Make Me A Nerd with Mandy Kaplan

Mandy embarks on a journey into the weird and wonderful world of Farscape with none other than the "geek girl authority" herself, Audrey Kearns. The two reminisce about their comedy days at Acme before diving headfirst into the uncharted territories of science fiction fandom.

Audrey, a self-proclaimed shy daydreamer, reveals how her childhood overseas and love of escapism led her to become a champion of all things sci-fi and fantasy. When pressed to name her desert island picks, she struggles to choose between heavyweights like Battlestar Galactica, Lord of the Rings, and Star Trek. But the true star of this episode is the cult classic series Farscape.

For the uninitiated, Audrey pitches Farscape as a "fish out of water" story following an astronaut scientist named John Crichton who gets hurled across the universe into the middle of an alien conflict. With muppets. Yes, you read that right. The Jim Henson Company's involvement brings a unique flavor to this space opera, blurring the line between puppet and sentient being.

Mandy bravely screens the pilot and second episodes and grapples with the show's jarring theme song, likening the female vocalizations to "screaming in pain." Audrey assures her it's all part of the immersive experience. Together they marvel at the rich worldbuilding, the prevalence of scaly reptilian aliens across the sci-fi landscape, and Audrey's fascinating (albeit chilly) stint as a mermaid model for Disney animators.

Will Mandy emerge from this wormhole a converted Farscape fanatic? Tune in to find out, and remember - in the words of John Crichton - "You can be more."

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What is Make Me A Nerd with Mandy Kaplan?

Hey folks. Mandy Kaplan here. I’d like to share a bit about my intentions and mission for MMAN if you’ll indulge me. You will? Huzzah!

Look, I am a lot of things. I’m a writer, actress, mother, and lover of musicals and cats, but NOT Cats, The Musical. Give me a little bit of credit, would ya? So...throughout my life, I’ve been surrounded (and intrigued) by all things nerd. A sister who plays D&D, a Star Wars-obsessed husband, friends who love anime, comic books, video games, and...well, you get the picture. Somehow, I have always held it all at arm's length. Not to get too deep, but maybe I never thought I was smart enough to follow it. Or maybe I have control issues and have never been able to embrace fantastical things like dragons and time travel. Until now!

So, with an open mind and heart, I am ready to join this massive (and beautifully inclusive) club and GEEK THE #%$ OUT! It’s time for all my wonderfully strange friends to baptize me into NERD-DOM. Please join me on this journey. Who knows? Maybe you’ll discover or remember a side of yourself along the way. Or at least make fun of me as I try!