Prank For Hire Business

Idea: A business that you can hire to perform a prank on someone (like in the Norm MacDonald movie "Dirty Work"). Also: prank examples such as fish in cars, "Zoombombing", faking charitable donations on someone's behalf, tricking a public figure like in the movie "Borat", etc.; brainstorming a business name, such as "Leach's Pranks For Hire: For People Who Suck"; using leverage to break the law when pranking people to avoid getting ratted out; the risk of giving overly vague instructions to employees (like "take care of this guy") and accidentally causing a mob-style hit

Dan Leach (Facebook: @dan.leach.94) 
Lisa Green (Instagram: @lisagreencomedy Linktree: @depottowncomedy)
Steve Pierce (Facebook: @steve.pierce.905837)
Tom Walma (X: @thomaswalma Twitch: @gameymcfitness)

Humiliation Trophies

Idea: Trophies to be given as a gag gift to commemorate humiliating (but not traumatic) incidents (falls, saying dumb things, coming in last place in fantasy football, etc.) for which you would get amusement out of being reminded of years later. Also: the risk of them being given out after traumatically humiliating events and pouring salt on the wound; pre-ordering the trophy before a contest so it can be given to the loser immediately as part of the event; brainstorming both good (non-traumatic) and bad scenarios for giving out humiliation trophies

Emily Clark (Facebook: @emily.clark.798 Linktree: @do.you.know.your.emily)
Tom Brown (thetombrown.com Facebook: @thetombrown)
Ricarlo Winston (Facebook: @Ricarlo.thecomedian Laughter on the Lakeshore Comedy Fest (Facebook))
Scott Fischer (Facebook: @scott.fischer.980)
Tom Walma (X: @thomaswalma Twitch: @gameymcfitness)

Microwave Heat Map

Idea: A screen that shows a thermal/infrared image of your food in the microwave so you can see how hot it is and whether it's still too cold (or it's too hot). Also: using microwaves, ovens, and fridges to survive a nuclear explosion; maybe the microwave could use the thermal/infrared info to redirect the microwave "rays" toward the cold spots on the food; maybe it could be a phone app or a gadget that connects to your phone instead of building it into the microwave, and then you could use the "heat map" for other purposes, such as to see if your partner laying in bed is cold

Emily Clark (Facebook: @emily.clark.798 Linktree: @do.you.know.your.emily)
Tom Brown (thetombrown.com Facebook: @thetombrown)
Ricarlo Winston (Facebook: @Ricarlo.thecomedian Laughter on the Lakeshore Comedy Fest (Facebook))
Scott Fischer (Facebook: @scott.fischer.980)
Tom Walma (X: @thomaswalma Twitch: @gameymcfitness)

St. Louis Aviation Museum

Idea: To have an aviation museum in St. Louis (called "Aviation Under The Arches") to showcase the aviation history of the city, such as Charles Lindbergh and WWII fighter planes. Also: they could steal Akron's aviation museum; being too fat to ride in airplane simulators; being afraid of heights in some scenarios (such as skydiving) but not being afraid to ride in an airplane; an odd museum and an oddly-named gay strip club in St. Louis

Image generated by ChatGPT

Emily Clark (Facebook: @emily.clark.798 Linktree: @do.you.know.your.emily)
Tom Brown (thetombrown.com Facebook: @thetombrown)
Ricarlo Winston (Facebook: @Ricarlo.thecomedian Laughter on the Lakeshore Comedy Fest (Facebook))
Scott Fischer (Facebook: @scott.fischer.980)
Tom Walma (X: @thomaswalma Twitch: @gameymcfitness)

Rug Tufting Machine (and Other Crafting Machine) Rental Service

Idea: A rental service for large and/or expensive crafting equipment, such as rug tufting machines, 3D printers, and metalworking machines. Also: dreaming for years about rug tufting or doing out-of-reach crafting projects; joking about rug tufting risks, possible injuries, and whether training and insurance ("Tuft Break") are required; tufting a soft comfy rug onto a T-shirt or the butt of your pants ("Rug Tuft Jeans"); a crafting scandal involving stolen painted rocks

Emily Clark (Facebook: @emily.clark.798 Linktree: @do.you.know.your.emily)
Tom Brown (thetombrown.com Facebook: @thetombrown)
Ricarlo Winston (Facebook: @Ricarlo.thecomedian Laughter on the Lakeshore Comedy Fest (Facebook))
Scott Fischer (Facebook: @scott.fischer.980)
Tom Walma (X: @thomaswalma Twitch: @gameymcfitness)

Rolling On The Floor With Laughter (Comedy Dice Game)

