In an homage to the DIY, lo-fi sound of Guided By Voices, we kick things off right in the middle of our pre-intro chitchat, say our hellos later on, and at 13:07, get to the main course—the indie rock band, GBV (as everyone in the GBV chat calls them).

Along the way, our vocal range is huge, in spite of two out of three of us having lost our voices (ironic?) earlier this winter. We talk about:

The Winter Olympics sports we would compete in if we had the skills and no fear of injury.

Brian tells us where  the U.S. stands internationally in breakdancing.

Patti and Charlotte’s assignment was to listen to the Guided By Voices albums Bee Thousand and Thick, Rich, and Delicious. They go above and beyond to find out all the juicy gossip, including band drama (don’t call it a breakup, call it a personnel change); whether Bob Pollard is a hoarder or just prolific; the enduring allure of the band.

We ask and answer questions about music and existence:
What does it mean “to rock”?
How do you (like, you specifically) listen to live music?

And finally, we talk accessibility and give our ratings for the LOIS (Likelihood of Integration Scale, 1-100).

References:

Bee Thousand: https://guidedbyvoices.bandcamp.com/album/bee-thousand
Thick, Rich, and Delicious: https://guidedbyvoices.bandcamp.com/album/thick-rich-and-delicious

Books:
Closer You Are: The Story of Guided by Voices
Mood Machine: the Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist, by Liz Pelly

Other Links:

https://people.com/who-is-rebeca-andrade-all-about-the-brazilian-gymnast-8686852

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-grand-unified-theory-of-cultural-stagnation/id1594471023?i=1000738432969
The Mountain Goats, The Sunset Tree: https://themountaingoats.bandcamp.com/album/the-sunset-tree-20th-anniversary-remaster
The inspiration for Charlotte’s goal for 2026: https://www.profootballnetwork.com/nba/bulls-matas-buzelis-best-player-ever-quote-28-points-summer-league/

Logo design by Marielle Martin
Song: Upbeat Drums with Stomps and Claps by music_for_video
BlueSky: @canweinterestyouin.bsky.social
Instagram: @canweinterestyouin
Email us your interests! CanWeInterestYouIn@gmail.com
Website: canweinterestyouin.com

Guided by Voices...The Follow Up

In our first episode of 2026, we’re joined by Brian Seemann to talk about Guided By Voices, the indie rock band he discovered as a teenager and has followed for decades.

We start the episode by catching up on how we’re *really* doing and, as it turns out, this involves sports mascots, happy worms, and the world’s little known need for more hype people. Then we talk Friendsgiving, because we recorded this back when all the holidays were still ahead of us.

At the 13:10 mark we get into all things Guided By Voices (and to answer your question, no, it’s not a Christian band). Brian tells us about Robert Pollard, who started the band when he was an elementary school teacher in the 1980s and has kept it going (minus, like, a short breakup) ever since. We also learn about the magic of their live shows, including the scissor kicks. Oh, the scissor kicks.

Brian gives us his origin story--how he discovered the band in the ‘90s, when learning about music was vastly different from how it is now (there were no algorithms in sight). He tells us about connecting with other lovers of Guided By Voices, and the devoted fandom the band has developed over the years.

We talk about music as art versus music as background sound. We talk about the process of creation and what makes a work of art resonate with an audience. Fair warning, we also rag on the band Sublime a lot. Then Brian gives us our homework. Luckily for us, it involves listening to music and no scissor kicks.

References:

https://www.gbvdb.com/home.asp

Logo design by Marielle Martin

Song: Upbeat Drums with Stomps and Claps by music_for_video

BlueSky: @canweinterestyouin.bsky.social

Instagram: @canweinterestyouin

Email us your interests! CanWeInterestYouIn@gmail.com

Website: canweinterestyouin.com

27- Can Brian Interest You In...Guided By Voices?

It's the end of 2025! Charlotte and Patti recap the past year of the podcast (a retrospective, if you will). We talk about what we learned about ourselves one year into starting a podcast as friends and podcasting amateurs.

We each give our top picks for the following categories:

Most memorable episode
Most surprising episode
Interest that challenged us the most
Interest we adopted into our own lives
Episode we’ve gotten the most feedback on

Along the way, we discuss podcast therapy, Woke Santa, how this podcast is changing lives (mostly ours). What are we looking forward to for 2026? What big plans do we have for the podcast?
Plus, Charlotte updates us on the Turkey Trek and eggnog chugging, and Patti updates us on her children’s volleyball coaching career.

We'd love to hear your answers to the above questions and whether you've started any of these interests. We want to hear about it!

Logo design by Marielle Martin
Song Upbeat Drums with Stomps and Claps by music_for_video
BlueSky @canweinterestyouin.bsky.social
Instagram: @canweinterestyouin
Email us your interests! CanWeInterestYouIn@gmail.com
Website: canweinterestyouin.com

26- Can We Interest You In...A 2025 Recap?

Javier Delgado joins us for the follow-up to our episode on celebrity gossip. We do a check-in, on how we’re *really* feeling. Then (at the 6:23 mark), we talk about our homework, which was to look at a ton of celebrity gossip (of course), and imagine how a publicist would spin it a few decades ago. We go waaay beyond the scope of the homework and cover a wide range of celebrity gossip-related topics, and celebrities (including Ariana Grande, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Tom Sandoval, Lisa Barlow, Grocery Store Joe, and more!).

We talk about gossip in the age of social media, and how it’s changed what it means to be a celebrity today, as well as the role of the paparazzi. We discuss the most interesting gossip headlines we’ve seen recently, including where politics and celebrity gossip collide—the Epstein emails. This leads to a discussion on sexual abuse scandals, and how exposure of these issues (in the form of gossip, for example) can positively impact other survivors.  

We revisit the Blake Lively/Justin Baldoni situation and Javier gives us the updates, including the recently released video clips. If you love The Real Housewives, we’ve got lots of talk about the best Housewives and all their drama. We discuss reality tv’s renaissance, including the evolution of The Bachelor franchise. Javier and Patti introduce Charlotte to the tv show, The Traitors, on Peacock. Then we talk about a bunch of the Bravo shows, and make plans to go to BravoCon, in Las Vegas.

Accessibility of celebrity gossip is up next, and we bring back the LOIS - Level of Integration Score (1-100). And finally, we learn which celebrity is rocking out to Hilary Duff’s new song in prison.

Logo design: Marielle Martin
Song: Upbeat Drums with Stomps and Claps by music_for_video BlueSky: ⁠@canweinterestyouin.bsky.social⁠
Instagram: ⁠@canweinterestyouin⁠
Email us your interests! CanWeInterestYouIn@gmail.com
Website: CanWeInterestYouIn.com

25- Celebrity Gossip...The Follow Up

In this episode, we get the inside scoop on celebrity gossip from Javier Delgado, former social media content creator to the stars, as well as longtime celebrity gossip connoisseur. He tells us about his love of entertainment news, and how it’s evolved over the years.

We start the episode with some catchup, including learning how Javier and Patti know each other, and about the film Patti and friends made about Javier (which should definitely have a cult following). We learn about what working in the entertainment industry has to do with social work (more than you think!).

Then we get into celebrity gossip through the decades:
The ’90s - Golden Age of Who Wore It Best? People and US Weekly. Publicists spinning, always.
The 2000s - The dawn of blogs, websites, and scrutinizing celebrities. (Bonus: Which tiny celebrity did Charlotte dress as for Halloween?)
The 2010s and beyond - How social media has changed celebrity gossip. Even the word celebrity started to take on a new meaning with the age of reality stars.

Then Javier tells us what it’s like to post on Instagram for celebrity accounts. We talk ALL ABOUT the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni drama: the accusations, the feuds, and the receipts!

And we get some very fun homework!

Logo design by Marielle Martin
Song Upbeat Drums with Stomps and Claps by music_for_video
BlueSky @canweinterestyouin.bsky.social
Instagram: @canweinterestyouin
Email us your interests! CanWeInterestYouIn@gmail.com
Website: canweinterestyouin.com [http://canweinterestyouin.com/]

24- Can Javier Interest You In...Celebrity Gossip?

We start the episode with Charlotte and Patti's first catchup in a while. Patti tells us about the new role she accidentally volunteered for. Charlotte tells us the lengths she’ll go for free eggnog.
Our follow-up to the grassroots marketing episode begins at 14:30.
We talk about our interview with Alaina Shearer, podcast host, brand strategist, founder of the agency, Good Now, and former Congressional candidate (and that’s not even close to her whole bio!) and what we learned from talking with her.
Then, our homework:
Watch a vision boarding TED talk - we chose Draw Your Future, Patti Dobrowolski - and create a vision/symbol of what we stand for.
We record our process of drawing Can We Interest You In...?'s present state and our desired future state for the podcast. To see what we’ve drawn, check out our posts on Instagram and Blue Sky.

We cover a lot of ground, including:
The gamification of hobbies
Pure enthusiasm! as a vision for the podcast, rather than growth for growth’s sake
Saving democracy
Some solid options for a new name for Instagram
Safety pins versus paper clips as political symbols and/or merch
Should our new mascot be a cooler version of Clippy, ye olde Microsoft “helper”?
Our internal reactions to the visioning process

Did you try drawing your vision too? Let us know how it turned out!

Links from the episode:
Draw Your Future, Patti Dobrowolski, TEDxRainier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zESeeaFDVSw
YouTube birding documentary; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl-wAqplQAo
The Atlantic article on the birding documentary, Listers: https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/2025/10/listers-documentary-ebird-hobbies/684620/?gift=pLCL5Im1s3meqYpH0lMpRqeFE5rqMjvIOScqwB7U2Wg&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share
The poem, “Lost,” by David Wagoner - https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/browse?volume=118&issue=4&page=35
For more info on Jim Hamilton’s “Falling” comic book: https://www.instagram.com/p/DHZVx7tvkXR/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Logo design: Marielle Martin
Song: Upbeat Drums with Stomps and Claps by music_for_video
Bluesky: @CanWeInterestYouIn.bsky.social
Email us your interests! CanWeInterestYouIn@gmail.com
Website: CanWeInterestYouIn.com

23- Grassroots Marketing... The Follow Up

Brand strategist, podcast host, and former Congressional candidate, Alaina Shearer joins us to talk about her interests - grassroots marketing/branding and messaging with a purpose. She tells us about her passion for helping small and medium sized businesses grow, with the goal of freeing people from their corporate jobs.

She teaches us about DIY branding (which you can do even as an individual to figure out your personal brand), including how to create organic content and choosing a platform. We learn about her early claim to fame, the Miss Single Mama Blog (RIP).

We talk about Alaina’s podcast, ⁠Citizen Rebel,⁠ [https://citizenrebel.transistor.fm/episodes] which focuses on how and why we should speak up as business owners or executives, and how to signal that you or your business is a safe space. How and why should we be making everything political? (Including Murder She Wrote!)

We also cover:

What could big brands be taking a stand on that could make a difference?

What brands does Alaina think are taking a stand and telling their story really well?

What are the benefits of speaking out authentically, and the perils of staying quiet?

Can we make weaponizing privilege for democracy (rather than personal gain) a thing?

And of course, our homework!

Citizen Rebel Podcast: ⁠https://citizenrebel.transistor.fm/episodes⁠ [https://citizenrebel.transistor.fm/episodes]

Find Your Voice 6-Week Group Cohort:⁠https://www.goodisnow.com/classes⁠ [https://www.goodisnow.com/classes]

No Kings Protest Info:⁠https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/⁠ [https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/]

Logo design: Marielle MartinSong: Upbeat Drums with Stomps and Claps by music_for_videoBlueSky: @canweinterestyouin.bsky.socialEmail us your interests! CanWeInterestYouIn@gmail.comWebsite: CanWeInterestYouIn.com

22- Can Alaina Interest You In...Grassroots Marketing?

Our follow up to the Murder She Wrote episode begins with a mystery in the library that we can’t solve, but Jessica Fletcher surely could. Molly Cohn joins us again to debrief about our homework—Patti made herself a MSW bingo board, and Charlotte and Molly played the MSW drinking game. 

We run the gamut of topics in this episode, from Jessica’s sweaters and Angela Lansbury’s delicious pettiness, to existential themes and the way JB Fletcher invites people to join her in the present moment, counteracting the oft weaponized tool of nostalgia. 

We talk about the possibility of a MSW reboot (Hollywood, we’ve got suggestions), and who could possibly fill Angela Lansbury’s shoes. We hear about the creepiest VRBO Charlotte’s ever been to. Then we talk accessibility and what’s it’s like to look back on the show now, in 2025.

There are spoilers for the following episodes of Murder She Wrote:
Death Stalks the Big Top
Snow White, Blood Red
Murder Among Friends
Magnum on Ice

Logo design: Marielle Martin
Song: Upbeat Drums with Stomps and Claps by music_for_video BlueSky: ⁠@canweinterestyouin.bsky.social⁠
Instagram: ⁠@canweinterestyouin⁠
Email us your interests! CanWeInterestYouIn@gmail.com
Website: CanWeInterestYouIn.com

21- Murder She Wrote...The Follow Up

September’s here, which means it’s time to get cozy! Break out your classiest brooch and join us as Molly Cohn interests us in the ‘80s/‘90s tv show, Murder She Wrote. We talk about the enduring appeal of the show that put cozy murder on the map, and, of course, its writer/detective heroine, Jessica Fletcher, aka JB Fletcher, aka Angela Lansbury, aka BABE.

We learn about:
The high fashion and campiness of MSW.
JB’s embrace of technology (more than just typewriters!).
Angela Lansbury as backdoor humanitarian. Her storied film career. Her diet book. Her photo shoot in a tub. What? Yes, you read that right.
JB Fletcher’s one million nieces and nephews.
All the silly men she encounters.
MSW bingo parties.
Comfort, grandmas, Space Dad.
That there exists an action doll of JB Fletcher and it is en route to Molly’s house.
How Jessica lives in her values, maintains boundaries, and speaks the truth, all while circumnavigating gender roles.
Why she should be taller than all men!
The murder rate of Cabot Cove, Maine, and why Jessica is always putting herself in danger.
And finally, the excellent homework: The Murder She Wrote Drinking Game! (copyright Molly Cohn)

Angela in Virtual Reality:
https://share.google/images/K8mjFoK4BfsOLJAm1

Diet/exercise video of Angela:
https://youtu.be/lE7icznIxLc?si=tXtQjFU5ZPy6etVL

Logo design: Marielle Martin
Song: Upbeat Drums with Stomps and Claps by music_for_video BlueSky: ⁠@canweinterestyouin.bsky.social⁠
Instagram: ⁠@canweinterestyouin⁠
Email us your interests! CanWeInterestYouIn@gmail.com
Website: CanWeInterestYouIn.com

20- Can Molly Interest You In...Murder She Wrote?

We’re back, wearing new and still fabulous protest shirts, to talk about our protest homework. We talk about the various ways we’ve been protesting and what we’ve seen other people doing.

Patti has been photographing the forms of protest she sees out and about in St. Louis. She’s also signed up with her local Indivisible group and helping out another local org that supports immigrants.

We talk about the scary changes we’re seeing in the United States, and what can be done to address these changes. Such as...nokings.org [https://www.nokings.org/]

Charlotte has been watching an Indivisible series of trainings on nonviolent resistance. She also read Fahrenheit 451 for the first time (how did she make it this far without reading it? Who knows, she might have only pretended to read it when it was assigned in school). She talks about DOGE being the cause of the end of her creative writing summer camp, and how this will fuel her rage for decades to come.

Margot also took it upon herself to do some homework—to bring the hope instead of the boom. Will she be successful? You tell us, after you listen to our newest episode!

Logo design: Marielle Martin
Song: Upbeat Drums with Stomps and Claps by music_for_video
BlueSky: @canweinterestyouin.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/canweinterestyouin.bsky.social]
Email us your interests! CanWeInterestYouIn@gmail.com
Website: CanWeInterestYouIn.com

19- Protest...The Follow Up

A podcast where friends Charlotte and Patti invite people to share all about their weird and wild obsessions, or perfectly normal hobbies that have been taken just a little too far. 

We want to dabble in your curious interests!

Plus, a 2025 bonus—we hear indulging your interests is good for democracy!

This is why we should engage in activities that are of interest to us, our friends, our families. Insofar as we take pride in these activities, and come to know others who do so as well, we are creating civil society. – Vaclav Havel, “The Power of the Powerless”

CanWeInterestYouIn...?

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