Episodes

Don’t fear the reaper, dear listeners! In this journey along the River Styx, Dean and Tom explore how death is celebrated across cultures: from the joyous customs of Mexico’s Day of the Dead and Irish wakes, to the burning of papier-mâché effigies during East Asia’s Ghost Festival and of wooden pyres in India’s Varanasi, and so much more. We know you’re dying to hear this episode, so listen and enjoy now before moving on to the next realm! Subscribe today! Have a cultural question or episode id...

We’re very (not) sorry to say that Dean and Tom are talking apologies across cultures, particularly in the U.K. and East Asia, in this episode. Also, Producer Torin brings in a recent New York Times article about apologetic tweets from British railway companies (sorry if you missed the article), while Dean and Tom chat about how the train system in New York doesn’t seem to want to apologize for anything. (Sorry, New York!) Subscribe today! Have a cultural question or episode idea for Dean and T...

Dean and Tom are back from a hiatus to continue exploring the creation and use of names across the globe: this time, in Latin America, Germany, the Middle East, India, and New Zealand. They also honor honorifics, epitomize eponymous names, and generate their genealogy – all while butchering or mastering “The Name Game,” depending on your interpretation! Lincoln lincoln bo-bincoln, bo-nana fanna fo-fincoln… Subscribe today! Have a cultural question or episode idea for Dean and Tom? Reach out on ...

In this first episode of 2019, Dean and Tom apply a cultural lens to Shakespeare’s classic question: “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose; by any other name would smell as sweet!” After leaving their mohel in the back seat of a car (per this commercial), they begin to explore the creation and use of first names, family names, and nicknames across the globe: in East Asia, Southeast Asia, Russia, Eastern Europe, and Iceland. Stay tuned for their continued exploration of names around the wo...

’Tis the season for giving gifts around the world, and for our final episode of 2018! This episode, Dean and Tom present you with tips for giving culturally-appropriate gifts in the U.S., Europe, and East Asia, along with plenty of taboos to avoid as well. For instance, you’ll learn how to give money to a friend on their birthday in New Orleans, whether to give someone an even or odd number of flowers in Europe, and why giving a colleague four clocks in a white box is not exactly the best idea i...

“Let’s talk about sex, ba-by”…around the world! Dean and Tom dive into cultural perceptions and behaviors around touching, nudity, and sex (sort of) in this episode, answering questions like: How many air kisses can a visitor to Brazil expect during a traditional greeting there? (4:03) In East Asia or the Middle East, to what degree is touching in public permitted between those of the same gender versus those of different genders? (22:22) Why is it that nudity is more liberally expressed in Fran...

Don’t despair, dear listeners! While the days may be getting shorter, Dean and Tom are back to boost your spirits in this episode as they “island hop” from incredible Iceland to majestic Malta (5:20). Along the way, they explore the world’s first parliament, eat rancid shark, and get their passports stamped in an apartment house that’s also a sovereign state (15:40, 23:30, 39:05)! Listen today to “island hop” with Dean and Tom, and subscribe to hear all 10 episodes thus far! Have a cultural que...

In this episode, Dean and Tom hop across the pond to explore cultural differences between the U.K. and the U.S.! The two begin with some surprisingly different customs between the two countries, like how Britons order two pints in a pub (a.k.a. two beers in a bar) versus how U.S. Americans use forks and knives inefficiently while eating (7:50). Next, they dive into an extended round of “Grammar Talk” to parse out some scary differences in English on both sides of the pond: for instance, should T...

Prepare for time-traveling: that is, traveling the world to see how time changes across cultures, of course! After Tom arrives “late” to the studio, Dean and Tom hurry into how time is perceived in different cultures (6:40). Next, Dean and Tom slow things down to help a listener keep his U.S. business partners “calm and happy” in Mexico (11:30). Finally, our time-traveling hosts stroll into a discussion of how and why neighboring global regions can observe time quite differently, like north and ...

This episode, Dean and Tom remain hungry for traditional foods across cultures: fish cheeks in China, black pudding and haggis in the U.K., guinea pigs in the Andes, and many more (1:45)! Next, Dean answers a listener question about visiting the Middle East during Ramadan (15:30), and does his best to drink liquified yogurt on his recent trip to the Balkans (23:20). Then, take cover as Dean explodes pesky myths regarding perceived dining pretensions in France, Italy, Hawaii, and Japan (32:09). P...

Dean and Tom are back in this episode to sink their teeth into what to do, and what not to do, when presented with traditional foods across cultures: goat eyes in Kazakhstan, natas in Portugal, fried mayflies in Mexico, and the list goes on (3:26)! As the honored guest at a Chinese banquet, Dean also guides us through the ins and outs of this formal ceremony while respectfully passing along his fish head – yes, you read that correctly (9:13, 27:34, 48:25). Then, Dean and Tom launch into an infor...

If you’re currently approaching floor 45 in an elevator in Singapore, be ready for illegal chewing gum and used earbuds! Dean and Tom explore our cultural behaviors on a wild elevator ride (4:59), then rudely – or not – elbow their way into a discussion of personal space in Hong Kong & China, Buenos Aires, and London (21:27). Love what you’re hearing? While a 5 rating may be the highest that you can give, go ahead and give us a 10 – or a 1 if you read from right to left – on iTunes! Subscribe t...

In this episode, Dean and Tom share taxi adventures and delve into what to do, and not do, when in the backseat, or maybe the front seat, in India, Australia, and Japan – all while they swat away malarial mosquitos and sing “Oh My Darling, Clementine” (6:22). Next, Dean answers a listener’s question about cultural differences around smiling and laughing in Malaysia and the U.S. (19:57). Then, the topic of men’s outerwear somehow comes up, so put on your culturally-appropriate listening shorts an...

Please scrape that gunk off your shoe before entering this episode! Dean and Tom explore shoe protocol in the home as well as New Year’s traditions across various cultures, leading them – of course – to find their hands in a bowl of Argentinian (NOT Argentine) pink underwear. Get toasty in your puppy slippers so you don’t fall out of a tree like a frozen iguana while listening; this episode’s gonna be a three dog night! Subscribe now! Have a cultural question or episode idea for Dean and Tom? R...

This episode, Dean and Tom navigate the cultural dos and don’ts of drinking tea in Morocco, Japan, the U.K., and Argentina – not to mention coffee in Ethiopia, beer in China, and whiskey in Korea! And without even getting inebriated (or maybe they do, as it would explain a lot), they also broach the topic of magnetic pole flipping (not an Olympic sport) and its cultural implications. Get ready to imbibe this episode from a gourd with a silver straw, because, as we all know, “the best things in l...

World cultures expert Dean Foster and longtime friend Tom Peterson dive into bathroom habits around the world in this episode, with the act of shaving and, yes, using the toilet. Join them as they dissect the features and cultural origins of the Japanese toilet, and why perhaps it isn’t catching on in the U.S. (Or is it? No!) So relax, heat up your toilet seat, and turn down your 1812 Overture, because you’re going to want to hear this. Subscribe now! Have a cultural question or episode idea fo...

Wake up! Dean and Tom are here to tell you what to expect from their new podcast, “Oops, Your Culture’s Showing!” Subscribe now! Have a cultural question or episode idea for Dean and Tom? Reach them on Twitter and Facebook (@OopsCultureShow) or by email at oopscultureshow@gmail.com. Music: “Little Idea” – Bensound.com