Make It Stop: A Bad Music Podcast

Madonna Louise Ciccone has reinvented herself countless times. She's a diva, a gay icon, and a culture vulture of the highest magnitude. She redefined womens' place in popular music. Truly, she's nothing short of a legend. She's also a new age whackjob, neolib ghoul, and has literally stolen children from impoverished Africans. There is a whole lot to unpack with Madonna, and Heather and Mike tackle that undertaking on today's Make It Stop -- The Worst of Madonna. Through a career-spanning ten tracks, your hosts find Madonna trying on a bevy of ill-fitting musical costumes. Wokescold babbling with Latin influences? Check. Campy theatre jazz odes to spankings? Check. RAPPING? Multiple checks. Coming into the episode as avowed Madge stans, Heather and Mike soon learn just how horrific both her music and her personal life can get. Get into the groove and take it straight to the borderline, because it's gonna be hard to justify your love after this episode. Check out all the podcasts over on Pantheon! Learn more

The Beatles need no introduction. We all know them and their legacy. We all know how they shaped popular music for decades to come. But did you know that eleven years after the release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band the forces of money and cocaine collided, causing a terrible supernova known as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band -- THE MOVIE?! Helmed by a doe eyed Peter Frampton and the drug addled husks of The Bee Gees, masterminded by their manager, and rounded out with a cadre of cartoon voiced actors, Sgt. Pepper was a cultural and critical failure, earning the ire of movie and music critics alike, not to mention fans. Filtered through layers of blue eyed soul, vocoder and drug psychosis, the once iconic songs of The Beatles are hollowed out and butchered on the film's soundtrack. Joe Streeter (Have A Nice Life, Giles Corey, CONSUMER) joins Mike and Heather to endure this butchery. Now it's your turn. Proud member of the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megap

Ladies, gentlemen, esteemed guests, THE CHAMP. IS HERE. The Massachusetts-grown 10 time world champion, human meme, and all around beefcake John Cena is the subject of today's episode -- specifically, his 2005 rap album WWE: You Can't See Me. A time capsule of mid-aughts hubris, You Can't See Me is equal parts ghastly vanity project and ill-conceived showcase for Cena's dipshit cousin Tha Trademarc. The two MCs trade verses about shooting guns and flipping bricks as the eyes of every listener collectively roll deep into their skulls at the audacity and caucasity. Local filmmaker and wrestling afficionado Tony Fernandez joins Heather and Mike to analyze the merits and flaws of Make It Stop's latest white rap slog. You feeling froggy, Stoppies? THEN JUMP. Part of the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 20-teens (20-tens?) have come and gone, and as we ring in the New Year we'd like to pay tribute to the worst that 2019 had to offer. Along with the requisite collection of washed up has-beens and plastic bubble gum that you've come to expect from our yearly wrap up, the end of the decade also provided us with a bounty of white rap dorks, cheesy novelty acts, and some monumental missteps from some of our faves. It didn't seem possible, but 2019 was easily the worst of all the worst ofs in Make It Stop history and it's not even close. So count down to midnight as the ten artists we've chosen give a brand new meaning to watching the ball drop. Part of the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Twas The Night Before Christmas, and all through the pod Four creatures were cringing, at a hacky rap clod Afroman was hung over, and recorded some dreck In hopes that dumb stoners would send him a check Your hosts were both rustled, all smug in their dread While idiot songs got stuck in their heads And Dahlia on Mic 1, and Liv on Mic 2 Joined both of yon hosts to discuss how this blew A Colt 45 Christmas arose such a clatter We're certain ye Stoppies that nothing is badder And we heard him exclaim, through a slovenly drawl-- "Merry Christmas to bitches, now lick on my balls!" This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imma tell you like this whodie, if you're really about that pretty bitch shit, that gutta shit, that fifty, if you're still selling jerry and you know you're doin' numbers, 28 wit' a ladder, still on that FIGARO. If you're wet like wonton soup, if you look like Jesus, if you've got 50,000 bitches on your dick, if you're bitch mob task force all day, real pink bandana shit, KRIS HUMPHRIES. If you know the BasedGod, you already know what it is. It's time for an episode on Lil B. The king of all memes. The BasedGod. Brandon McCartney. An unstoppably prolific enigma of an MC, Lil B has memed his way into the public spotlight again and again -- whether through his highly effective curses on NBA players, the various public beatings he's taken from fellow rappers, or his provocative album titles like "I'm Gay", Lil B captures the imaginations of the people. Comedian Zach Armentrout, host of The Mendoza Line comedy show, joins us to discuss Green Flame, one of the eighteen mixtapes that Lil B released in 2012. In t

