looking for the ghosts of Richardsville Road Bridge and what happened that night is still a little hard to explain. But digging into that old hometown legend uncovered an even stranger rabbit hole about where our ghost stories come from, how they travel, and why the version you grew up with might not have started anywhere near home.

Consider this your first taste of Nerdoween 2026.

And this year, we want your stories around the campfire.

Submit your ghost stories, unexplained encounters, family folklore, and hometown legends: averagejoenerdcast@gmail.com

Or drop them in the dedicated Nerdoween channel in The Lobby Discord: https://discord.gg/wbVWKPVsp

Anonymous submissions are welcome.

The campfire is almost ready.

We’ve saved you a seat.

Stay Gold. Nerd Bold.

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All rights reserved.

The Modern Warfare 4 beta is here, and all of us over here at the Nerdcast are having an absolute blast…and apparently that makes us part of the problem.

As streamers and competitive players argue over slower movement, shrinking skill gaps, and Call of Duty “catering to casual dads,” Nate started wondering when casual became a dirty word in gaming.

So, we’re following the rabbit hole; from Tac Sprint and movement demons to Twitch, esports, and the millions of regular people who just want to hop online with their friends after work.

Maybe Call of Duty isn’t getting too casual.

Maybe we’ve forgotten that sometimes playing a video game is allowed to just be fun.

Be sure after the episode to come join us in The Lobby on Discord and tell us where you land: slower, tactical COD or full-send movement demon?

Link to The Lobby: https://discord.gg/4QugKGfaV

Stay Gold. Nerd Bold.

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All rights reserved.

#AverageJoeNerdcast #CallOfDuty #ModernWarfare4 #Gaming #CasualGaming

You’ve got thousands of movies and shows at your fingertips.

So why, after a long day, or an absolute nightmare of a weekend do you put on the one you’ve already seen a hundred times?

This week, Nate falls down the rabbit hole of comfort rewatches why familiarity can feel so damn good, how old favorites change as we change, and why sometimes revisiting a beloved movie, show, or game feels less like going backward and more like loading an old save file.

So grab your comfort movie and ride shotgun.

What’s your comfort rewatch? Come tell us in The Lobby.

Link to The Lobby Discord: https://discord.gg/4QugKGfaV

Stay Gold. Nerd Bold.

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All rights reserved.

We love the things we grew up with.

Sometimes maybe a little too much.

A conversation with Ian about Halo sent Nate down a rabbit hole: why do certain corners of fandom seem determined to hate the very things they claim to love?

From Halo and Star Wars to the MCU, Power Rangers, Ninja Turtles and Doctor Who.

What happens when “this is the version I love” becomes “this is the only version that counts”?

What if the games, movies and shows we're desperately trying to protect aren't really what we're holding onto at all? What if we're trying to protect the person, we were when we first fell in love with them?

This week, we're digging into memory, fandom, outrage, getting older, and the uncomfortable possibility that when we say “it was better back then” ...

sometimes what we really mean is:

“I was happier back then.”

So, grab the second controller.

We're going down a rabbit hole.

Show Notes / Research

AJN encourages listeners to verify information independently. Primary and academic sources used for this episode are listed below.

The Reminiscence Bump & Autobiographical Memory - Research consistently finds that people disproportionately recall autobiographical memories from youth and early adulthood, although the exact age range varies depending on how memories are elicited. Identity formation, novel experiences and culturally significant life events are among the explanations researchers have explored.

Recent Advances in Understanding the Reminiscence Bump — PMC/NIH

Understanding the Reminiscence Bump: A Systematic Review — PMC/NIH

Rosy Retrospection - A classic series of studies by Mitchell, Thompson, Peterson and Cronk found that participants' later recollections of meaningful experiences were more positive than their evaluations while those experiences were actually occurring—the “rosy view” phenomenon we discuss in the episode.

Temporal Adjustments in the Evaluation of Events: The “Rosy View” — PubMed

Media as Autobiographical Memory Cues - Research has also examined the reminiscence bump specifically in relation to cultural material including music and movies, supporting the episode's broader idea that media can become intertwined with memories of particular periods of our lives.

The Temporal Distribution of Autobiographical Memory — PMC/NIH

Outrage & Social Media - Research into online behavior suggests social feedback can reinforce posting behavior, while other work has found that people can overperceive the amount of moral outrage expressed online—potentially making groups appear more hostile than their members actually report feeling. The research is more nuanced than simply “algorithms make everyone angry,” and some claims about moral-emotional contagion have been challenged in subsequent work.

A Computational Reward Learning Account of Social Media Engagement — Nature Communications

Overperception of Moral Outrage in Online Social Networks — Nature Human Behaviour

Halo Infinite's Missing Launch Features - Halo Studios' own updates acknowledged that Forge did not launch alongside Halo Infinite and that campaign network co-op and split-screen co-op remained in development after release.

Halo Infinite Season 1 Outcomes Report — Halo Waypoint

Halo Infinite Update — March 2022 — Halo Waypoint

Marvel's Post-Endgame Output - Disney CEO Bob Iger acknowledged in a 2024 earnings call that increased volume could be detrimental to quality and said Disney had reduced output, “particularly at Marvel,” while focusing more heavily on quality.

