Voice Actor Brent Allen Hagel
From Movies and TV Shows to Video Games and Commercials, you’ve probably heard his voice hundreds of times. But as a Voice Actor, Brent Allen Hagel does something very few other voice actors can do. We talk becoming a voice actor, the psychology of promos and Toast. Then, we countdown the Top 5 Animated TV Shows.
Brent Allen Hagel: 01:45
Pointless: 37:55
Top 5 Animated TV Shows: 01:01:46
Interview with Voice Actor Brent Allen Hagel
Nick VinZant 0:12
Welcome to Profoundly Pointless. My name is Nick VinZant. Coming up in this episode, voice acting, and animation,
Brent Allen Hagel 0:21
it's all subconscious is this is subconscious marketing to get people to feel a certain way about the show? Well, if you take 47, and they'll just be like, you know, we need the word. We hear the word there to be this a little more, a little more, little more of their little, they're like this. They're like, they're like, no, no, they're all wake up on a Monday. I have no jobs, nothing's scheduled. I'm essentially unemployed. And then I'll get an email at three o'clock, saying, Hey, we love you for this role, that you got yourself a job. It's terrifying and exciting at the same time.
Nick VinZant 0:58
I want to thank you so much for joining us. If you get a chance, subscribe, leave us a rating or review. We really appreciate it, it really helps us out. If you're a new listener, welcome to the show. If you're a longtime listener, thank you so much for all of your support. So our first guest has a voice that you've probably heard hundreds of times, in movies, commercials, TV shows, you name it, because as a voice actor, he does something that is very unique. It's not just voice acting. It's also psychological, because he specializes in promos. This is voice actor Brent Allen Hegel. Is this something that you learn to do? Or you have it or you don't?
Brent Allen Hagel 1:49
Oh, that's a good question. So I'm a voiceover actor. I've been doing it for probably now 20 years. It's something that I thought about doing listening to Old Time Radio and listening to these kind of golden voices. The era of the golden voice has kind of gone away to more conversational voices. So I would say, this is the time where a lot of people are jumping into it, because they're not looking so much for a golden voice. They're just looking for real people. The hardest part is figuring out how to turn it into a career. Because those guys have been doing it for 2030 years, why would they ever hire someone, some kid who's 19 and says, I want to do voice acting? Like, that's cool. That's cool kid, like, you know, go do 20 years radio and come back to me. Because there's these veterans that you know, if you are direct, once you want to get into voice acting, all of a sudden you are directly competing against people have been doing it for 20 years.
Nick VinZant 2:46
And that is not an I would imagine that is not an easy thing to break into.
Brent Allen Hagel 2:51
They don't want you know, no one needs another voice actor. There's people there's every talent agency in Los Angeles in New York is overflowing with talent. There's roughly 500,000 active voice actors in America only. Right now with the internet. It's global. And there's bilingual people all over all over the world as we can speak English, Spanish, French, whatever, that are bilingual. And a lot of these castings now say, Hey, we're gonna hire one person for English and Spanish. So if you can't do both, you're out you're instantly app. So it takes acquiring very specific skills, and marketing those skills and saying, Look, this is what I do better than anybody else. Some people will get into it, like, I want to do video games, and I want to do movie trailers. And I want to do all these things. And that's great. But you really need to be known for a specific, like, like Bullseye sort of sort of skill. And for me, that's my promo and trailer work. With like I said, it took me seven years of weekly training, going, getting in the glass booth with 12 other artists, setting the setting in a lot or setting behind the glass with an engineer and a coach directing me going through EDHEC scripts, CBS scripts, old fox scripts, you know, TNT scripts, all these scripts that collected from all these networks and going through, okay, what is the brand of CBS was the brand of ABC, what do all these networks sound like? Because a fox drama is gonna sound a little bit different than a TNT drop. So you have to do all this research in like, marketing and branding, to kind of find out the sound that the marketing agency wants that network to sound like. So it's very much a marketing job and listening job as well. Like when I got into it, I didn't really know this. I just thought the movie trailer guy was awesome. That was like that. How do I What does it take to be the movie trailer guy? And apparently it's 25 years 20 years of really hard? Because the answer to that,
Nick VinZant 4:54
it's never as simple as it seems. Right? Just because we're kind of on this right now. Right now. To understand that difference, could you give me like an example of saying, Okay, this is Fox, this is CBS.
Brent Allen Hagel 5:07
So it depends on timing. So if you even were to go back like five or seven years ago, it would sound different. But right now 2023 Everything is very just the way we're speaking now, very conversational, they don't want any of this sort of thing, any polish, any push on the voice, any sort of bigger than life feelings. They want it to all just be your neighbor leaning over the fence telling you that there's this new drama on Fox, that is just crazy. It's got all the action you want, right? That, oh, hey, I saw this new comedy on Fox, it's got all the action you want. Right? So that right there would be the difference between a drama and a comedy. It's very subtle. But you see one of them, I am smiling, and I'm warm and open. The other one, I'm very serious and straightforward. So it's, these are all genre based marketing shows. So I'm within the subtext of my voice, I need to tell you, if it's a comedy, a drama and Action, Crime procedural sort of show, but you can tell that within the tonality of my voice, ABC tends to be a little a little nostalgic, they still are a little bit warmer, and their deliveries, kind of a little bit more polished, a little more game show a little more smile a little bit, this guy, you know, a, whereas Fox is just super real, you know, super grounded, as far as they can get maybe voice actors that are, you know, four or five years in their training, and they can coach them through and get solid reads out of them. Whereas ABC tends to go for more veteran voices. That just kind of depends on the executives in charge of what they're after. But if you get into this business, all of a sudden, you will start opening your consciousness and being aware of what you're hearing. Because most of the time, most, most, the average American was not listening to a voice or being like, Oh, I compare this voice with with FX network. That's just not something you think about. It's just this voice that's coming out either through TV or radio, and you accept it for what it is, and you move on with your life. But for me, and people that do my work, were like, oh, man, I read for that, and I didn't get it, who got it? Oh, man, he sounds great. She sounds great. You know, oh, that's what I should have done. That's what they were going for. So every time we strike out, we learn what we should have done and what that network is going for.
Nick VinZant 7:36
Do you know what they're going for ahead of time? Or is it just, you're just like, I'm going to this is what I think and hope for the best.
Brent Allen Hagel 7:44
Most of the time, they don't even know, they just send out a script. And they say, Hey, we're looking for auditions for American Horror Story for. And that's kind of obvious, because it's a you know, it's a horror franchise. So it's going to be a little creepy. But you know, if it's just a random, say, let's say a random drama. And they just throw out a script for random drama, most of the time, it'll just be like a line, hey, this is a drama for effects, though, that they won't, you know, they won't tell you like the exact tonality or manlift, female or anything. And then they'll throw it to all the talent agencies in New York and LA. And we all read for it. And then they don't really know until they listen back to it. The editors, producers, room producers, executives, and they say, that's our voice. Because they'll take it, they'll throw it into their rough cut their rough. Every voice voice acting comes with variant, the voiceover announcer is the last piece of the puzzle. The video is there, the music is there, the sound design is there, everything is already made. And then they drop in that voiceover announcer at the very end. And the it's simple, simply as does this voice make our piece better? Does it does it give it that wow. And that pops up attract audiences. And so they'll may they may listen to they're pretty specific. When it comes to the work I do. They'll probably narrow it down, the agents and managers will kind of Cole the auditions to maybe top five from each agency. Whereas the commercial world, they'll probably be submitting 100 from each agency. And then they sit there and they and they go through them and listen to them. Maybe they'll drop 10 into their finished piece and submit them to the VP of marketing. And let's say choose from these 10. We have a favorite which is you know, ABC and D. And that but ultimately it's a very high level decision. When it comes to choosing voiceover for a television show or a movie. It is ultimately a senior vice president or executive vice president of marketing that's making that call.
Nick VinZant 9:51
Is this the kind of thing though, like do people notice what I notice, right? Like I'm going to watch first show for whatever reason that comes To my mind is Reno 911. I have no I have no idea why it's Reno. 911 Yeah, right. So
Unknown Speaker 10:05
like, it's a good example.
Nick VinZant 10:07
I'm gonna watch Reno 911 Because you voiced it, and not because somebody else voice it, like, does it have that level even on like, kind of a subconscious thing?