Raised in her sister's shadow and shunned and ridiculed by the public, Ashlee Simpson was put through a lot for a 19 year old. Her public image took a massive hit following a disastrous SNL lip synching gaffe, leading to a number of hit pieces, a high level of media scrutiny, and the merciless booing of her performance at the Orange Bowl. Was she really that bad? Did she deserve to be dragged through the mud? Local comedian and infamous American Idol alum Janet McNamara (seriously, look it up) doesn't think so. This episode finds Heather and Mike butting heads with their guest, who just may be the most devoted living Ashlee Simpson fan. We dive into her 2003 debut Autobiography, in which she tried to set herself apart from her bubble gum sister with transgressive elements including references to pet play, breathy pseudo-Courtney Love moans, and - gasp - electric guitars!?!?!? It's enough to make any pop aficionado's head spin. Make it Stop is proud to be part of the Pantheon Podcast Network! Learn more about

We're the ones listening to bad albums out there. Not you, not you, and not you. This week it's all about a true patriot and visionary, Boston's favorite son, revisionist 9/11 savior and vicious hate crime non-apologist Mark Wahlberg. Specifically, his stint as a New Kids-affiliated shirtless (and sometimes pantsless) white rapper named Marky Mark. Sean Sullivan of the Wahlberg enthusiast podcast Two Boys in a Balcony joins the fray as we listen to not one but two albums by The Funky Bunch. Selecting the most choice cuts, we get into his storytelling skills, his family values, and most importantly, his blinding of a Vietnamese man. Wahlberg, who again, never apologized for blinding a Vietnamese man as a youth, has rightfully disavowed his rap career, despite the fact that it propelled him into fingering Reese Witherspoon on a roller coaster in Fear a mere three years later. Is he correct in his assessment of these albums? Is there any value to be found in them? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe go fuck yourself. Part o

Even though they'd go on to extend their careers another three decades, The Rolling Stones were already Old Bags of Bones when they released Dirty Work in 1986. Mick Jagger was content to sod off and work on his questionable solo project, Charlie Watts was so zonked on heroin the band needed to hire session drummers to finish the record, and the rest of the band was so sick of each other that they all retreated into the world of oversized neon pink blazer afficionada. Comedian and Stones Superfan Jere Pilapil joins us to discuss this opiate hangover set to tape, and we dive into the band's past, present and future to figure out just how severely it tarnished their legacy. What's the worst offense? The vastly inferior cover of R&B legends Bob & Earl's "Harlem Shuffle"? Their labored take on dub reggae? Or Keith Richards' terrifying lullaby? The one thing that's certain is that we can't... and I can't stress this enough... get no satisfaction on this week's Make It Stop. Part of the Pantheon Podcasts Network. L