The Walt Disney Company Q1 FY2024 Earnings Transcript

Want to keep the conversation going?

Come hang out with us in The Lobby, the official Average Joe Nerdcast Discord.

Tell me what franchise gives you the strongest nostalgia hit, which version will always be your version, and because I know somebody is going to have thoughts about this one where you think legitimate criticism ends and toxic fandom begins.

Movies, games, books, general nerd stuff, and plenty of conversations that will inevitably become future episodes.

The Lobby's always open.

Stay Gold Nerd Bold.

Discord Link: https://discord.gg/Q5X3MFVx2

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#AverageJoeNerdcast #Nostalgia #ToxicNostalgia #Fandom #ToxicFandom #Halo #StarWars #Marvel #MCU #PowerRangers #TMNT #DoctorWho #Gaming #PopCulture #90sKids

When did living your life start feeling like something you were supposed to document?

Somewhere along the way, we stopped just taking the trip, cooking the meal, enjoying the hobby, going to the concert, having the opinion, or experiencing the moment.

Now there's a little voice in the back of our heads asking:

Should I post this?

And listen, I'm a podcaster complaining about people turning their lives into content. The irony isn't lost on me.

But I don't think sharing is the problem.

Humans have always shared stories. We've always shown our friends the things we made, passed around photographs, recommended the stuff we loved, and searched for other weirdos who cared about the same things we did.

Something else changed.

And somewhere between “Dude, you gotta see this” and “Don't forget to like and subscribe,” I think we lost something worth finding again.

So this week, we're talking about the imaginary audience that follows us everywhere, why every hobby suddenly needs a business plan, the difference between sharing a life and performing one, and why maybe the most rebellious thing you can do in 2026 is have an incredible experience...

and tell absolutely nobody.

Be here now.

Oh.

And stick around after the episode.

There's something we need to talk about.

A pretty big something, actually.

And do you want to go a little deeper into some of the research mentioned in this episode? Here are the receipts behind the rabbit hole.

How Recommendation Algorithms Learn What We Want

YouTube explains that its recommendation system uses a variety of signals to personalize what viewers see, including watch history, search history, subscriptions, likes and dislikes, “Not interested” feedback, and satisfaction signals.

The important distinction for our conversation: the platforms aren't simply showing everyone the same internet. Our behavior helps teach recommendation systems what should be placed in front of us next.

Source:

YouTube Help - Learn more about how YouTube works for you

YouTube's recommendation-system documentation

How TikTok Builds the “For You” Feed

TikTok similarly describes the For You feed as a personalized recommendation system. User interactions, including what people watch, like, share, comment on, or skip help influence future recommendations, alongside information about the content itself and other signals.

In other words: watch one weird thing and suddenly your phone may decide...

Ah. This is who you are now.

Sources:

TikTok — How TikTok recommends content

TikTok Newsroom — How TikTok recommends videos #ForYou

Likes as Social Rewards

The idea that Likes can function as social rewards isn't just something Nate pulled out of his ass.

Research published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience has examined how giving and receiving positive feedback through social media interacts with neural systems associated with reward and social processing.

Other research has also found evidence that people's social-media behavior can follow principles of reward learning: social rewards such as Likes can influence how frequently people post.

Which makes the basic feedback loop we discussed in the episode considerably less metaphorical:

Do thing → receive social reward → behavior is reinforced.

Further Reading:

National Library of Medicine — What the brain “Likes”: neural correlates of providing feedback on social media

Nature Communications — A computational reward learning account of social media engagement

A Note About “Feeding the Algorithm”

One bit of useful nuance: algorithms aren't necessarily demanding that creators sacrifice every waking moment to the content gods.

YouTube's own creator guidance emphasizes finding a sustainable balance between consistency and maintaining well-being rather than simply uploading as much as humanly possible.

Which is particularly funny considering this episode about being present and not allowing content to consume your life was itself delayed because...

life happened.

Sometimes the episode can wait.

Source:

YouTube Help — Upload schedule tips

These sources are provided for listeners who want to follow the rabbit hole beyond the episode. As always, don't take Nate's word for it.

Read. Question. Check the receipts. Come to your own conclusions.

Join The Lobby

If this episode made you laugh, think, feel personally attacked by your own camera roll, or reconsider turning your next sandwich into a seven-part vertical video series then come hang out with us in The Lobby, the Average Joe Nerdcast community on Discord.

Link to the Group: https://discord.gg/Q5X3MFVx2

This show has always been about finding our people: movie nerds, gamers, book girlies and book bros, 90s kids, history nerds, conspiracy debunkers, lore addicts, and anybody else who has ever said:

“Okay, hear me out...”

Join the conversation, share what you're nerding out about, pitch rabbit holes for future episodes, and help us build a little corner of the internet where curiosity and critical thinking are still alive and well.

And if you've enjoyed the show, like and subscribe on YouTube, ring the bell, follow Average Joe Nerdcast on your podcast platform of choice, and leave a rating or review. It genuinely helps other Average Joes find the show.

Here's to the first hundred.

Now let's make 101.

Stay Gold. Nerd Bold.

© 2026 Average Joe Nerdcast. All Rights Reserved.

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