Idea: A standup comedy competition where a pair of dice (one containing a comedy style and the other containing a broad topic) is rolled and then two comics compete to improvise/recall the better joke within those constraints. Also: testing out the game; discussing the comedy styles (such as self-deprecation and observational) and topics (such as "dad joke" and anatomy); discussing the "slapstick" style and whether it will lead to a comedian performing a lewd act upon the stool; suggesting a "wild card" topic on the dice where you draw an audience-suggested topic from a bowl

Emily Clark (Facebook: @emily.clark.798 Linktree: @do.you.know.your.emily)
Tom Brown (thetombrown.com Facebook: @thetombrown)
Ricarlo Winston (Facebook: @Ricarlo.thecomedian Laughter on the Lakeshore Comedy Fest (Facebook))
Scott Fischer (Facebook: @scott.fischer.980)
Tom Walma (X: @thomaswalma Twitch: @gameymcfitness)

Abortion Clinic Game Show

Idea: A game show where women in an abortion clinic waiting to get an abortion complete in a series of games, such as silly carnival-style games or American Gladiator/Wipeout-style events (because if they get smacked in the belly and lose the baby, they were going to abort it anyway). Also: they could compete for a free abortion or better painkillers or risk having to carry the baby to term if they lose; a "Real World"-style reality show with 9 pregnant women living together in a house, and questioning whether pregnancy side effects would sync up in a similar way to how women's periods supposedly sync up; questioning whether female comics would participate in this dark humor and what they might say; using pregnancy/abortions to binge on food and use the calories to grow a baby and then abort it to lose weight, or to increase breast size temporarily for an acting role

Idea: A TV show where women in an abortion clinic waiting to get an abortion complete in a series of games
Also: a "Real World"-style reality show w/pregnant women living together in a house, questioning whether pregnancy side effects would sync up like periods (supposedly) do pic.twitter.com/KorS8jNNg1

— Creativity Wasted Podcast (@creativitywaste) July 13, 2025

Tyler Beans (Facebook: @tyler.warmbein.3)
Emeka Nriagu (Facebook: @emeka.nriagu Instagram: @emurkadurk)
Ben Champion (Instagram: @_champ_is.here Facebook: @ben.champion.39)
Tom Walma (X: @thomaswalma Twitch: @gameymcfitness)

Smug of War (Comedic Bragging Contest)

Idea: A comedy contest where the contestants comedically brag about themselves instead of roasting an opponent. Also: avoiding downsides of roasts, including deeply hurting someone's feelings and having to do research about an opponent before the show; the two rules of "smug of war"; a concept of a "smug of war" where topics to brag about are provided to the contestants before the show (so the jokes are better and it doesn't feel like an improv game); why AI might be useful for writing jokes specifically for this show

Jeff Teed (Instagram: @jeffteed23 Instagram: @say_what_open_mic_at_hearsay)
Jack Cuncannan (Instagram: @jackc_comedy)
Tom Walma (X: @thomaswalma Twitch: @gameymcfitness)

Microaggression Shock Wristwatch

Idea: A wristwatch that reads your mind and/or predicts your behavior and shocks you to prevent you from doing racist microaggressions. Also: it could also punish you for explicitly racist/sexist/ageist acts (not just microaggressions) and could vary the punishment based on severity; it could be seen as a neutral warning/teaching mechanism for people who aren't familiar with how to behave in certain situations (too old, too dumb, from a different culture, etc.), as opposed to having the vibe of an angry nun smacking you with a ruler

Jeff Teed (Instagram: @jeffteed23 Instagram: @say_what_open_mic_at_hearsay)
Jack Cuncannan (Instagram: @jackc_comedy)
Tom Walma (X: @thomaswalma Twitch: @gameymcfitness)

Skin Pocket

Idea: A storage pocket grafted into your body and made out of your skin, so you can, for example, store things while in the shower. Also: brainstorming where on your body to put a pocket; it should look more like a pocket and less like a sphincter; women storing things between their breasts; magicians who stab needles through their arms might know good places to put skin pockets; maybe you could graft muscles into the skin pocket so you can hold the pocket closed and also ensnare pickpocketers

Jeff Teed (Instagram: @jeffteed23 Instagram: @say_what_open_mic_at_hearsay)
Jack Cuncannan (Instagram: @jackc_comedy)
Tom Walma (X: @thomaswalma Twitch: @gameymcfitness)

Fat Squirrel Documentary

Idea: A comedic documentary about the growing problem of obese squirrels. Also: Carl's obese pet squirrel; using the documentary to fund squirrel weight loss and longevity research; the impressive athleticism of obese squirrels; the risk of obese squirrels screwing up the ecosystem and leading to obese bald eagles (which would be the most American bald eagles)