Speaker 2 10:18
You know that the that's the word right there. It's all subconscious is this is subconscious marketing to get people to feel a certain way about the show the tonality of the in the subtext of the voices makes people feel a certain way. So they need to find somebody who even if it's a straight voice, like Reno 911, you know, only on Comedy Central, even that it's a male growly weighted voice, but in that little way, I'm on Comedy Central, I gave you a little bit of a, it's comedy. You know, I gave me a little lift, as opposed to Reno nine Woodward, only on Comedy Central, like a deadpan could also work for because people know it's a comedy. But you wouldn't want to, you know, a romance voice or something like that wouldn't work, you know, in Reno 911 is so so applicable that you can do a lot of stuff with it and still convey goofy action scripted comedy. But yes, you know, in each each intellectual property Each piece has probably like, you know, a range you could play with, with how you deliver it. But yeah, that in you may, or they may pick somebody who has done a lot of comedies in the past based on the record, and bring them into Reno and I'm and why because in this in the subconscious of America, they know that sound relates to funny.
Nick VinZant 11:49
You're right, right. Like, I can tell a lot about a show or a movie or whatever, like by the music. And the voice at the end tells you like, oh, that's what it's about.
Speaker 2 11:59
Yesterday, I worked for Sega. I can't say what the project was, but they wanted a 90s Nostalgia vibe. And if that you kind of have a little bit of this, you know, there's a little announced like, there's some micro machines actually going on. But there's you're definitely pushing on your vocal cords, you're being a character, you're being larger than life. But for me I would say I do discovery channel, I do deal the TLC, for discovery, I drop it down here now give it more. More weight, make a deeper and more kind of aggressive and punchy. Whereas TLC, it's totally light and uplifting. And like, I don't want to hurt anybody. I want everyone to be best friends. Like, did you hear what she just did? Oh, my God, that was crazy. Right? But so it's very much a physical, a physical character you're playing behind the microphone. And then for discovery, it's mostly adventure action cars, rebuilding cars, robots, things like that. So I just add the gold, gold mining, just the aggression of kind of being out there and getting dirty. And relating to our target demographic, our target audience can dig customs only on Discovery like that wouldn't have the same impact as kid did customs over your discovery. You know, that's just you have to sell your audience and bring them in it's world building, right? Bring them into the world of the show. So each job, you kind of look at the brief and see, what is this? What are we making? What and who watches this? Who cares about this? Who is the number one fan and a piece of advice from the late movie trailer got Don LaFontaine said, every piece of content or every show and every movie is somebody's favorite movie. So do that. Your job as the voice actor is to do that piece of content justice, and invite that number one fan into that world. And I think if I can give any voice actor a piece of advice, that is what I've taken, and I I hold that true in every session that this is someone's like, favorite thing.
Nick VinZant 14:12
Okay, so kind of in the business aspect of it necessarily, right? You've got to do how many of these a year hundreds or 1000s? Yeah. You've got to do that many to kind of make it financially viable?
Speaker 2 14:25
Well, I would say probably about point oh, 1% of voice actors work in movie trailers. So there's probably 500,000 voice actors in America right now. It's probably 30 People who work in trailer and probably of those 10 Get the majority of the work. And then when it comes to promo, which is being the voice, which is a trailer for a TV show, write a promo promos, a trailer for TV show. There's so many more networks, sports networks, cable networks, there's to be there's free Movie, there's all these things that there's probably, but even that's probably point 1% of voice actors work in promo, it's a very kind of exclusive club. Because it takes the understanding of branding and marketing. And it also you we have to work in real time to audio bits. So we're not recording things and shipping it off. They are playing a 62nd or 32nd track in our earphones, and we're watching a script and we're punching in lines. So it goes to the to the meat, like it says, like, I'll say music cue over here music view. And then it'll say after dialogue that, you know, Mike Tyson says something, then you punch and you say your line, and then the sound effect gunshot, then you say a line. And then so we're working in real time to audio beds, via the internet connected to studios. So it's kind of a very dance. It's a very skilled profession.
Nick VinZant 16:00
That sounds really hard. But it's a lot. It's a lot of fun when you get good at it. Why do it that way? Why not just record it and then edit it in what because
Speaker 2 16:11
because voice out voice actors are the last piece of the puzzle. Because they want certain images, they want certain graphics, they want certain things because the image comes first. A promo person and trailer person needs to think like a video editor. What scene? am I setting up? Is this voice leading into a gunshot? Is this voice leading into a car explosion? Is this voice leading into a kiss? Or a romance scene? Like how do I you know, is it a rise? Or a fall? Is it Sunday on Fox? Or is it Sunday on Fox? You know, how are we playing? So that's a conversation that you can have with the producer in real time. Okay, what what is the scene? What are we doing? It's very much acting, right? So there's but the world of voice acting, I'm gonna speak to the general audience who's may be interested in this is massive. You could be someone who is the voice of Nike and have all career, you could be the guy who just does the horror movie trailers, as you know, says rated R and have a whole career. Or you could be the lead character in Activision video games, or even just a background actor and act in the world of warcraft games and have a career. It really depends on what do you imagine for yourself, what makes you the happiest within this world, some people do audiobooks, and they play 15 characters. And within this audio book, they have to have a narrator voice, the goblin voice, the female lead voice like all these different voices in and you have to record for a month, every day and remember all of these characters and do all these things. So I give a lot of credit to the audiobook people in the audible people because that is a marathon. So it really depends on personality traits in in desires as to what you want to do within this realm of voice acting. But if you really want it, I no one special. Like I'm just I have no I had no leads. I had no parents in the business. I didn't have any sort of connections. I just wanted it really bad. And over time, I met the people. I took the workshops, I paid for the classes, I bought the gear, and eventually I got there. That's good
Nick VinZant 18:25
advice. Okay. I just asked it super directly. How much money do you make?
Unknown Speaker 18:33
Oh, I bet yeah, a comfortable six figures.
Nick VinZant 18:37
Oh, okay. That's good. That's good money, right? That's crazy. It's good.
Speaker 2 18:43
Yes, I don't make over a million a year yet. But there's a handful that do. Do a solid set multiple seven figures here.
Nick VinZant 18:57
Now, is that dependent on like what you're doing? Like, if you're the movie trailer, that's going to be the biggest one? Or can you kind of like what's generally if you are going to do this solely for making money is what's the avenue that somebody would say like, oh, you should do this kind of voice acting.
Speaker 2 19:15
Depends on how you want to get your money. If you want to be a video game voice actor and make a lot of money, you'll have to go to Comic Cons and do signings. If you want to be a voice actor, that is known as a voice actor, tour all the comic cons and got all the conventions. You'll make your money mostly off of those in person meetings and meet and greets. Because the pay is Screen Actors Guild pay you will get I think it's like 1200 bucks a day. For somebody that's your flat rate. But you know, if you're working on your days, that year, you made 100 grand plus your signings you're probably making 200 grand. So you'll probably you know you'll be doing for another 400 grand a year as a fee. Famous voice actor, quote unquote. Or you can get like on a show like Simpsons, who will pay you $100,000 An episode. It all depends on kind of your contracts and who you are and how long you've done it. So there's really no set rule on that. But if you look at Screen Actors Guild rates for trailers, it's about I think, $1,800 or $19 per trailer, fill usually cut, maybe five to 15 trailers per film. So you could be doing, you know, 10 to $15,000, and movie, some years, you might make 50 Grant, some years, you may make 250 grand,
Nick VinZant 20:40
a lot of the questions that I was going to ask you kind of came in as listener submitted questions. So are you ready for some harder listener submitted questions? Let's do it. Is it more? Is it more about the voice or more about the acting,
Speaker 2 20:53
acting under percent? Your voice doesn't even matter. It's the way you make people feel with your voice.
Nick VinZant 20:59
But what is it about your voice that makes people feel like that?
Unknown Speaker 21:04
My ability to manipulate people's emotions?
Nick VinZant 21:09
Sinister laugh.
Speaker 2 21:11
That's what it is exactly. It's understanding what this show was about? And who would like the show? And what voice to use to convince them that this is the best show on television?
