My problem with THIS IS 40 was more about its depiction of economic hardship as a former A&R guy and micro label head and his boutique-owning wife having to "downsize" from what appears to be a $5 million house in the Palisades, but getting to keep the $80K cars.

The ultimate judgment on this album is probably that "alternative gold" stations don't  play its singles even occasionally … only the "Sixteen Stone" singles.  You're probably more likely to hear "The Chemicals Between Us" than anything off "Razorblade Suitcase."

I frequently find myself longing for the refined atmosphere of the BKTeeVee era.  For a brief period, a man could go to Burger King and receive table service between the hours of 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Todd, there was a recent-ish show that had a similar format, a Showtime original series (back when that wasn't exactly a mark of quality) called "Going to California" which had one season in around 2001. I don't remember much about it, but it's one of the first shows that Josh Applebaum and Andre Nemec wrote on.

The Jon Voight reaction shot at the end was tremendous.  If The Soup was around then, it would have been one of their go-to references for years.

New features coming soon to the AV Club: My Year of Sincere, Earnest Appreciation for Unfairly Ignored Cultural Ephemera and Heartfelt, Soul-Bearing Showbiz Book Club?

There's an intensely earnest fireside zither performance in JP4, too, so it makes sense.

So this guy has made it through the better part of a decade supporting a family and living fairly comfortably, all by writing stuff nobody gives a crap about.  Sounds like he's got things figured out.

Can never be as bad as the Boomers because it isn't accompanied by "we changed the world" BS self-aggrandizement.

It's going to be a sad day when Dave stops giving his customary "we'll see you next time" valediction at the end of shows.  I thought it might happen when I saw them in '09.

Best live singer I've ever heard is Alison Krauss.

@avclub-eac75edc18b8546c46893fe4b75ab995:disqus "Stern, he's just a shadow of his former self.  By this time he should have followed the path of Dick Clark and gotten more into the production end."  Come on, be patient. Just wait a few more decades and I'm sure we'll get the PORKY'S remake he's producing, along with…

Which AV Club staffer is hosting the Talking Bestcasts wrap-up show so I can know what to think about this installment of this feature?

You mean you weren't excited by the latest Joan Rivers appearance? Or Kevin Bacon making another appearance, and Howard asking him again about people thinking he'll bust out Footloose dances at weddings and whether Bernie Madoff took all his money … even though he covered that exact same ground the last time Bacon…

I've enjoyed Carolla in certain formats over the years, and think he can be very clever on the right topics.  But even though I only listen to him from time to time these days, even in that small amount he seems to bulldoze almost every conversation into one of his hobbyhorses.  And when at least half of those can be…

"a knack for revealing interviews."

Any early predictions about what wistful memories of puppet-focused programming from Todd VDW's childhood will supply the reference point for the first four paragraphs of his review of this episode?

These guys have been dead to me since their Coachella 2004 set consisted of about five songs, one of which was a unethusiastic crowd singalong of "Happy Birthday" for Beck's kid.

London is a victim.

I thought it was OK … certainly better than any similar Kate Hudson vehicle.  Ford was definitely sleepwalking through it like pretty much everything else he's done since AIR FORCE ONE, though.