New Jersey Is The World

WARNING: Some listeners may be disturbed by the fact that at no point in this episode do Mike D and Andrea mention diarrhea. This is a diarrhea-free episode. Proceed at your own risk. Longtime subscribers to our Patreon may remember an early episode of South Jersey Is Also the World where Andrea and Gethard went deep into the history of Ong’s Hat, a South Jersey ghost town so tiny it doesn’t even appear on most maps. Its history is a fascinating one, with debatable origins involving bootlegging and hat-based feuds as well as an early Internet legend regarded by many as the genesis of Alternate Reality Games. Since that episode, Ong’s Hat has popped up in a few other places, so we figured it was time for a revisit. While we do discuss the above in some detail, this episode is really about urban legends, how they spread, and why we seem to love them so much more in Jersey. We also discover something about our own history that has the potential to crack this whole Ong’s Hat mystery wide open. We need your help on that one though, so have a listen and let us know what you think! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A recent article revealed the existence of a secret super clean bathroom in the well known NYC nightmare commuter hub, Port Authority. Being that Port Authority is a place MANY North Jersey residents know well and have true hatred/fear for, we figured this was a perfect excuse to look not just at the secret bathroom of Port Authority, but the many secrets it holds, both currently and in its storied history. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kate and Danny Tamberelli are not just a married couple, they're also the co-authors fo the new book Road Trip Rewind, which is great and you should read. The book features characters born in Jersey, much like Danny himself was. Danny was raised in Wyckoff before starring as Little Pete on The Adventures of Pete and Pete, a show Gethard has long argued is actually the most Jersey show of all time. Danny and Kate talk to Chris and Andrea about building creative projects as a married couple, what it's like to star in something so iconic, and most importantly, a secret route from Bergen County to Giants Stadium. Learn more about the new book at https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9781496742865/the-road-trip-rewind/ Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode we give you: some Jersey authors, some Jersey specific writing, some Jersey adjacent books, some historical looks at authors who help set the tone of what Jerseyana is, and a proposed summer comic book book club. ENJOY THE BEACH, YOU CHOOCHES. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Your voicemails. The hosts on our mini-network. Like so many of them. WOTown, Andrea, Fanelli, Fierro, HEBBA. The largest gang of gagootz ever assembled, listening to the batshit messages you all have left us in recent months. What beats that? Nothing beats that. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We break down everything you might need for a New Jersey survival kit if you're not from this place. From items you should own to rules you should know to conversations you should be ready to have - if you want to survive in New Jersey, this episode fills you in on everything you need to know about. Whose idea was this? Hebba's idea. Who is Hebba? We legit don't know. But she is here. And everything has changed. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ostensibly, this episode reviews Fanny's - an Italian restaurant in the blossoming food hub of Bloomfield. But when Don starts speaking to how he orders for groups, we realize this episode is actually a glimpse into the mind of a mad man. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Here is real found audio of what it sounds like when Bonadooch comes by your house to watch a Seton Hall game and you shoot the breeze. We turned mics on and gave you exclusive access to the real life sounds of a good old Bonadooch hang at home. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mike D has recently read up on some of the historical roots of the legends surrounding the New Jersey Devil, the Garden State's most infamous legend. How was Benjamin Franklin involved? Is this all just the hundreds year old result of a smear job campaign directed to one unfortunately targeted family? Were almanacs the fanzines of their day? Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode has some technical disasters. Broken headphones, weird audio, and even right now I'm posting it from the Denver airport where my flight has been delayed over five hours. And that's all fitting because we talk about NJ's greatest disasters throughout this thrilling piece of audio. We are the only podcast on earth that can have a surprisingly touching discussion about the beauty of Morris County land deeds this close in proximity to a bizarre half committed rant about the ghost of William Paterson being summoned by pissing in a bathtub. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New Jersey is a place of chaos. St. Patrick's Day is a holiday of chaos. New Jersey also has a lot of residents of Irish descent. You will not be shocked to hear that it was very easy for us to find many examples where St. Patrick's Day in New Jersey descended into absolute chaos. You will also not be shocked to hear this one talks a lot about Hoboken. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we interview Shawn Hendricks, the owner of New Jersey's longest operating comic book store. Located in Whippany, this store is really special, and Sean has a lot of experience and philosophy into what goes into running a kick ass comic book store. On top of that, how does New Jersey's proximity to New York City give it historical ties to comics fandom? Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Politics in New Jersey is becoming must see. We're currently embroiled in the "Tammy Murphy versus Andy Kim" Senate primary that's getting nastier by the day. Soon we'll have the governor's race, where Steve Fulop, Ras Baraka, and Steve Sweeney have already joined, with more rumored to be eyeing the prize. It's a crazy time. That made me think: how much do WE here at NJITW know about the structure of NJ politics? I decided to put Nick and Mike (and myself) through some basic state focused civics quizzing for fun, to see where we're at knowledge-wise, and to encourage our listeners to go brush up on their related knowledge as well. Little did I know that at some point we would say a name that would set Bonadooch off on the most Bonadooch tirade this show has ever seen. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who is the real Bonadooch? The question we get asked the most here at NJITW - after “Why don’t you talk about Bergen County more?” - is "Who is Bonadooch?" Here’s your answer. An in-depth interview with the one and only Bonadooch where no topic is off the table. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You'd think if you have Joe Steinhardt from Don Giovanni Records and Marissa Paternoster of Noun and Screaming Females, you might talk a lot about their legendary impact on New Brunswick's basement scene. Or at the very least about their great new graphic novel, Merriment. Nope. This is New Jersey is the World, so we're talking about the Northeast Corridor train line! Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week it was announced that the World Cup Finals are coming to New Jersey in a couple years. This is a huge deal. Like, more than many American sports fans might even realize. Mike D and Chris get together to discuss the impact, how it happened, all the ways we hope it goes right, and the many ways we assume it could go wrong. What happens when one of the most corrupt organizations on earth teams up with one of the most corrupt state governments? WE CAN START GUESSING RIGHT NOW. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I didn't set out to create controversy. The idea felt simple. "Hey, we talk about Jersey relentlessly on this show, let's go through the list and see which towns we as a collective have and haven't actually been to." I thought it would be basic: Exhaust ourselves reading the list of New Jersey town names and everyone says yes or no and we probably have some little tangents along the way. What I never saw coming is the war we unintentionally created. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Don Fanelli, the Jersey Dude Who Loves Jersey Food, is back! Not just on the podcast, but Don was also recently back in New Jersey, and he visited the legendary Rutt's Hut to try their duck. We talk about that much buzzed about item, but this leads to a WAY TOO THOROUGH breakdown of the entire Rutt's Hut menu, which honestly keeps going and going in a way that we didn't know and no one is talking about. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's well known that this podcast's participants are big fans of New Jersey. They give it an A+. But that begs the question: what grade do they give each of the other 49 states? Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keith moved to Montclair from Brooklyn six years ago. He considers himself a Montclair guy. He has nothing against New Jersey, but isn't particularly interested in participating in it on a larger level. We ask him the crucial questions about this like: "Do you know this attitude is infuriating to everyone else in the area?" and "Why not drive like twenty minutes to other stuff?" and "What's wrong with you?" and he manages to probably piss off everyone more but also somehow win the conversation. Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.