Nick VinZant 21:31
Then for voice actors, right? Like, how come that wouldn't translate into face acting? Or is it
Speaker 2 21:39
because of the face it you don't have to say anything, you can just do like eyebrow lifts. And like this sort of, you know, movements with your face, and like, Oh, give them a little like teeth are growl like, there's all these like close up movements, you can do just with face, because the face is so expressive, that you could do so much with it. But in voice acting, we have to audibly do that. So even in my session yesterday, and I was like, let's go through levels of growl. Let's go through levels of screen. Let's go through levels of and me and the producers, we just try it. Because you know this, we're not recording on tape, we have digital recording, the session can be as long as you want it to be and we just take the good parts. So it really is. If you are an artist who is willing that I would say the word artists at this point that is willing to come up with things that even the producers and creatives that wrote the piece couldn't think of you will be you will be called back for the next project for sure.
Nick VinZant 22:47
Hardest category to kind of nail down easiest category. And I think they mean like genres, like is action easier than drama, hardest genre, easiest genre.
Speaker 2 22:57
Some people I can not get a horror read out of them. Some people like to not get a comedy readout. It just really depends on their personal upbringing and an ego and personality type. To answer that question, but to answer that question, I would say double down on their emotional strengths. If someone has kind of a goofy comedian, double down on their ability to convey that through comedy promos. If someone is kind of shy, and quiet, they may lean more into suspense or kids shows. So it's really having a meeting with somebody giving them a stack of 10 scripts and saying read this. And I can tell you exactly where they were what they should be doing in the marketplace. So for me, the probably the hardest to do if it was easy for me to do comedy and family in the beginning. Because I'm a light hearted person, I kind of joke and have fun. And so that was probably the hardest for me to do a horror movie. But I could do the next dot next episode of Friends on ABC, I could pull that up. You know, but if you wanted to do next episode of Friends, or EPC, you know that sort of growly darkness takes a while to learn. Having said that, there's going to be someone who was the best at each genre. There's the best action voice there is the best comedy voice. There's the best animation voice I'm talking about for promos and trailers. At this point. There is the best reality TV voice. So there's all these different genres. So if you really like something, do your training, look at it and say, Okay, where can I realistically compete right now to make money today? And then have that as a place to make money and then start expanding into your through your workshops and your training to the other John's?
Nick VinZant 24:53
Is your voice insured?
Speaker 2 24:55
It is not. I looked into it. Do you feel like it shouldn't be No, I don't I don't if it went out, I would just do something else
Nick VinZant 25:03
are odd. This is a little bit sarcastic of a question, I think. But they're getting at something right? Do you hate celebrity voice actors in the sense that like, oh, there's this thing. And they just cast, Paul rod right or whatever like to voice actors who specialize in voice acting, get annoyed that celebrities sometimes simply by being celebrities get some of the parts?
Speaker 2 25:28
The short answer is yes. But when you're speaking to me, I don't care, because they're not going to get Paul Rudd to do a movie trailer. That's a good way of looking at it. But most voice most people that tell you they want to do voice acting want to be Bart Simpson, or they want to be Rick and Morty. Most people want to be cartoon characters. When you say someone, oh, I want to do voice acting, they want to be a character in a video game. They want to play the space Commando, or they want to play the bug or the the apple River and a Pixar film. So I could see why they would be upset. Because they spent, you know, they went to Juilliard, and spent eight years and training and they did all this stuff. And then they just give it to Chris Pratt. And they make him Mario even though it's not Italian or anything. So I could see where they'd be asked here, especially with all the time we get into sag AFTRA and illustrating, but at the same time, if they're good enough, they'll get cast for it. You know, and there's, they're making so much content, that you really can't focus on those, like something like that, like you will find a job if you're, if I call it winning on the battlefield. If you're good enough, and this comes down to skill, when they're casting, they will find the person that is right for that part. And you may not be right for that part, but you will find a job that will you will be right for something, something that you can't even imagine. Like, I'll wake up on a Monday. I have no jobs, nothing's scheduled. I'm essentially unemployed. And then I'll get an email at three o'clock saying, Hey, we love you for this role. That you got yourself a job. It's terrifying and exciting at the same time.
Nick VinZant 27:11
Who do you think is the best voice actor of all time?
Unknown Speaker 27:14
The best the best voice actor of all time is Frank Welker.
Nick VinZant 27:18
Voice Megatron.
Speaker 2 27:21
Yes, Megatron, Scooby Doo. All the shows from the 80s and 90s. He can make the sound of wind. He's that good? Like he is he is the best voice actor.
Nick VinZant 27:36
Is there anybody out like Who else would you kind of put on that? If you did like movies, video games? TV shows? Who else would you kind of put up? And if you're one of them, if you're the promo guy like, well, um,
Speaker 2 27:47
I would say, you know, Peter Cohen, obviously for transformers, but I would say the best voice actor has to be somebody that has a really massive resume, which means they could do so many things. If you look at Frank Welker, just read IMDb, it's just 1000s of things you can do so much. He's very impressive. And I was I know a lot of great animation people and actors and video game actors and they, they would say the same thing hands down. For movie trailers. It was Don LaFontaine currently, Howard Parker, who was who had kind of hold his holding that when he passed, he kind of took the reins from that Ashton Smith would be another great trailer. VoiceOver. Net, I would say trailer and promos kind of kind of the same package. And for animation, you know, of course, the cast of Simpsons is great. I don't really know the answer to that. Because my focus, I'm kind of hyper focus guy. Like I don't, if it's not my world, like, you know, I don't give it any attention.
Nick VinZant 28:57
What's the favorite? What's your favorite thing that you've done?
Speaker 2 29:01
Probably my most recent work for the Arnold Schwarzenegger show. FUBAR. So I just did the trailer for them for Netflix for FUBAR, which was so much fun, because usually I have to be a little bit more grounded, like, you know, radar coming soon. So if this I got to be like, it's the best show on TV, like I got to like, you know, bite into it a little bit, give it some grounds and some action. Because they the script called for a 90s throwback trailer, which is like my favorite thing to do. And so I auditioned for it. And I got it. And then we probably had no seven or eight sessions, and the client would come back with notes, hey, do this line again. Or I gave them like just, you know, 5% different tweaks like these these reads like they want to give me 5% More action, you know, and you have to as a voice artist, seem to learn the the art of nuance is what I would call voice acting right? The art of 5%, Up 5% Down 10% Up 10% Down a little bit fiber saying it's like having a bunch of different dials in front of you growl, aggression, you know, romance love, like you have to crank all these dials to find that, that perfect mix of what the show is, right? And all these things, you know, you'll audition for it, you read it, and then you kind of forget about it, you know, because you have to, or else you don't drive yourself crazy. So anytime I get an email or a phone call back saying, hey, client, the client is always the client, which would be the studio, the client love your voice for this, for this project, we want to we're gonna move forward, I'm gonna get to make more pieces with you. Which, which is you know, how you earn the paycheck because most of the time we make no money and we just want a majority of the of the days are reading scripts and signing them into the black abyss.
Nick VinZant 30:56
Do people ever recognize the voice? Like you ever ordering coffee? And somebody's like, what?
Speaker 2 31:01
No, I would say that would come from somebody that is famous character, like maybe king of the hill. But a lot of voice actors, their performance voice is different than their speaking voice.
Nick VinZant 31:16
Where do you think the industry goes from here?
Speaker 2 31:19
I think a majority of the work that is not character driven or high level will get taken over by AI simply due to people wanting to cut costs. That's why it's so important for a voice actor to become known for something or very specialized in something that a computer could not copy or, you know, if they wanted to, they would have to pay the licensing fee, and he wouldn't have to work, but it would pay you to use your voice. Like they license a hit song. And the lark, you know, it would be voice acting, we'll probably start leaning into licensing more. Because we can record 30 minutes of our voice and my character and they can use us for the entire show.
Nick VinZant 32:09
How would that work though? Wouldn't you have to like, record every word that they would possibly use? Like?
Unknown Speaker 32:15
Is the AI algorithm Great?
