Hello podcast fans. It is I, Bruce Valanche. For over 25 years, I worked on the Academy Awards,

so you didn't have to. In that time, I've seen and heard things that should not be seen,

or heard or certainly felt. And now, for the first time, I'm sharing all my behind-the-scenes stories and first-hand knowledge

about the Oscars, the blood, the sweat, the tears, the slap, all the things you didn't see.

So join me as I use humor and insight to break down the Oscar Awards of the past to explain how

and why your favorite movie didn't win, why some

actors and some directors had to fire their agents, and how the whole process works or sometimes

doesn't work. This is the Oscars. What were they thinking? Available wherever you get podcasts. I'm Alan Sisto, the man of the West, here at the Prancing Pony Podcast. And I'm Sean Marquesie, the real-life Lord of the Mark. Every week here at the Prancing Pony podcast, along with Sean or other co-hosts, I explore the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, bringing along lots of pop culture references, plenty of nerd humor, and the occasional bad pun. It's just a couple of friends hanging out at the pub talking about our favorite books. We cover just a few pages every episode, reading important sections of the books, and having a chat about what we've read. Now, we do a ton of research for each episode so that we can bring as much background information to our conversation as possible. We do all the heavy reading so you don't have to. It's a great way for first-time readers to learn the basics of Tolkien's world. Well, for Middle Earth veterans, it's a deep dive into their favorite stories. Now, the Tolkien fandom is like no other, so we spend time in the community giving talks at Tolkien events, recording live episodes,

and hanging out with our listeners on Discord to engage with our audience every chance we get.

So if you're ready to dive into the most beloved world in fantasy literature and become a part

of a vibrant active community of listeners, then look for the prancing pony podcast wherever you listen.

Music Pony Podcast, wherever you listen. I know we don't, we don't do cold opens, but Paul, I do want you to, I do want

you to retell the story you just told before we started recording.

You were, you were off in New Hampshire, where you stayed at the inn of the person who was our guest

today and what happened? Yes, I stayed at the Woodstock Inn. And it's a great hotel. And I go into

the bedroom and there's a flat Tony on the pillow. How great is that? Oh, wow, I love that. How about

that for a tentative service?

Yeah.

Like...

What a coincidence that you'd stay in a hotel where they put flat tonies on the pillow for everybody.

No, I think it's tailored.

I don't know.

...