Weird Kids(2025–)

Welcome to Weird Kids

Welcome to the world of Weird Kids! Join Ashley Johnson and Taliesin Jaffe as they discuss growing up as child actors in Hollywood, and how they learned to re-discover a passion for storytelling as adults. They'll also take a walk down memory lane and show you all some of the comical commercials they starred in as children!

Toys and Tiny Things

From Care Bears to Polly Pocket; Ashley Johnson and Taliesin Jaffe talk toys that hit every Millennial’s nostalgia nerve. Of course this is through the lens of Hollywood Christmas parties where one could win entire toy runs in carnival games or get gifted all of the sci-fi Japanese toys bought for your character's space station bedroom.

Don’t Let Me Die in the Valley

Ashley Johnson and Taliesin Jaffe entone about embalming, epitaphs, and unearthly things in this episode about death. To lighten the mood, they “touch grass"" by taking a field trip to “Vulture Culture Oddities,” a macabre shop in Burbank for taxidermy and other memento mori owned by a friend of Taliesin.

Blankets, Pillows, & Ouija

Come get cozy with Taliesin Jaffe and Ashley Johnson as they discuss everything from comfy socks to not sleeping because of persistent thoughts. Of course a sleepover show wouldn’t be complete without reading fortunes on Taliesin’s over-the-top “Ouija like” Ka Bala séance game.

Snake, Rattle, & Roll

It’s a timewarp of an episode here at Weird Kids as Ashley Johnson and Taliesin Jaffe catch up after the holidays. These proud maximalists celebrate their love of meaningful possessions as Taliesin discusses his treasured great-grandmother's portrait (that was once fished out of the Thames river) and Ashley has a ""share and tell"" featuring her swag bag from the grand opening of Disneyland's Indiana Jones ride.

Saturdays, Mornings, & Cartoons

Taliesin Jaffe and Ashley Johnson stay in their PJs and return to simpler times with this ode to Saturday morning cartoons. Name drops abound when these shows aren't just what you woke up to, but where you worked.

Punk is a Four Letter Word

Taliesin Jaffe takes a look back with Ashley Johnson to reminisce about the Punk and Goth scenes of Los Angeles in the 80’s and 90’s. From dead clowns on display and shoelace codes to noise rooms and stompy boot music, join the Weird Kids as they dive into the lost privacy of counterculture youthhood.

Trains, Trains, & Automo-Trains

Ashley Johnson and Taliesin Jaffe love trains! They love miniature toy train sets that turn an entire room into a model town. They love large rideable trains, like the ones at the “Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum” that they frequent. They love full-size trains and the trips they’ve taken in them in Scotland and Machu Picchu.

Found Things & Strings

Ashley Johnson and Taliesin Jaffe share old mementos and show new toys. Taliesin brings to the table the string toys he played with back before the dawn of time; while Ashley reminisces about her filming history at Pinewood Studios.

World Wide Weird

Ashley Johnson and Taliesin Jaffe remember the world before the world wide web and then login to the early days of the future. Taliesin, our resident ancient one, of course was an early adopter; using Bulletin Board Systems and Newsgroups to find raves. Ashley, on the other hand, discovered the internet through AOL CDs and proceeded to do what we all did: catfish via chatroom.

Mega Weird Kids Challenge

Ashley Johnson and Taliesin Jaffe are all over the place, both literally and figuratively, talking about their recent trips and expounding on a litany of topics. Taliesin reminisces on lost friends, death museums and his hometown: Disneyland. Ashley shows a tape from her childhood where she competed on the game show “Star Kid Challenge” at Universal Studios.

Musings on Amusing Museums

Ashley Johnson and Taliesin Jaffe are off to take a field trip to The Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City, California. In alignment with our Weird Kids modus operandi, this collection is one part “museum”, two parts “banal whimsy”, and three parts “no cameras allowed”; a gallery that you have to see for yourself. This perfect place to inspire conversations about art and creativity is everything our hosts need to reminisce about all of their wonderfully weird histories.

Comics, Candy, & Cuisine

Inspiration comes in many shapes and forms—including Avocado Ice Cream! Ashley Johnson and Taliesin Jaffe take a culinary-inspired stroll down memory lane, from the parking lot where Ashley learned to drive to Taliesin's favorite themed electronics store to the diner where all the child actors loved to flock back in the '90s. Share & Tell features a magnifying screen showcasing Dave Heatwave and a comic book with cover art inspired by Matthew Mercer. Then they dive into a taste test of candies from around the world.

Clickbait

SCANDAL ROCKS BEACON AS FORMER CHILD STARS SHARE SHOCKING TELL-ALL! TASH CHAT DUBBED MUST CATCH! Ripped from the Headlines! Too scandalous for words! EXCLUSIVE: Former BFFs-turned-BITTER RIVALS Ashley Johnson and Taliesin Jaffe are BACK with another explosive episode of WEIRD KIDS! Your favorite ""will they/won't they"" co-hosts turned frenemies get real with each other and with audiences around the world. Taliesin's SECRET CRIMINAL PAST as an underground bootlegger EXPOSED! Ashley's DEVASTATING tabloid trauma from the 90's leaves audiences STUNNED! The Copywriter who wrote this CONFESSES to resorting to cheap sensationalism and lazy TITILLATION! What other salacious details await? Will tears be shed? Will hearts be broken? Will rage-bating and click-farming finally gain acceptance as a totally legit style of show description? TUNE IN if you DARE to witness these global influencers dish out their deepest, darkest secrets.