Nick VinZant 32:18
Oh, it can do is that how like Siri works. I always wondered if they just had Siri basically record every single possible word in the English language, though. Yeah,
Speaker 2 32:28
those AIs are, you know, the technology has gotten so much better than sincerely came around. I just did it last week for my own project that I'm working on. They needed 30 minutes of me basically reading a book. I just, I just found 30 minutes of content that I uploaded. And now if anything, I type into it. It sounds very close to my speaking voice. And it can spit it back within minutes. And so now it comes time to you know, how do you control this and license it? So it's not kind of just thrown out there into the internet Highway, which is what the right of the writers strike is about right now. You know why? You know chat GBT. And all these AI things can write me a novel that says that's a murder mystery novel with seven main characters were with a surprise ending that is based on Shakespearean plays. And then boom, you get a 300 page script that is pumped out within 15 minutes. So same with voice. They have 30 years of Morgan Freeman doing movies, they can just upload all of that all of those movies and data into a brand new script like have Morgan Freeman narrate the entire movie. So it comes now it comes down to we don't need to actually do the sessions anymore. It comes down to like likeness and trademark and licensing. That's where it's going. I know people like to perform. It's fun to perform. But will the people writing the checks want to waste the time on the care and the love of the performance? Are they trying to get a paycheck as quick as possible?
Nick VinZant 34:09
And this possibly on a lighter note if you're familiar with this, how do you feel about the yes seen in toast of London?
Speaker 2 34:16
Yes. I did that yesterday, but the word was plus. The exact same thing happened me yesterday but the word was plus. I probably said the word plus 70 different ways. Cool. was low close to the I did so I relate. But you know ironically, it's right on. Like if you can't say a word like that and come up with 5060 different possibilities to say it they're not good voice actors. Like a voice actor shouldn't be shouldn't just be able to do it. Like if they asked me to do anything in the session operatic quiet loud saw, screaming, whispering like all these things should be all things that you intuitively know how to do. And our job is to please the client. So if it within the sketch, his job is like, Okay, I'm going to please the client, I want to go as far as to being my sarcastic and start talking back to him. Because I want the gig. But I guess if you're at a certain place where you don't need the money, then you can start being sassy. But it is very realistic as to what we do. Like you'll, you'll be in a commercial session and it'll be take 42 will be take 47 and they'll just be like, you know, we need the word. We needed the word there to be just a little more a little more, a little more. They're little they're like, like this. They're like, they're like, no, no, they're so there'll be just like these, the advertising agency in the in the person directing, it has a vision. And it's your job to make it happen. As frustrating as it may be.
Nick VinZant 35:54
I wonder where I first saw that I was like, I bet that's real. That's what I bet that's exactly how that really happens. Like could you make that a little bit different? Um, that's pretty much all the questions we got, man, what's kind of coming up next for you? How can people find out more about you and that kind of stuff?
Speaker 2 36:10
Sure, you can hit me anywhere on the social internet webs at at trailer as a movie trailer trailer, VO Brent trailer vo Brent Instagram, Tik Tok, then, you know, LinkedIn if you're a professional willing to connect, but uh, you know, I really don't know, that's kind of the beauty of it is that every day I wake up, and I have no idea what's going to happen. Yesterday, I read for an upcoming it was seven or 8pm, I got a text and they said, Hey, we need you to read on this upcoming Warner Brothers movie. So I dropped whatever I was doing, I drove to the studio and I read for. So I literally have no idea. But the thing is, just be ready. Be good, be talented, be ready. stay sober. And because you know, you never know when a phone call is gonna come and you got to just instantly be able to perform. So I, you know, 15 minutes away from the next greatest gig.
Nick VinZant 37:11
I want to thank Brent, so much for joining us if you want to connect with him. We have linked to him on our social media sites. We're Profoundly Pointless on Twitter, tick tock, Instagram, and YouTube. And we've also included his information in the episode description. I think one of the things that's really neat about this interview is that if you watch it, you can really see how his facial expressions change and how that changes his voice. Or vice versa. I'm not, I'm not really sure which one of those comes first, but the YouTube version of this interview will be live on June 15 at 4:30pm Pacific. Okay, now, let's bring in John Shaw, and get to the pointless part of this show. If you were to go back in time and talk to your younger self, do you think your younger self would listen to you?
John Shull 38:08
No, because there were people like me trying to advise the younger John and he didn't listen to them, then. I don't think I would listen to me at all.
Nick VinZant 38:20
I don't really think that I would listen to older version of me either. Which is an odd thing to say. It's like you won't even listen to yourself.
John Shull 38:29
You know, I? For some reason, this question gets brought up a lot.
Nick VinZant 38:33
Just this very question people ask you if you'd listen to your younger self,
John Shull 38:36
you know, would you go back would you you know, would you maybe listen to others would you do things differently? And I'm not trying to sound gloating, but I had a lot of fun in my my quote unquote non responsible years. I don't think even if if if I if me now, were to pull the old John by the hair and like force him to listen, I still don't think the old John would have listened.
Nick VinZant 39:00
I don't think the new John would listen. I don't think that you would listen to 60 year old you now. Well, see. I would listen to 60 year old me 20 year old me wouldn't listen to 35 year old me though. 35 year old me would listen to 55 year old me though.
John Shull 39:17
See, I think I would too though, but Oh, but I also think it's just because of where you are, like 55 year old me, you know, my kids will be grown. Who knows where I'll be who knows if I'll be alive. You know, like 55 year old you Nose Nose things. You know what I mean? As we're 35 year old do is like you're just for most people, you're just hitting that part of your life. You know where we're probably have real responsibility now. Maybe not 35 Maybe 2530 But all I'm saying is is the older you get I feel like the more experience and life experiences you gain and that's where I would listen more as where 20 year old me is going to go 35 year old me doesn't know anything.
Nick VinZant 39:59
I I can kind of agree with that. But here's the other question. Could younger you take current you in a fight? Would you lose? Would you lose a fight to the younger version of yourself?
John Shull 40:11
Absolutely. I was, believe it or not, no one ever believes me when I say this, but I was much more aggressive as a younger person, and much better shape stronger. I'm pretty sure the though the younger me would kick the shit out of current me.
Nick VinZant 40:25
I think that current me would win. But we'd lose the next day. Like I might win the fight, but I would win the war. Like younger me would do way more damage to me like younger me would lose but recover by the next day and older me would win but basically be scarred for the rest of my life.
John Shull 40:45
Younger you would be out drinking after the fight and then back out at the next morning.
Nick VinZant 40:50
Right be ready for round two and older me would be done. But I think that older me would still be could take younger me at this point.
John Shull 40:58
I think older me would not even entertain it. Like if younger me came up and started talking shit or being dumb. I think older me would just you know, brush it aside and tell this idiot to go away. I wouldn't even wouldn't even cross my mind to get into a fight at this point.
Nick VinZant 41:14
Would you want to hang out with younger you? As you like?
John Shull 41:17
Yeah, I cut you off because Absolutely. I actually think younger me was fantastic to hang around with. I don't know what other people thought. But I thought I was pretty awesome.
Nick VinZant 41:27
Younger. He was fun. Right?
John Shull 41:31
Maybe I've heard a little too much on the front end sometimes, you know, but once you got to know me, you know you realize that I'm a loyal, caring person. But I was probably a little much up front especially in a bar situation.
Nick VinZant 41:45
Oh, yeah. I remember the first time I met you, I thought you were an idiot. I was like, Jesus, this guy's an idiot. You weren't too few or too hot front. You are I'm gonna slow down a little bit, man. You can't go in everything. 1000 miles an hour.
John Shull 41:59
i That's the way that's the way it was man. That was you know, you know, my, I feel the need to tell the story. And I'm going to tell it but. So I like to I like to do things I like to host right. So I've started hosting ping pong nights. During the week where friends come over, we play ping pong. Well, if you had to bet money, say out of seven or eight guys, which one of them broke the ping pong table? Who do you think it was?
Nick VinZant 42:28
Let's see. There you are Dante.
John Shull 42:31
Dante unfortunately doesn't get here early enough anymore because of children. So it was me. But it was like the most ungraceful pathetic breaking. You could imagine.
Nick VinZant 42:44
How did you break your own ping pong table? Did you fall into it like an idiot?
John Shull 42:47
Well, for one, it's not mine, which makes it even worse.
Nick VinZant 42:51
Was it at your house that because I borrow a ping pong table? Yeah, I needed a ping pong table in a friend. You borrow a ping pong table like, Hey, can I borrow your ping pong table? Like Zane borrow your bed to somebody? Hey, can I just borrow that for a little while? It's a big thing to borrow. It is not easy to transport either.
John Shull 43:11
Well, it's not it's not a I'm not taking away from the ping pong table, because I think this person may listen to the podcast a, but I will say that you can fold it up into basically like two suitcase sized rectangles and carry it.
Nick VinZant 43:27
So is it a really nice thing? Because it's able to do that? Or is it a piece of shit? Obviously, it could be either one, right? It could be really nice. And you can make it that small, or it can be a piece of crap. And you can make it that small.
John Shull 43:39
I will just say that it is not top of the line. But also it's a piece of shit. Not saying that. But regardless, anyways, I went, there's two trellises. And they're held up by a support bar in the middle on each end. That practice, you know, it practically holds the table up. And I went for a ball and started to lose my balance. And I put my hands on the ping pong table. And I broke both support bars. By me just putting my hands on the table. Mind you. I'm a big guy. I get it. But like, you know, let me just put it this way. When it happens. Everyone in the room was like, what just happened? How did that? How did you break it? It wasn't like I went through the table. That would have been way better.
Nick VinZant 44:23
Yeah, but anyways, I should have should have sold it
John Shull 44:26
just now actually gotta hold the company. They're gonna send me the support bars. I'm gonna fix it. Everything's going to be good. But
Nick VinZant 44:33
I am on none of that. None of that. I've know, I know that. They're gonna send you that. I'm sure you got a hold of the company. I'm sure that they're gonna send you the support bars. You're not gonna fix it.
John Shull 44:42
I have to fix it. It's not my ping pong table.
Nick VinZant 44:46
It's not going to be 100% I can tell you that best. I'm gonna give you a 60 60% I'm
John Shull 44:51
gonna I'm gonna make it 100% You know, but me breaking. It did not ruin the night one of the guys who was at my house. As an engineer. He's fantastic. I his idea of a two by four. So we cut the two by four to a certain length and use that as a choice. And he continued the night. So did you win? I'm middle of the road. I mean, I'm not one of the amount one of the best, but I'm not one of the worst.
Nick VinZant 45:15
Okay, all right. I mean, it's your house. So I think that you don't want to, you know, if you invite everybody over and then just dominate them, then that kind of looks badly on you. Yes, that's ah, can I tell you a story about my life over the last week? Yes, please. So I'm not advocating that people should do this. But I believe this is this is something that I think had to be done. So I'm driving. And the guy's not going I give him. So all right, let me start off. So I'm at a red light. Guys not going in front of me. I'm gonna say that maybe maybe I could have been a little bit early. Maybe have could have been a little bit early. But I was justified. Right. I might have been early, but I was justified. So he flips me off. Then he starts driving down the road. I started driving down the road. He then pulls over to the side of the road, not like, Let's go he just pulled over. He was like checking his map. I noticed this turnaround, come back and confront him.
John Shull 46:18
Okay, so Okay, continue, please.
Nick VinZant 46:20
It ends there. It ends there. But this is my question, when reason for telling the story. I don't think that people get checked enough in society anymore. I think that people need to be checked a little bit more. And that's really the reason that motivated me to go around, turn around and do that. And be like, Hey, man, I noticed you put me off back there because you I honked at you because you weren't going on a green light?
John Shull 46:43
Well, for one, I don't know if that's smart. Especially um, you know, always not.
Nick VinZant 46:48
It's not.
John Shull 46:51
I have a feeling though. So you're a calculated individual. So I felt like you probably sized up this person and knew that they probably weren't packing heat, though. They could have seen it
Nick VinZant 47:02
could have been but it is Seattle, not the kind of thing that's going to happen in Seattle. And Seattle is not a confrontational place. And I think that that is a problem with Seattle. There's not enough people that are confrontational. My think that people think they can get away with shit too much. And there's not enough checking in the world.
John Shull 47:19
My other question is how many seconds? How long was it before you honk your horn because you've criticized me about the very same thing on this podcast.
Nick VinZant 47:30
I'm gonna give him three seconds but I was right behind him. I'm gonna give him three three to five three to five seconds.
John Shull 47:39
Clearly it was just trying to check his map and you interrupted that
Nick VinZant 47:44
oh sorry no drive the car right if you're not going to be prepared to drive the vehicle then don't be driving the vehicle Don't be checking your map as an excuse it's not an excuse everybody does it but you can't like I was looking at my phone that's why I didn't go well. That's not a reason for not going on driving.
John Shull 47:58
Well and was it a map on his phone on his dashboard? It wasn't a paper
Nick VinZant 48:02
I have no idea. If he just wasn't going I don't know what he was doing.
John Shull 48:06
Well, next time I think what you should do is just run into the back end of him.
Nick VinZant 48:11
skimmer rear Well, I'll see all right, I really should do is I should pull up in front of him and then slam on my brakes. Because if somebody rear ends you it's their fault. I don't want to be random be my fault. Yeah. Okay. Wow. Yeah, I just think look, I think that there's not enough not enough I think that people think they can get away with stuff and every once in a while you got to remind them that like if there's repercussions for that, oh, I flipped somebody off may not show up at your house.
John Shull 48:34
Well, you really took that to the next level
Nick VinZant 48:36
went to the next level. I mean, I mean, I took it too far. Yeah, that's I feel pretty good about it.
John Shull 48:41
All right. Well, let's feel good. Let's give some shout outs on our on our socials which it's always good socials or social media. I'm starting to come around on it a little bit. You know what I mean? I've always been kind of against it. But you know, coming around
Nick VinZant 48:55
came out in like, 2004 Man, this is 20 years later you missed the bus.
John Shull 49:00
Listen, I've had you know, I want I want to say that I'd one of the original Facebook accounts. You don't have to tell me about it. All right, I get it.
Nick VinZant 49:08
I still to this day. I don't go on there very often. And even though we have a Facebook account for the show, it's really not even running anymore. But I still type though Facebook.
John Shull 49:19
Well, that's also because you're from Kansas. That's what it was
Nick VinZant 49:23
originally called the Facebook. It was www.facebook.com and I still type that.
John Shull 49:29
I remember when you had to have a an educational email to you know, have an account. Oh, I remember that. Yeah. And I I was a freshman college sophomore in college. And it was okay. Alright, let's start here. Trinity Danielle. I like that name. Jorge Guerrero. Toma, Tomas Tamang. Ryan Mara, Jonathan garrison. Ivan Lopez, I don't know why but when I said this name I even for some reason just seems like a good name.
Nick VinZant 50:02
It's Ivan. It's like a Russian Mexican. Sure. Ivan Lopez, the Russia that's if if if I was him, I would have people call me the Russian Mexican. I'm Ivan Lopez the Russian Mexican.
John Shull 50:17
That's actually I mean, maybe that's his handle. I don't know. Jeff canard Evan Braun. Wyatt novec in Thai Venturini. Okay, Thai I'm not against Thai. You know, they're not against the name Thai, but it's, I feel like you know, if you're gonna be a tie, you have to wear a cowboy hat and being a country music. Just how does he spell it? Just t y. Okay, is there you were just wondering there, there was not nothing behind that. Just Just wondering.
Nick VinZant 50:52
I just never really I was wondering how they spelled it and then I realized, I don't know really how anybody else spells it. T Y E. Maybe?
John Shull 51:00
I Yeah. TYETY. ta y. Anyways, let's see. That
Nick VinZant 51:06
would be Tae.
John Shull 51:08
Tae Ta Ta Ta. Ta ta ta. Anyways, I had way too long of a debate about this a couple of days ago. So this is just a question for you. Is soft serve ice cream? I guess is a two part question for one is soft serve ice cream the dominant ice cream? No. Okay, then is it overrated as an ice cream in the ice cream world?
Nick VinZant 51:34
No, it's an ice cream. And all ice cream is good. But I also don't really look at soft serve ice cream. As the same as regular ice cream. I don't look at it as being quite the same thing. It's like an unknown product. soft serve ice cream is the hot dog of the ice cream world. You're not really sure what it is like you kind of know what it is. You're not really sure what's in there.
John Shull 51:56
Hmm, I don't think anyone that's listening to this episode nor, including myself has ever heard of softserve being compared or being called the hot dog of the ice cream world.
Nick VinZant 52:08
Do you know what's in it? Like, I don't know what's in hot dogs. I don't know what's in soft serve ice cream. I mean, they're both delicious, but a little bit suspect.
John Shull 52:15
But I just figured soft serve ice cream is cream? Water. You know, it's it's ice cream. But it's softer.
Nick VinZant 52:23
Right. But I think it's a totally different thing.
John Shull 52:27
So what you're saying is it's like process wage.
Nick VinZant 52:30
Right? Look it nobody knows what's in it. I'm gonna look this up while you go on to the next question.
John Shull 52:34
All right, well, we'll see if you can keep two and two straight, which you should be able to, but we'll, we'll see. I don't need you flipping me off and then confronting me. I'm gonna come after you in a vehicle. Which kind of leads me to my second question. And that is do you think that that your I, probably you because you'll probably live longer will ever see the day where gasoline motors are practically non existent? Well, I
Nick VinZant 53:03
think if we live, I think if we live till 2040 I think we would.
John Shull 53:07
Now so two parts of this question. Obviously EVs are the first thing to take over, or take the reins, so to speak, as the vehicle of the future. But do you ever think flying vehicles are a realistic possibility in our lifetime?
Nick VinZant 53:23
No, not really. I think technology moves really slowly until it doesn't. I think that things like it goes really slow. There's this technology that you're going to hear about forever. We actually have our next episode and anybody's listening to this. Our next episode has an artificial intelligence safety expert coming on, and he talks about this a lot as like, oh, technology accelerates, and then all of a sudden, you're like, What the fuck?
John Shull 53:45
Yeah. Haley Joel Osment in the house. Let's go. What? You don't remember the movie AI starring Haley Joel Osment? No, well,
Nick VinZant 53:57
no, completely forgot about that.
John Shull 53:59
Like his career. All right. Let's see. Pretty good showing this week on Twitter for a twitter poll. This is one of the higher vote counts we've had in the last recent memory. Oh, by the way, did you ever get the question to what self service
Nick VinZant 54:16
now I'm looking at it now. It contains the exact same ingredients as regular ice cream that comes from machine that results in a smoother texture. The machine incorporates more air and doesn't allow the ice cream to harden as much so it's actually exactly the same as ice cream it just made differently. So they say
John Shull 54:33
yeah, don't trust those motherfuckers those hot dogs in your mouth. All right, so our choices this week, of course the one that I think people are trolling us, which is fine, because maybe it's sounding like complete jackasses is what they want to hear. So here were the choices that didn't win one Adam had when he was a golfer this week, or his golf was when he was a golfer this past weekend at a tournament and can't And the winner was celebrating and he went to go celebrate with the winner. And he was tackled by security because they didn't know who he was.
Nick VinZant 55:09
That's what security supposed to do and you can't be mad in that situation. doing my job.
John Shull 55:17
I thought this for sure to win, but this actually only got 5% of the vote. And that was Conor McGregor's. Conor McGregor, Conor McGregor knocking out the Miami Heat mascot. Did you see that video?
Nick VinZant 55:30
No, but I have my doubts on if that's real or not. I don't even need to see it.
John Shull 55:35
Well, I can tell you in terrible description that he fires a right hook at the at the mascot. I mean, it looked it looked rough. The guy goes down. And then if you ever see the UFC, like when a guy's on the ground, and they start punching him in the face with like, a backhanded closed fist. He did that once to the mascot, but like it looked like full speed. And anyways, apparently he sent the mascot to the hospital and, and everything else. So
Nick VinZant 56:03
yeah, he's gonna pay for that. But that's probably good publicity for everybody. Right? Like, yeah, I don't whenever the celebrities get involved and things like this. I don't really believe any of its true. Not really.
John Shull 56:14
Yeah, you you've always said that like that. You don't think it's you know, you don't buy it, so to speak. It's always staged or something. But if Yeah, I
Nick VinZant 56:23
think that it's always staged. I think the relationships are mostly fake. I think all of that stuff is fake. Your Conor McGregor
John Shull 56:29
though? I mean, you don't need it, right. I mean, you're a billionaire. You don't need the publicity. You're just Can you name a celebrity and I don't put you on the spot here. But somebody who has been in the spotlight for negativity more in the last five years or a decade even than him I mean, every time it turns around, it seems like Conor McGregor hit a woman Conor McGregor punch the guy out at a bar knocks out a mascot. It's like, get it
Nick VinZant 56:56
always doing something. Like Yeah. That much negativity? Well, I mean, Kanye West,
John Shull 57:04
right? Yeah, for sure.
Nick VinZant 57:06
I would say him. I should probably a little bit different, like less physical violence more just kind of causing problems.
John Shull 57:15
It's just I don't know, man. I just, I don't know. Maybe just because I don't really like him in general. And if you're listening to this, don't come to my house and confront me and your vehicle because I won't get out. Because I know you'd kick the shit out of me. But I just I'm just done with a man go away. either fight or go away at this point.
Nick VinZant 57:33
Yeah, I think that he was a really big star for a while and then kind of dropped off after people were like, Okay, we're a little bit sick of this stick. Yes. Whatever. Anyways, about a good good for him good for the mascot. I'm sure he's gonna get a nice paycheck off of it.
John Shull 57:47
Something right. When when? So what one? And, of course, I don't I've never heard of these two people. But it was trending. And I was like, Oh, this who knows? We'll learn something. So Don Bell one, do n b e ll E. Have you ever heard of that before?
Nick VinZant 58:06
Knew what person thing, place or location.
John Shull 58:10
It's a person's. And apparently though it is the combination of Donnie pan panelists, panelists and Dan, and Belle Mariano. They are a man and woman. They're Filipino. And apparently they are just huge over in Asia. They've been in a couple of movies together, they released some songs. The reason why they were trending this past weekend into this week is, you know, they're releasing like they were they're gonna release another song when they're doing a TV show. But for those of you who don't give a shit about this, we'll move on in a second. But I found it interesting. One of their songs was called bubblies. So all of their fans refer to themselves as bubblies Dawn bells. bubblies. That's the name of the fan group.
Nick VinZant 59:00
I mean, it's better than some of them. There's some pretty bad fan group names out there. Right?
John Shull 59:05
Well, I gotta tell you, just going back. So Taylor Swift was in Detroit this past weekend. Okay, and the concert Swifty? No, I did not I'm not saying I don't dislike her music. I think she's a great role model. I think she's done wonderful things. You know, in her life, whatever. However, I mean, people waiting like Thursday, they open up the merchandise booths outside of the arena. And there was people outside at 4am waiting to get a $50 T shirt. To me that seems a little much
Nick VinZant 59:40
yeah, I've never I don't think that I would wait in line for anything. I don't I don't really don't not like for tickets to get I would wait in line but I wouldn't get up early to go to anything like that. Unless it was like one of my kids dreams. Yeah, then I would do it. Otherwise like, Nah,
John Shull 59:58
I just you know, let's see. I
Nick VinZant 59:59
think though These are people who are buying them and then selling them to somebody else. I think that's a profit for profit thing. They're not there because they really care. I think they're buying those and then they sell them to other people later.
John Shull 1:00:09
I don't know. I mean, some of you know, obviously, for those of you who are first time listeners, I work in the news business. And some of the people we talked to. I mean, they came from all around the world. I don't know why they picked Detroit, and I don't believe they would have lied to our reporter. But like one, one couple was from the Dominican, another couple was from Croatia. They just couldn't get tickets to any other show. But they could get tickets to the Detroit show, though. So that game was the Taylor Swift and it's like, I just I good for her, I guess. But it's just seems absurd
Nick VinZant 1:00:39
to me. You've never gone to another state or city for a concert?
John Shull 1:00:43
I have. Well, no, let me rephrase that. I've never gone for one act. I've gone to music festivals. But I've never traveled to see. Well, that's kind of a lie. I guess. I've been to Toledo, Ohio, which is like just the other side of Michigan and Ohio border. To see a couple of people but that's it. Like
Nick VinZant 1:01:05
that's they were coming to Toledo Ohio, but weren't gonna go to Detroit. Well, they were like, No, fuck it. I'm not going into Detroit. We're stopping at Toledo
John Shull 1:01:15
well for like one of them. They were playing in Detroit, but it was $30 cheaper to go see them in Toledo so that's why we did that.