Lucky Lee (Instagram: @luckyleecomedy Web: chelsealuckyleewoudstra.weebly.com)
David Carson (Email Newsletter: david-carson.com Blog: dumbify.beehiiv.com)
Carl Sobel (Linktree: @Carl_Sobel_Comedy Open Mic facebook.com/ComedyNightAtRiverCitySaloon)
Krinker (Facebook: @ryan.krinker)
Tom Walma (X: @thomaswalma Twitch: @gameymcfitness)

Rapture (Horror Story)

Idea: Tom's long awkwardly-dark attempt to write a horror story (with zombies) like the Creepypastas and amateur horror stories he listens to on YouTube. Also: questioning whether listening to "true crime", dark, and horror stories to help you fall asleep is creepy; listing our favorite dark/horror YouTube channels; the accidental similarities between Tom's horror story and the TV show iZombie

Eric Wilson (Facebook: @eric.wilson.712 Instagram: @ericwilsonlive)
James River (Facebook: @jamesrivercomedy Instagram: @cesarspubcomedy)
Cheryl Stoner (Facebook: @cheryl.stoner.comedian Instagram: @cherylstonercomedian)
Tom Walma (X: @thomaswalma Twitch: @gameymcfitness)

De-Shelled Non-Beaten Eggs Sold in a Bottle

Idea: To sell de-shelled (but not beaten) eggs in a small plastic or glass bottle (like a Sunny D or Snapple bottle) so people don't have to worry about accidentally cracking the shell while making eggs. Also: people are lazy enough to buy de-shelled eggs and might even start associating "shelled eggs" with poor people; putting real eggs in toy plastic egg shells and then ruining a kid's Easter; breaking glass bottles containing eggs and recreating the movie "Die Hard" but with eggs; why Cheryl's mind is blown by chickens

Eric Wilson (Facebook: @eric.wilson.712 Instagram: @ericwilsonlive)
James River (Facebook: @jamesrivercomedy Instagram: @cesarspubcomedy)
Cheryl Stoner (Facebook: @cheryl.stoner.comedian Instagram: @cherylstonercomedian)
Tom Walma (X: @thomaswalma Twitch: @gameymcfitness)

AI-Assisted Phone Call Gatekeeper

Idea: A vocal voicemail-like program that uses AI to determine whether an incoming call (from a phone number that isn't whitelisted) can cause your phone to ring and/or leave a message. Also: using the AI prank a telemarketer or make them do a "Shark Tank"-style pitch; if a friend calls you at 2 AM for no good reason, the AI could block their call and revenge-call them the next night at 2 AM; an AI call interacting with your AI gatekeeper; Eric and Cheryl receiving weird AI/spam voicemails and messages that pretend to be a friend with a fake name

Eric Wilson (Facebook: @eric.wilson.712 Instagram: @ericwilsonlive)
James River (Facebook: @jamesrivercomedy Instagram: @cesarspubcomedy)
Cheryl Stoner (Facebook: @cheryl.stoner.comedian Instagram: @cherylstonercomedian)
Tom Walma (X: @thomaswalma Twitch: @gameymcfitness)

Coke Vacuum

Idea: A mini-vacuum that could vacuum up cocaine spilled on the floor and/or cocaine residue off dollar bills and other things, and also maybe filter out the dust/debris and/or test for Fentanyl. Also: disrupting the drug-sniffing dog market; paying carpet cleaners in the cocaine that they obtained from vacuuming the carpet; similar inventions for sifting crack called the "Rock Tumbler" and for psychedelics that filters them out of urine

This episode was released to the podcast feed on May 21. Links to the episode will be added to this web site within a few days

Idea: Device to vacuum cocaine off the floor & coke residue off things like dollar bills, filter debris, test for Fentanyl
Also: disrupting drug-sniffing dog market;paying carpet cleaners in vacuum'd coke;devices to sift crack called Rock Tumbler, filter psychedelics out of urine pic.twitter.com/4pMb94RG5d

— Creativity Wasted Podcast (@creativitywaste) May 21, 2025

Eric Wilson (Facebook: @eric.wilson.712 Instagram: @ericwilsonlive)
James River (Facebook: @jamesrivercomedy Instagram: @cesarspubcomedy)
Cheryl Stoner (Facebook: @cheryl.stoner.comedian Instagram: @cherylstonercomedian)
Tom Walma (X: @thomaswalma Twitch: @gameymcfitness)

Coma Punk Lifestyle

Idea: A lifestyle where you party on the weekend and go into an intentional coma during the week (or longer if necessary), during which you’re weened off drugs, you lose weight (if necessary), basic and cosmetic hygiene (such as getting a tattoo) is performed on you, etc. and you afford the "coma punk" lifestyle by being an influencer, letting scientists experiment on your body, and/or by saving money by not needing an apartment. Also: you could do it temporarily during a flight, to recover from a bachelor party, or to lose weight instead of making it a lifestyle; if you were a "coma punk" during summer break in college, maybe you wouldn't be conscious long enough to forget your studies; the risk of waking up in a bad state hooked up to machines in a drawer, or waking up at the correct time but having floppy weak muscles like in "Kill Bill"; maybe this isn't plausible in real life but it would make a great movie plot

Tyler Beans (Facebook: @tyler.warmbein.3)
Emeka Nriagu (Facebook: @emeka.nriagu Instagram: @emurkadurk)
Ben Champion (Instagram: @_champ_is.here Facebook: @ben.champion.39)
Tom Walma (X: @thomaswalma Twitch: @gameymcfitness)

Chance Social Encounter Avoidance App

Idea: An app that warns you if people you know are nearby in a public place (such as a grocery store) so you can avoid bumping into and having unwanted 10+ minute conversations with them. Also: ways to avoid people, such as wearing Mrs. Doubtfire masks, hiding behind bulk toilet paper, and running through the grocery store aisles like Pac-Man; maybe we should invent a hand gesture for "hi but let's not talk very long" (or just use the middle finger); some occupations (dentist, handyman, etc.) cause you to meet so many people in your neighborhood that running errands without getting trapped in unwanted conversations is difficult

Tyler Beans (Facebook: @tyler.warmbein.3)
Emeka Nriagu (Facebook: @emeka.nriagu Instagram: @emurkadurk)
Ben Champion (Instagram: @_champ_is.here Facebook: @ben.champion.39)
Tom Walma (X: @thomaswalma Twitch: @gameymcfitness)

Language Teaching AI Chatbot

Idea: AI in a chatbot and/or in videogames that teaches you a foreign language. Also: being immersed in a conversation with a chatbot or in a videogame is more effective than learning in a classroom, and also AI could customize the language teaching to you; existing videogames that teach in clever ways such as "Typing of the Dead"; you could learn ancient Sumerian or Egyptian hieroglyphics from language teaching AI in a videogame and then show up at a real-life historical site and outshine the scholars/historians; AI that monitors you while you're watching foreign language TV and shows subtitles and/or replays sentences if you look confused

Tyler Beans (Facebook: @tyler.warmbein.3)
Emeka Nriagu (Facebook: @emeka.nriagu Instagram: @emurkadurk)
Ben Champion (Instagram: @_champ_is.here Facebook: @ben.champion.39)
Tom Walma (X: @thomaswalma Twitch: @gameymcfitness)

Crazy Movie Sequels and Spinoffs

A loose conversation about ideas for crazy movie sequels and spinoffs, including an idea for a sequel of the movie "Liar, Liar" where the kid uses his lie-preventing superpower to force mobsters and villains to tell the truth to their peril. Also: under-the-radar superheroes in movies such as the kid from "Liar Liar" and Mary Poppins; dirty (and not dirty) fan fiction and creepypastas; the movie Avatar and getting obsessed with movie worlds; future AI creating a VR world based on a side character in a movie so you can "live with them"

Tyler Beans (Facebook: @tyler.warmbein.3)
Emeka Nriagu (Facebook: @emeka.nriagu Instagram: @emurkadurk)
Ben Champion (Instagram: @_champ_is.here Facebook: @ben.champion.39)
Tom Walma (X: @thomaswalma Twitch: @gameymcfitness)

Last Chance Tourism

Idea: A TV show or web series which highlights tourist places and events that are going to disappear (or are at risk of disappearing), and also explains why and predicts how much time is left for the viewer to go there. Also: reasons for sites to disappear could be environmental, economic, physical deterioration, etc.; last-chance events such as the "Gathering of the Juggalos", "Burning Man", and "Running With the Bulls"; Carl's ironic obsession with the "Tower of History" in Sault St. Marie; highlighting at-risk tourist sites could cause people to rally to save them and thus make the last-chance video obsolete and angering the viewers

Lucky Lee (Instagram: @luckyleecomedy Web: chelsealuckyleewoudstra.weebly.com)
David Carson (Email Newsletter: david-carson.com Blog: dumbify.beehiiv.com)
Carl Sobel (Linktree: @Carl_Sobel_Comedy Open Mic facebook.com/ComedyNightAtRiverCitySaloon)
Krinker (Facebook: @ryan.krinker)
Tom Walma (X: @thomaswalma Twitch: @gameymcfitness)