This week we're joined by Chris the Elder and Chris the Younger from the We'z Talkin' Weez 2 Thee podcast. We tap into their boundless Weezer knowledge to try to make sense of 2009's Raditude. Rife with cringe lyrics, questionable genre bending and incompatible collaborations, Raditude oozes unbearable corniness. We discuss the once mighty rock giants' fall from grace and gradual transformation into a childrens' novelty rock act. We discuss Rivers Cuomo's questionable proclivities. Mike in particular is wildly excited to finally be able to nerd out about Weezer. Our love is a heartbreaker, say it ain't so, Stoppies. Part of the Pantheon Podcasts network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Blow out the candles on all your Frankensteins, because it's Halloween. Time to get spooky you cowards. This time around we've got friend of the pod and recovering goth Brittni in the house to talk Marilyn Manson. We tackle his maligned 2007 release EAT ME, DRINK ME, an album which delves into his ephebophilic on-again-off-again abusive relationship with a barely legal Evan Rachel Wood in disgustingly lurid detail. When he's not caterwauling about their yucky sex stuff he's either doing baby bat madlibs, weirdly flexing about being responsible for a woman driving off of a cliff, or firing off shots at all the haters and imitators. All of this over tepid, boilerplate alt rock compositions care of a wildly overworked Tim Sköld. In all honesty this episode was supposed to be spooky in an ooky kooky kind of way, but it ended up being straight up depressing and truly horrifying. It turns out Manson is a real monster, he doesn't just play one on MTV. Stoppie discretion is advised. Check out all the great music podc

Ignored during their prime and largely forgotten today, mid-aughts scene starlets Millionaires pioneered a brazenly sexual and depraved style of pop music which smashed the glass ceiling of doing songs about snorting coke off hard dicks. Local drag superstar and 'trash pop' superfan Sham Payne joins Mike and Heather to drink a shameful amount of Four Loko while discussing two of Millionaires' EPs and analyzing their impact on music and culture. We also talk a lot (and I mean a LOT) about cum. Were Millionaires vapid and talentless hucksters who skated by on their good looks and perfectly teased coifs, or were they brave and important liberators who pushed boundaries and inspired the next generation of female shock artists like Ke$ha? Surely there is great value to society in lyrics like, "middle finger in the air if your pussy's tight." No, we're serious, there totally is. Part of the Pantheon Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dionysus. The Backdoor Man. Mr. Mojo Risin'. The Lizard King. The Mythical American Poet, Jim Morrison. That's one person you won't be hearing on today's episode of Make It Stop. Comedian Ethan Marsh from Old School Game Show joins the fray this week to discuss The Doors' Full Circle. The album was released less than a year after Jim Morrison's entry into the 27 club, with keyboardist Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robbie Krieger assuming the roles of the dual frontmen, and they wasted no time transforming the band from the dark and moody psych blues outfit everyone knew them as to a cornball schmaltz novelty act. Your intrepid hosts lose their damn minds as they follow the downward spiral that is Full Circle, pulverized into babbling heaps by the confounding tonal shifts and outrageous East-Meets-West racism. As if there was ever any doubt, this episode settles once and for all that the rest of The Doors absolutely loathed Jim Morrison to the core, and Full Circle is a poorly choreographed dance upon his grave.

DISCLAIMER: Tool fans beware. We will be saying very mean things about the band Tool on this episode of Make It Stop! If you do not want to hear people say mean things about Tool, do not click play. To everyone else: It's Tool Time. Time to talk about Tool, one of the most divisive bands in rock music. Known for their odd time signatures, snaking arpeggios and minor key dirges, Tool's unique approach to metal has amassed them equal shares of devoted fanatics and vehement detractors. Mike and Heather's guest for this week, Jenner Barrington-Ward, falls squarely into the latter camp, as do your two intrepid hosts. While the band's latest effort Fear Innoculum was surely tempting, we've decided instead to tackle 10,000 Days, an album which even avowed Tool fans have gone on record as despising. Ostensibly a concept album about singer Maynard James Keenan's mother's long, painful battle with paralysis, 10,000 Days slowly becomes a long, painful battle to stay awake, with its confounding 10 minute long alien acid