Nick VinZant 1:01:21
Right. You go right. How much to spend on gas to get there.
John Shull 1:01:25
It's like 40 miles it's not that bad.
Nick VinZant 1:01:28
During back time, last actually probably cheaper to go to Detroit. But anyway, got to think big picture man, he I think the whole scope can't just look at one narrow little slice of the pie. You got to look at the whole thing.
John Shull 1:01:38
All right. Are you done lecturing?
Nick VinZant 1:01:40
I am. Yeah, go ahead. No, no. Oh, is it my is done? I'm done. Okay, so our top five is top five animated TV shows. What's your number five.
John Shull 1:01:52
First off, I realized that I'm gonna piss off a lot of people with with my list. Maybe you too
Nick VinZant 1:02:00
competitive list. It's a competitive list. As long as you don't say anything ridiculous. There's a lot of things that you can put in there. I think there's a clear number one, though,
John Shull 1:02:07
I am not sure that there has been a tougher top five, we could do we could make this top 15 If we really wanted to.
Nick VinZant 1:02:15
Yeah, you could push it out, you can push it out pretty easily.
John Shull 1:02:17
This this is by far, like I have probably 30 shows right now. I'm not even I haven't really even come up the list. I don't know what to do.
Nick VinZant 1:02:27
So I had a lot of trouble with deciding between certain shows. So I looked at shows that I would say that, like they kind of changed things. They weren't just a good show. But they set a new level of like what animation is possible of or launched a genre? Well, anyway, just Well, number five.
John Shull 1:02:45
Well, I'm going to start here my number five, I'm gonna go with Pokeyman.
Nick VinZant 1:02:50
I don't think that that's a great TV show, though. I don't I mean, well known. Yeah. But I wouldn't say that it's good.
John Shull 1:02:58
So I'm not necessarily going for what what the show did in terms of what it did for animation or the genre. My shows are more based upon longevity, what they did, how much you know how much money I think they made, you know, the icon. I'm about to make up a word here, the iconicity Okay, that's, that's worth all the work for Pokeyman. As, as I seem to always include them on my top five, for whatever reason. It's still going. It has as much interest if not more, now. It's popular around the world. I mean, it's spawned, obviously, the video games and movies. It's, you know, it's, it's, that's why that's some of the reasons why it's makes number five on my list.
Nick VinZant 1:03:44
I wouldn't put that personally in the top 50. But that's, that's just me. I mean, I wouldn't put it you put it in number five. I wouldn't put it in the top 50 Maybe not even the top 100? Um, no, I would put I would put it in number 76.
John Shull 1:03:59
Right, what's your number?
Nick VinZant 1:04:02
My number five is Star Wars Clone Wars. Not the Clone Wars, but Star Wars Clone Wars, which was the original one that was like a series of a bunch of five minute episodes. That was amazing. It was like what Star Wars could really be. It was amazing. It was incredible.
John Shull 1:04:22
I'm not I'm not going against what you're saying. But in terms of receded, have you? I've never seen it? No. But in terms to me. I mean, how popular was it is that's a that seems like a niche thing to me.
Nick VinZant 1:04:35
No, it was incredible. It was one of those things that it was an appointment television. Like you waited and watch to see when that episode was coming out. It was I think it was came out in 2003 or something like that. It was like whoa, and you can go back there and still watch it and you're still like, whoa, that's pretty good. It really showcased what Star Wars could be.
John Shull 1:04:59
Okay, I mean, I know a lot of the characters that came out of that show now or, you know, they were featured in the movies, but they didn't have big roles, right? And now they're kind of branching out and getting roles through other media.
Nick VinZant 1:05:11
It introduced General Grievous. And when they introduced General Grievous, you were like, holy crap. It was it was it was well done. It was good. It was good.
John Shull 1:05:22
All right, my number four. I'm gonna go with Family Guy.
Nick VinZant 1:05:29
All right.
John Shull 1:05:30
Once again, okay, not not not going to break any kind of animatronic animated records in terms of what they do. But, you know, it's like, probably the my for my top four. They've survived, they've adapted, and they're as popular now as they were 20 years ago, or 10 years ago.
Nick VinZant 1:05:52
I don't have family guy on the list only because I think there's another show that similar to it, that is way more influential. Um, my number four is Avatar The Last Airbender,
John Shull 1:06:04
so I had never seen it. However, I did collect the cards show, which made no sense. I have it on my honorable mention, just because I know how influential it was, but I can tell you exactly what's about a bald headed kid. And
Nick VinZant 1:06:19
it's about the avatar. He's the last airbender. And then he goes on to say he has to save the S to save the world from the fire nation. It actually probably has one of the most heartfelt messages of any animated show that I've seen. I still think about Uncle IRA. Uncle Ira was a fan. Uncle iro was banned at healer before banded healer.
John Shull 1:06:42
I'm sorry, did you say uncle eyeroll?
Nick VinZant 1:06:45
Uncle iro. Oh, general IRA, the dragon in the West. That is a great role model.
John Shull 1:06:52
I have absolutely no idea what referring to but so my number three, I have two at my number three. They're both kids TV shows. But I felt like the list had to have kids TV shows on it, just because it needs it. So my number three is a combination of the Bugs Bunny Show, like Looney Tunes, from the early 90s and cocoa melon.
Nick VinZant 1:07:19
I've never actually seen cocoa melon, I hope to never ever see cocoa melon.
John Shull 1:07:23
So it's obviously a newer show, right? So all of us. 30 year olds, 40 year olds, 20 years have kids know what it is? You should know what it is, but it's fine. But if you look every year, at least the last five years, I'm gonna say that Coco melon has dominated the downloads. Like it's usually Oh, yeah, it's using the top five shows on Netflix. You know, it's obviously on ABC. It's it's sad and Looney Tunes. I mean, it's just Looney Tunes is so influential. I mean, how many characters have spawned from it? You know, it's it's Looney Tunes for us was like, like today's COCOMO. And I feel
Nick VinZant 1:08:03
I can see that. So my number three, my number three, I was originally going to do a tie between Rick and Morty and Adventure Time. But instead I'm going to do a tie between Batman The Animated Series and X Men 90s era cartoons that were like, well, those were good.
John Shull 1:08:20
So I have I have both of those on my honorable mention, just because I felt like you can't put one on with like what you did, like I couldn't put one without the other. But I wasn't I wasn't gonna put both of them on, you know, filling up a spot. But they're I mean, that's, I mean, once again, look what they've turned look what they were before and look what they've continued to do in terms of just keep that those franchises going.
Nick VinZant 1:08:44
They really launched it. I remember Batman The Animated Series. That was like you came home and you watched that. Yeah. And then on Saturdays, you watched X Men.
John Shull 1:08:52
So good. Alright, so my number two.
Nick VinZant 1:08:57
Who is I'm gonna see if you're a poser or not. What was your favorite mutant? Who was your favorite mutant?
John Shull 1:09:02
Um, I mean, I was always the big blue guy. You please play by Kelsey Grammer in the movies, Beast. I think beast.
Nick VinZant 1:09:12
How do you not know which one beast is? That's the one that you should be able to like? Oh, I know which one that one is what? The giant blue one.
John Shull 1:09:20
I know. Cyclops I know. I know a professor. I feel like Professor X is the most notable exmon Either that or Cyclops or Cyclops Yeah. Or storm because Halle Berry was up.
Nick VinZant 1:09:32
Halle Berry Yeah. Probably Professor X is the most well Wolverine is the most recognizable X Men.
John Shull 1:09:40
I mean, maybe I don't know I still think maybe that should be a top if you really want to piss off some our fan base.
Nick VinZant 1:09:46
We should do it has to be well, I mean, there's only one that they made a bunch of movies out of it's not over any
John Shull 1:09:50
longer. Hugh Jackman never liked you
Nick VinZant 1:09:54
know, Wolverine is actually supposed to be like five foot three. Supposed to be a little dinky tiny Okay, what's your number? What's your number? Did you already do number two?
John Shull 1:10:03
No, my number two, so this is tough. This might be the toughest one to decision I've had to make. During our top fives episode, what is it? 254 now they're my number two. I'm gonna go with The Simpsons.
