Kevin Perjurer

Kevin Perjurer is the creator of the Defunctland YouTube Series. He creates documentaries on theme parks and themed entertainment, with a focus on those that have become defunct.

He is the co-host of Where We Parked.

Describe Where We Parked in 10 words or less.
A comedy podcast that explores left-field theme park topics.

How are you two different and how are you similar? What do you each bring to the table?
We are both very similar in our opinions on theme parks and pop culture. One of the reasons we started the podcast was because we would have late-night research sessions together and they would be the highlight of our weeks, so we wanted to preserve them. We both see the world in similar ways, and we are both eager to deconstruct a topic. Where We Parked is not an opposites attract podcast, we are almost always on the same page, going full speed ahead.

Jack is funnier than me, that might be the biggest difference between us.

How is Where We Parked different from your YouTube content?
Our YouTube content requires a long gestation period, with a lot of research going into every video. Where We Parked is much more casual and spontaneous. We are often learning about the subject as we go. This allows for more humor and commentary than our documentary work.

How do you go about planning the seasons? Is everything mapped out ahead of time?
We have no idea what topics we will cover. We both have somewhat of an annoyance with podcasts that are obsessed with pumping out as much content as possible, as if the very act of someone talking is worthy of being distributed and preserved. We take a much more critical approach to the recording sessions. We throw away 90% of what we record, and are only able to produce one episode every 3-4 recording sessions. We record late at night, on a couch, with bluetooth mics on our shirts, because we want the podcast to be an authentic hangout between us, not a formatted recording. We do not plan topics or discuss ideas beforehand, and we often ditch a subject halfway through if it is not interesting to us. It takes around six months to finish six episodes. We then might move around the order so each six-episode season has a subtle evolution, both in topic and energy. 

If people haven’t listened yet, where should they start?
There is no one episode that you have to start with, so pick a topic that looks interesting to you. If you had to pick one, go with Episode One: In Search of Excellence. This episode introduces a key concept of the podcast, that Walt Disney is not just a human man, but an archetype of a leader that can be found in multiple industries. In our most bizarre topics, we often will run into, as Jack says, "one of the world's Walt Disneys."

How is your thinking changing about the podcast as you make more episodes? Is the show evolving?
As we've done more recording, it has become easier to tell when a session will result in an episode. An episode has to meet some criteria for me, as I edit the episodes. One, the episode has to have consistent, big laughs moments. Two, it has to go in multiple directions and be a multifaceted discussion (e.g. Season One's The Epcot Residency let us discuss washed-up musicians, Season Two's Nachos Rios Grande Challenge allowed us to discuss competitive eating).01 And three, it has to have some informational core, so even if a listener doesn't find us funny, they will at least walk away with some interesting, albeit useless, information. The biggest roadblock we reach during recording is we will start arguing a point, and it sounds like we are trying to sound insightful or intelligent. These always go in the trash. The focus of Where We Parked is comedy first, theme park history second, and us as intellectuals last.

Are you making fun of this stuff? Because you’re definitely laughing at it and talking about how ridiculous it is but it also seems like you love it so much and actually have a huge appreciation for it.
That is a key component of Where We Parked as well as our respective YouTube content. A lot of people approach theme parks primarily with reverence and respect first, especially a lot of Disney Parks fans. In our opinion, theme parks are these ridiculous spaces that are a bizarre result of capitalism and art and society and humanity. They are absurd. At the same time, we are fascinated by their existence, and like many, we have fond memories of our time visiting them and still enjoy going today. We both have a hard time simply enjoying something and moving on. The way we show our love is by engaging with it, dissecting it, and often, being critical of it.

How are you growing the podcast?
We do a really poor job promoting the podcast. I'll post about it every now and then, but it's really been word of mouth. Compared to our YouTube content, which has gotten significantly more ambitious as time has gone on, it is refreshing to have a small group of grassroot support for this little project.

Thanks, Kevin!