What happens when a Marvel newbie watches Captain America: The First Avenger for the very first time? Mandy Kaplan teams up with super-nerd John Mundy to unpack skinny Steve, swoony romance, and the CGI that launched a thousand crushes.
Listen Now
Comedy legend and award-show whisperer Bruce Vilanch joins Mandy for a wild ride through the glittery wreckage of ‘70s TV, the secret history of the Star Wars Holiday Special, and his Broadway bow in Hairspray. Come for the Wookiee thirst traps, stay for the red carpet to hell.
Listen Now
David Bowie, tight pants, and puppet-induced trauma—Mandy Kaplan finally tackles Labyrinth with superfan Krissy Lenz, and nothing will ever be the same. It’s a deep dive into ’80s fantasy, freaky hands, and the true power of nerd love.
Listen NowThis week on Make Me A Nerd, Mandy Kaplan, Pete Wright, and Tommy Metz III dive into the warped techno-nightmare world of Black Mirror — and somehow make it hilarious. From pastel dystopias to digital space prisons, it’s a wild ride through the future we’re all politely hurtling toward.
Listen Now
Timey-wimey chaos meets musical mayhem as Mandy dives headfirst into the world of Doctor Who with returning guest Manny Patel. From goblin lullabies to drag queen villains, they unpack three gloriously bonkers episodes and debate whether the Doctor’s latest regeneration is too emotional… or just emo enough.
Listen Now
What happens when a nerd-loving ethicist makes a mainstream mom watch The Last of Us? Spoiler: Mandy Kaplan barely survives two episodes, Matthew Fox brings the emotional support, and somehow we end up sobbing over fungus and philosophy.
Listen Now
Ladies and gentlemen, Swifties and skeptics, gather round, for today we embark on a journey of seismic cultural significance. No, not another election cycle. No, not the discovery of yet another billionaire’s secret doomsday bunker. We are talking about Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour—a three-and-a-half-hour pop music odyssey, equal parts spectacle, sermon, and strut.
Listen Now
This week on Make Me A Nerd, Mandy takes a cubicle tour of Apple TV+’s Severance. Joining her is Jon Cassie, a certified nerd extraordinaire, former podcaster, and educational innovator, who has spent more time thinking about sci-fi and board games than most of us spend awake.
Listen Now
This week, Mandy sits down with Exorcist Minute co-hosts Lester Ryan Clark and Kynan Dias, two men who decided that watching Everything Everywhere like normal people just wasn’t enough, so they’ve chosen to break it down minute-by-minute, which is either a brilliant act of cinematic devotion or a slow descent into madness. Probably both.
Listen Now
Wheel of Time—a sprawling, epic fantasy series filled with magic, palace intrigue, and, apparently, an unlimited budget for breathtaking visuals and absurdly attractive people. This week, Mandy welcomes back Audrey Kearns, aka the Geek Girl Authority herself, to painstakingly explain what the hell is going on in this Amazon Prime behemoth.
Listen Now