Nick VinZant 1:10:19
You You're gonna. I know. Okay. I know. That's okay. I think I know what your number one is. That's not correct. If that's what you're thinking, you're number one is my number two is SpongeBob SquarePants. That's huge show. I don't I mean, it's a good show. It is a good show, but it's massive. That's still going on. It's still got cultural relevance.
John Shull 1:10:48
I mean, I would consider putting that or Scooby Doo on my top five. But obviously I went with the other two kid shows instead. But yeah, I mean, the thing was a SpongeBob to me is it's fine. And obviously it's withstood the test of time, but it's it's just annoying to me. Patrick's annoying. SpongeBob is kind of annoying. Never get into it.
Nick VinZant 1:11:12
Yeah, that mean? I think they're kind of all supposed to be like that a little bit. That's the whole point. Ah, yeah. Okay, so I'm gonna guess what's your No, just go ahead and tell me right? Well, I
John Shull 1:11:23
ever what's troubling him number one, I
Nick VinZant 1:11:25
would think knew not at all.
John Shull 1:11:28
So I never went to South Park.
Nick VinZant 1:11:33
My number one is Simpsons. I think I can agree with you that South Park has been better for longer or at least maintain the same level of goodness. But I think the Simpsons is the Simpsons. You don't even have the
John Shull 1:11:47
South Park on your top five.
Nick VinZant 1:11:49
No. Oof. I don't even know what network it's on. Like South Park is a good show. But I've I haven't watched his South Bronx an episode that everybody maybe knows of, but very, a much smaller proportion of ever actually watched an episode.
John Shull 1:12:07
See, I disagree with you. I think I you know, well, I don't know if I comparing it to the Simpsons, I feel like they're like, I feel like they're neck and neck. Yes, the Simpsons kind of broke the mold and prove that you could be an animated TV feature show for 30 years. But Southpark you know, pushes the envelope every season. And the fact that you know, the fact that they've literally I've taken four kids characters and I've turned them into global icons is insanity to me.
Nick VinZant 1:12:44
I think that South Park is the more popular show now and he's probably the better show now but it's just not the Simpsons Simpsons is the original without them. There is no South Park.
John Shull 1:12:55
Right? i i That's the thing. I don't disagree with you. I just personally, I guess I'll say a personal preference. I'll put Southpark above the Simpsons.
Nick VinZant 1:13:06
Okay, a study of TV ratings has found that South Park's most recent seasons averaged out at point six 5 million viewers per episode, so I guess that's 650,000 people. I'm gonna look up the Simpsons while you go through what your
John Shull 1:13:22
honor there's, there's plenty of time. Get ready. All right. So we'll start king of the hill. The Batman eight animated series Ren and Stimpy exmon. Scooby Doo Rugrats SpongeBob Daria, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, the tick Naruto
Nick VinZant 1:13:46
Naruto Naruto, same
John Shull 1:13:47
thing? The Jetsons DuckTales Paw Patrol Bojack Horseman which is a fantastic show. Really, you know? If you haven't seen it, check it out. Our Beavis and Butthead, Doug. And bluey?
Nick VinZant 1:14:05
Blue to me is one of the best new shows but it's not old enough yet to be honest and honorable mention for myself personally. Simpsons draws an average of 1.9 5 million viewers. So about 2 million viewers so it's essentially three times bigger than South Park. Now some of that is probably because it's on broadcast. Absolutely. I opposed to cable but some still is a much bigger show.
John Shull 1:14:27
I'm not debating I'm not debating which shows bigger. I mean, I think the Simpsons is probably more of a viewership. But however, right? It's on broadcast is not on cable. And the characters, I would argue to say are just as iconic as the Simpsons. You can name me all four boys. And most people can name your four boys. I feel like you're going to struggle on the five Simpson members of the you know, at least two of them.
Nick VinZant 1:15:00
But no Homer Marge, Lisa Barden, Maggie. Okay, I mean South Park is i You can name I think that if you got most people they can name more Simpsons Well, I don't know. Maybe not now. No. Most people our age could probably name more Simpsons characters in South Park character.
John Shull 1:15:20
I don't think so. And I think I think Maggie and Lisa are gonna throw you for a loop. As we're Kyle Kenny, Stan and Cartman are pretty, pretty easy to remember.
Nick VinZant 1:15:30
This this is the point of the show where I also bring up that John thought that Bob Ross was not going to be remembered even though his show has been running for 40 years. And that he puts ketchup on barbecue.
John Shull 1:15:41
I never said that. You know that I put ketchup on barbecue but it is a good added substitute. If you're if you're looking for anything, and you're out of everything, so I don't recommend it. But it is there in case of emergencies.
Nick VinZant 1:15:54
Um, yeah, I can't really okay. I don't watch South Park and off the top of my head. Kyle Cartman stand. Kyle Carmen. Stan. Who's the Kenny is the fourth? Yeah, see? There's a chef still on there?
John Shull 1:16:16
No, I don't think so. Kind of.
Nick VinZant 1:16:20
Mr. Hat? Yes. Mr. Hat? Who's the teacher? See right there man. Like I am fully aware of South Park, but I can't name
John Shull 1:16:31
well, we're not we're not talking about the supporting characters. I think anyone between now, between the ages of 21 and 45 should be able to name the nine characters from the nine main characters from both shows.
Nick VinZant 1:16:46
If you can, I'm sure they could. If you can't do
John Shull 1:16:49
that, then you need to learn them. However, I think if you were to quiz 100 people, they're gonna get Southpark more than they are gonna get the main characters of this under.
Nick VinZant 1:17:00
Ah, I would disagree with that. My other honorable mentions I have dug on their teenage mutant ninja turtles.
John Shull 1:17:07
Oh, yeah, you can't man you can't forget those. Those are also possibly top five contenders.
Nick VinZant 1:17:12
Animaniacs. Looney, that was a good show. That was a show that was like, but it was better. It was a good well done. Powerpuff Girls.
John Shull 1:17:23
Yeah, I guess a big show.
Nick VinZant 1:17:24
Powerpuff Girls was Big Show. Um, I had venture time. I never gave a shit about the Flintstones or the Jetsons or Scooby Doo or any of those other ones, but I did like Looney Tunes and that kind of stuff.
John Shull 1:17:36
I mean, it's kind of like legacy at that point, right? I mean, those shows paved the way for a show like The Simpsons, you know, well, maybe not the Simpsons, but well, maybe Yeah, maybe?
Nick VinZant 1:17:49
What? Okay, how many episodes what year? And how many episodes into the Simpsons? Are we and we'll end on that note? Well, yes.
John Shull 1:17:58
Let me hold on one second. I might No,
Nick VinZant 1:17:59
no, don't look at I'm not.
John Shull 1:18:03
I'm gonna say they're on year 33.
Nick VinZant 1:18:08
Okay, that is correct.
John Shull 1:18:10
Again, because I know the year it started. Now, in terms of EPs, I'm gonna have no idea. I mean, I don't even know if I'm that smart to do that much more. I'm gonna say 950 750,
Nick VinZant 1:18:21
which I would give you the be pretty close, right? Like, once you get up that high, it's not that different. If you go back and for younger viewers, if you go back and look into some Simpsons episodes in the 90s, they were good. There are some really good ones in the 90s. And then they really piddled out for the last 23 years. But
John Shull 1:18:43
here's the here's the last thing I'll say about about cartoons specifically. Like the Simpsons is back in our day, which wasn't that long ago. Like if there was a special like The Simpsons used to do the Halloween Special. Like you made sure you were there to watch it. Nowadays, what show does that what show has the pool to say like, yeah, on Christmas, we're gonna have a big animated, you know, show, none of them that I know of.
Nick VinZant 1:19:10
No, nothing.
John Shull 1:19:12
I mean, listen, if you're, if you're an animator out there, you're listening. Let's do that. You will get people to watch for God's sakes. I'm one of them.
Nick VinZant 1:19:23
Okay, okay. Oh, okay, that's gonna go ahead and do it for this episode of Profoundly Pointless. I want to thank you so much for joining us. If you get a chance. Leave us a quick review doesn't have to be anything big. Just a couple of quick words really helps us out and let us know what you think are some of the best animated TV shows. I think that Simpsons has to be number one just because of its widespread influence. But other than that, man, there's like 1015, maybe even 20 shows They you could make a strong argument but that belong in the top five