On this week's Make It Stop, Ellen Kempner and Larz Brogan of Palehound join us to talk about Québécois Pop Punk Pariahs Simple Plan and their contentious debut album No Pads, No Helmets, Just Balls. We get to talking about the Pop Punk generation gap and the questionable validity of adult men marketing music to pre-teen girls, and we ultimately learn the shocking truth that Palehound may not even exist if not for Avril Lavigne. Through it all we navigate the snotty, whiny posturing of Simple Plan's Pierre Bouvier and get into an intense debate between curmudgeonly punk gatekeepers and earnest lifelong fans, culminating in one of the most shocking album ratings in Make It Stop history. Life is a nightmare indeed. This show is part of Pantheon Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

IGH! It's The Big Day today, Stoppies, the Season 3 Premiere of Make It Stop! And to celebrate our Big Day, we're reviewing... The Big Day! Chance The Rapper's "first album" and massive fall from grace. After dropping his all time classic mixtape Acid Rap and following it up with the massively successful gospel rap fusion of Coloring Book, Chance finally released an official album -- a concept album about loving his wife, loving god, and really really REALLY loving his wife. Devoid of replay value or any remotely appealing elements and clocking in at over 70 minutes, The Big Day is in the running for biggest disappointment in hip-hop history. And is there something dark and sinister beneath the glossy surface? Is there a great pain and resentment lurking between the lines? Chance The Rapper Ex-Superfans Mike and Heather hit the studio by their lonesome to ponder these thoughts, searching for an answer to the grand question of WHY? WHY DID HE DO THIS? WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR CHANCE? It's "great" to be back Stop

We're back, Stoppies! It's time for round 3 of the most vile, self-indulgent, moronic, insipid, and downright delusional musical monstrosities the world has to offer. Summer break's over, and it's time for Heather and Mike to strap back in to eviscerate another batch of bad albums--slaughtering sacred cows like The Doors and Tool and even their own favorites like Chance the Rapper and Radiohead. As always they'll bring you an incredible roster of hilarious guests--from drag queens to stand up comedians to wrestlers and musicians of all stripes.  Find out more about what's in store in this brief teaser episode, and get ready--'cause it's all going down on Season 3 of Make it Stop, dropping September 10th! Now part of the Pantheon Podcast network!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Make It Stop we close out season 2 with a bang, bringing back four beloved guests to take on the newest album by the worst of the worst -- Brokencyde. Brandon Vallee, Angela Sawyer, Emily Ruskowki and Nick Ortolani join Heather and Mike to talk about the scenesters turnt hipsters as they transition from crunkcore, discover weed and Juuls, and continue pretending they know how sex works. All of this in front of a live audience at Somerville's VOX POP studio in Assembly Row. It gets weird and gross as we search for meaning in the wasteland that is Brokencyde's lyrics. We laugh, we cry, and we're gonna miss you all this summer. Godspeed ye Stoppies. Good night and good luck. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Make It Stop we close out season 2 with a bang, bringing back four beloved guests to take on the newest album by the worst of the worst -- Brokencyde. Brandon Vallee, Angela Sawyer, Emily Ruskowki and Nick Ortolani join Heather and Mike to talk about the scenesters turnt hipsters as they transition from crunkcore, discover weed and Juuls, and continue pretending they know how sex works. All of this in front of a live audience at Somerville's VOX POP studio in Assembly Row. It gets weird and gross as we search for meaning in the wasteland that is Brokencyde's lyrics. We laugh, we cry, and we're gonna miss you all this summer. Godspeed ye Stoppies. Good night and good luck. Part 1 of 2.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creed's Human Clay. An album of contradictions. It's the best-selling album we've ever covered yet it's universally reviled. It's chock full of praise songs yet the band claims to not be Christian rock. It's packed with lyrical moralizing yet Scott Stapp is a mess of a human being, the human embodiment of Florida Man. 20 years after Human Clay's release, lapsed Christians Shay "Sherman" and Lucifer Christmas join Heather and Mike to try to make sense of it all. You'll hear all the stories, from T.I.'s lifesaving blunt to Scott Stapp's manic angel-driven road trip. Let us take you higher, stoppies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices