Play It By Ear

About Play It By Ear

Play It By Ear offers engaging discussions blending pop culture, personal stories, and social commentary. Three long-time friends share unrehearsed conversations inspired by life experiences from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, weaving in 80s and 90s nostalgia. Tune in for fresh perspectives on cultural moments and everyday life. Visit www.playitbyearpodcast.com to learn more and support the show.

Publisher

Play It By Ear Podcast

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

10 Mar 2020

Latest episode

31 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

210 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   31 Aug 2026

   Episode 205: The discontinued cereal showdown and Joke's on Who game

   In Episode 205 of the *Play It By Ear* podcast, hosts Aric Fiscus, Brady Liming, and Todd Griffin dive into a nostalgic exploration of discontinued breakfast cereals spanning the 1970s through the 2010s. The hosts debate cereal backstories, mascots, strange flavor combinations, and Pop-Tart preparation habits before welcoming live viewers to play the trivia deduction game **"Joke's on Who?"**.--- **Episode Timestamps & Highlights*** **00:00 – Podcast Intro & Technical Banter**The hosts kick off Episode 205, discussing stream setup issues, lighting problems, channel analytics, and a debate over "red jaundice".* **05:15 – Discontinued Cereals of the 1970s & 1980s**Todd leads a deep dive into retro cereal favorites and bizarre mascots:* **Crazy Cow:** Strawberry and chocolate drink-powder cereal featuring a bull mascot and its appearance in a music video.* **Buck Wheats:** Maple-glazed flakes that lost popularity after switching to honey.* **Baron von Redberry & Sir Grapefellow:** 1970s rival cereals with fruit flavors and star-shaped marshmallow bits.* **Wafflos & Magic Puffs:** Cowboy mascots, waffle flavors, and magic trick box prizes.* **Vanilly Crunch & Freakies:** Cap'n Crunch spin-offs, nautical backstories, and Ralston's iconic monster mascots.* **Ice Cream Cones:** 1986 ice cream-themed cereal hosted by "Ice Cream Jones".* **21:00 – Tangents: Sixlets, Pop-Tart Debates & Snack Lore**The crew discusses vintage candies, M&M store flavors, dollar store exclusives, air-frying Pop-Tarts, and the best ways to eat frosted pastries.* **29:10 – Discontinued Cereals of the 1990s**Exploring 90s breakfast culture:* **Rice Krispies Treats Cereal:** Marshmallow-clustered cereal and its long run.* **Hidden Treasures & Sprinkle Spangles:** Filled cereal pockets and Dom DeLuise-voiced genie mascots.* **Cinna Crunch Pebbles & Pop-Tart Crunch:** Bedrock backstories and early pastry-cereal crossovers.* **Nabisco Team Flakes:** The infamous four-grain cereal and vintage promo boxes.* **45:30 – Discontinued Cereals of the 2000s & 2010s*** **Cap'n Crunch Oops! Choco Donuts:** Sailing down the "chocolate rapids".* **Banana Nut Cheerios & Frosted Mini Chex:** Fruit spin-offs and bite-sized grain variants.* **S'mores, Cupcake Pebbles & Alphabits:** Dessert-for-breakfast fads and urban legends behind discontinued classics.* **58:45 – Live Trivia Game: "Joke's on Who?"**The hosts and chat audience compete in a 5-clue guessing game across three categories:* **Character Clues:** Cinderella, Snow White, The Grinch.* **Past People:** Grace Kelly, Thomas Jefferson.* **Present-ish Figures:** Doja Cat, Snooki.* **01:28:00 – Wrap-Up & Milestone Celebration**Final score review, reaching the 1,000-subscriber milestone, and closing remarks.--- **SEO Keywords:** Play It By Ear Podcast, Discontinued Cereals, 70s 80s 90s Cereals, Crazy Cow Cereal, Rice Krispies Treats Cereal, Joke's on Who Trivia, Pop-Tart Flavors, Retro Breakfast Nostalgia.#earbudsunite!

2. 

   4 Aug 2026

   Episode 204: Foods With Different Names in the U.S. and the U.K. and a Joke’s on Who Guessing Game

   Ever wondered why Brits call it courgette while Americans say zucchini—and who can you identify from a terrible joke? This episode is a fast, funny dive into US vs UK food names plus a round of our “Joke’s on Who” guessing game. After a (very) long break, we’re back with some audio hiccups, nostalgic cereal trivia, a surprising Coconut Coke chat, and a wildly relatable rant about modern-day mini purgatories—then we wrap with rapid-fire rounds guessing famous names from clues and punchlines. In this episode: US vs UK food vocabulary: arugula/rocket, eggplant/aubergine, zucchini/courgette, shrimp/prawns, and more. Confusing classics: pudding, sweets, baked potato, fish sticks, English muffins, fava beans, Coconut Coke + cereal mascots and nostalgic trivia "Soul-crushing modern purgatories”: the DMV, car sales, traffic, self-checkout, and flying "Joke's on Who” guessing game: JFK, Elmo, Paul McCartney, Amy Winehouse, Houdini Follow/subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and if you laughed even once, leave a quick review to help more listeners find the show. #earbudsunite! Highlights: 0:17-1:03 46 sec 1. Podcast welcome and initial audio issues. To introduce the podcast and address early technical difficulties. 1:03-2:17 1 min 14 sec 2. Returning after four months, greeting listeners, silly phrases. To acknowledge the long break and engage with the live audience. 2:17-8:13 5 min 56 sec 3. Coconut Coke, cereal mascots, and related trivia. To discuss a new drink and delve into nostalgic cereal character details. 14:27-50:303 6 min 3 sec 5. US vs UK food names: flour, arugula, baked potato, sweets, pudding. To compare and contrast different food terminology between the US and UK. 50:30-72:27 21 min 57 sec 6. US vs UK food names: eggplant, English muffins, fava beans, fish sticks, shrimp, zucchini. To continue the comparison of food names, highlighting more differences. 72:27-75:1 12 min 44 sec 7. Recap of food name differences and audience engagement reminder. To summarize the previous segment and encourage listener interaction. 75:11-117:37 42 min 26 sec 8. Soul-crushing modern purgatories: DMV, car sales, traffic, self-checkout, flying. To share relatable experiences of frustrating modern-day situations.1 17:37-127:36 9 min 59 sec 9. Game: Jokes on Who - guessing JFK. To play an interactive guessing game with the hosts and audience. 127:36-139:50 12 min 14 sec 10. Game: Jokes on Who - guessing Elmo, To continue the guessing game with a character. 139:50-155:22 15 min 32 sec 11. Game: Jokes on Who - guessing Paul McCartney. To play another round of the guessing game with a present-ish person. 155:22-172:11 16 min 49 sec 12. Game: Jokes on Who - guessing Amy Winehouse and Houdini. To conclude the guessing game with two more rounds. 172:11-174:422 min 31 sec 13. Game wrap-up, next episode, and podcast outro. To conclude the episode and provide information about future broadcasts.

3. 

   31 Jul 2026

   Episode 203: Vegetable Bracket Madness Plus Fight or Flight Scenarios You’ve Lived

   An unexpected day off turns into an unexpectedly thoughtful (and hilarious) episode. In Episode 203 of Play It by Ear, the hosts kick things off with a warm welcome and a quick catch-up—then dive into the “serious part,” unpacking how easy it is to judge people without knowing what they’re dealing with. Just when it gets a little too real, they flip the switch into pure fun, complete with a cheeky Taylor Swift moment and a reminder to follow along on social. A surprise day off and where the conversation goes from there. Why judging others’ circumstances is almost always missing key context. The intentional tone shift from deep to delightfully unserious. A playful Taylor Swift mention you’ll hear coming (and still laugh at). Social media plugs, banter, and classic Play It by Ear energy. If you’re into laughs with a side of perspective—and you care about podcast growth and podcast growth SEO—hit follow on Spotify or Apple Podcasts and leave a quick review to help more listeners find the show. Highlights: 0:18-1:08 50 sec 1. Podcast Welcome and Host GreetingsThe hosts welcome listeners and introduce themselves, setting a casual tone. 1:08-3:37 2 min 29 sec 2. Initial Snow Day Discussion & Decision-MakingThe hosts discuss snow conditions and the difficulty of school cancellation decisions. 3:37-7:37 4 min 3. Public Complaints on School Cancellations. The conversation shifts to public reactions and the complexities behind school closure decisions. 7:37-11:07 3 min 30 sec 4. Multifaceted School Cancellation Issues. They explore broader impacts of school closures, including student meals and teacher reporting. 11:07-15:364 min 29 sec 5. Transition to Lighter Chat & Podcast Promotion. The discussion lightens, welcoming guests and promoting podcast platforms. 15:36-27:20 11 min 44 sec 6. Vegetable Bracket: Beets vs. Pumpkin. The first vegetable bracket matchup is introduced, debating preferences and appearance. 27:20-39:03 11 min 43 sec 7. Vegetable Bracket: Green Beans vs. Cherry Tomatoes. The second matchup sparks discussion on bean types, tomato classification, and cooking. 39:03-50:56 11 min 53 sec 8. Vegetable Bracket: Sugar Snap Peas vs. Kohlrabi. The hosts delve into pea varieties and the unfamiliar kohlrabi's appearance and taste.50:56-61:4210 min 46 sec9. Vegetable Bracket: Sweet Peppers vs. Hyacinth Beans. This matchup introduces toxic beans and leads to a discussion on sweet peppers and pickles.61:42-70:228 min 40 sec10. Vegetable Bracket: Purple Potato vs. Carrot. The discussion explores unusual potato colors and preferences for cooked versus raw carrots. 70:22-82:03 11 min 41 sec 11. Vegetable Bracket: Broccolini vs. Sweet Potato. The hosts debate broccolini's structure and various sweet potato dishes and preparations. 82:03-96:41 14 min 38 sec 12. Vegetable Bracket: Lettuce vs. Cucumbers & Pickles. This segment covers lettuce as a utility vegetable, cucumber burps, and a detailed discussion on pickles. 96:41-106:53 10 min 12 sec 13. Vegetable Bracket: Hot Peppers vs. Swiss Chard & Summary. The final vegetable matchup is debated, followed by a summary of the bracket winners. 106:53-134:00 27 min 7 sec14. Fight or Flight" Game: Scenarios 1-5: The new game is introduced, covering scenarios like line cutting, spoilers, backhanded compliments, loud phone calls, and gym grunting. 134:00-152:35 18 min 35 sec 15. "Fight or Flight" Game: Scenarios 6-7 & Outro: The final scenarios on double-dipping and grocery line etiquette are discussed, concluding with podcast wrap-up.#earbudsunite!

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.7 / 5

14 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 49 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

64

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

82