Our Chemical Romance

Ashley Johnson and Taliesin Jaffe discuss depression, mental illness, and therapy in this heavier episode. They note that: “Even in the best of times, we are all a little bit broken” and talk about that's ok and tools they use to help.

Weird In Japan

Our wandering Weird Kid is back! Taliesin Jaffe returns from his epic 10-day Japan adventure through Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka and Ashley Johnson (who's been there too!) wants to hear ALL about it! Get ready for stories about his favorite Japanese moments, the souvenirs he couldn't resist, and of course - all the amazing food & drink that made the trip unforgettable

In Front of a Live Studio Audience

From Growing Pains to She's the Sheriff, Ashley Johnson and Taliesin Jaffe are here to fill you in on what it was really like to be a child actor in a sitcom! From P.E. classes with the boys of Home Improvement to sneaking into Universal Studios during lunch to LITERAL KIDNAPPING…they're ready to share all the juicy details - with a few commercial breaks of course.

The Weird Kids Down Under

G’day mates! Ashley Johnson and Taliesin Jaffe return from their travels to Australia! From the vegemite covered food, to the magic shops, to opal museums, to cute & deadly animals, we have the photos and stories to PROVE IT. …Like seriously, there might be TOO many cute animals in this installment. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Make It Fashion

Strike a pose, dahlings. Your fave fashion friends, Taliesin Jaffe and Ashley Johnson, talk all things stylin’ in this episode of Weird Kids. From the designers and media that inspire them, to breaking down fashion trends, your local iconoclasts dish out the goods on why to look your best. So put on your best smize and sashay away beautifuls!

Hollyweird

Ashley Johnson and Taliesin Jaffe are here to talk about their time on the big screen! From tricking little Ashley into thinking she'd never see Jean-Claude Van Damme again to Roy Scheider accidentally almost drowning little Taliesin in ocean riptides, they've got some pretty wild stories to share! Just don't ask them to do a press junket about it... apparently those are kind of a drag.

Tinkerin’ with Toys

Let's tinker with toys and chat! Ashley Johnson and Taliesin Jaffe attempt to master Taliesin's latest science toy, the Makey Makey, as they ramble about life, artwork, their favorite toys, and the best places to find weird cool stuff!.

Mega Mail Bag

It’s pen pal time with Ashley Johnson, Taliesin Jaffe, and you! Our Weird Kids dig into the Mail Bag to answer YOUR weird questions about everything from strange recurring dreams to personal mottos to even imaginary friends! And if that’s not enough, they also put their building skills to the test with a surprise made out of LEGO-like LUMIBRICKS (formerly known as FUNWHOLE).

A Riegel Affair

Emmy Award-winning (™) actor Sam Riegel joins Ashley Johnson and Taliesin Jaffe to share his unique upbringing as a fellow Weird Kid! With a national tour of Les Misérables, high paying Pizza Hut commercials, and a ride or die college a cappella group, Sam's childhood was anything but ordinary!

Back to School

Ashley Johnson and Taliesin Jaffe return "to school" and discuss their break from Weirdsville. They talk about their favorite school traditions, including the ones they missed out on as working actors, and their ""Weird Kids vacation"" adventures: His bizarre trip to East Jesus and her glorious staycation.

Sister, Sister

What could be better than one Johnson on Weird Kids? Well, TWO! Ashley Johnson is joined by her big sister, Haylie Johnson, and Taliesin Jaffe gets to referee. The Johnson sibs talk about how they got their start acting on shows like Kids Incorporated, Growing Pains, and Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman, and reveal some studio lot shenanigans and secrets.

Fast Food Nation

Welcome to Weird Kids, can we take your order? Join Ashley Johnson and Taliesin Jaffe as they deep dive into all things fast, all things food, and all things fun! From how fast food has impacted pop culture, to their mutual love of greasy burgers, to the ultimate fast food french fry challenge, this episode leaves no fry unturned!

Mail Time!

The Mail Monkey swings by Ashley Johnson and Taliesin Jaffe's window and drops off a batch of questions in this episode of Weird Kids. Each letter is a real write in from you, to our Mail Bag, we just capture the whimsical replies from your favorite Weird Kids

Why Does Space Smell Like That?

Space: the weirdest frontier: These are the musings of Taliesin Jaffe and Ashley Johnson, spaciest podcasters to explore... wherever you have headphones. From the breathtaking photos of the Artemis II mission, to the sartorial splendor of Flash Gordon. And of course, to boldly go where no Weird Kid has gone before!

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