Bellied Up Podcast - Episode #166

"Blue Collar Vs. White Collar"

Hosts: Charlie Berens (A), Myles the You Betcha Guy (B)
Date: September 4, 2025

Episode Overview

In this humor-packed episode, Charlie Berens and Myles the You Betcha Guy belly up at a small-town bar to riff on blue collar vs. white collar life, riff about money woes and taxes, and dig into listener calls ranging from awkward potential in-law situations to the blurry lines between life in a hard hat or an office chair. As usual, spontaneous Midwest storytelling and sharp banter make for a down-to-earth yet riotous hour.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Football Season Kicks Off & Packer Prophecies

• The show opens with Midwest football banter. Charlie waxes poetic about the Green Bay Packers and recounts a humorous but painful Vegas gambling story.
  • "It's football season, Miles. Green Bay packers, baby." (A, 00:00)
  • Charlie tells of betting his last $150 on the Packers in 2010, only to lose the ticket and miss out on a $3,000 windfall.
  • Reflects on how wild youthful days shaped his approach to gambling and risk.
  • Memorable quote: "I tore up that minivan, man, I didn't find that ticket. [...] That would have increased my net worth by 3,000 times." (A, 05:15)

Money Panics & The Taxman

• Both discuss the universal experience of money woes in your twenties, especially freelance/contract life.
  • Myles: "I was staring down the barrel of the IRS before I started doing all of this..." (B, 07:03)
  • Warnings about forgetting to set aside money for taxes as a new independent contractor.
  • Charley on audits: "I got audited once. I didn't make much money at all, like $30,000 that year...I got a payment plan." (A, 09:49)
  • PSA: If you're starting a business or side hustle, don’t forget about taxes!

Caller Segment 1: “My Sister’s Dating My Best Friend…Maybe?” (11:00)

Caller: Aiden (C)

• Aiden suspects his best friend may be interested in (or already dating) his younger sister, who is smitten.
  • "Her eyes are going everywhere and she's definitely interested in him." (C, 13:43)
  • Friend also appears to have interest in another gal—Aiden is caught between supporting his buddy and sibling.
• Hilarity ensues as Charlie and Myles unpack a convoluted Nashville “rescue” story involving missed Ubers and possible romance.
  • Myles: "Pretty convenient on some of these things here." (B, 21:19)
• Classic Midwest awkwardness: Should Aiden give explicit permission, or hope things work out?
• Consensus: Siblings dating friends is possible, but carries emotional baggage; honesty is best. "Just say, hey, what's going on with you and my sister? If you want to date her, it's totally cool." (B, 26:39)

Memorable Exchanges

• On siblings dating friends:
  • "It changes the dynamic...You're putting the friendship kind of on the line." (A, 16:42)
• On the ‘rescue’ story:
  • "That's not saving life, dude. That's being an Uber." (A, 22:52)
  • "He quite literally slept with your sister in the car." (B, 25:04)
  • "There was some sleeping around in the car." (C, 25:12)
• Final advice: Be direct, support happiness but expect surprises. Humorous jabs about checking Craigslist mid-call keep the tone light.

Caller Segment 2: "Blue Collar vs. White Collar – Where’s the Line?" (35:16)

Caller: Brad (C)

• Brad is transitioning from blue collar (beer delivery) to white collar (quality engineer) and is pondering the blurry boundaries between the two.
  • “When you’re a blue collar worker, I think you know... But when you’re a white collar worker, do you know?” (C, 36:37)
• The hosts riff on real vs. stereotypical occupational characteristics, using rapid-fire, Midwest-specific humor:

Defining Differences (and Overlaps)

• Water Cooler Test: “If you stand around a water cooler and talk about your weekend, you work a white collar job.” (B, 39:38)
• Printer Problems: "If a printer is the bane of your existence — white collar job." (A, 40:18)
• Lunch & Grooming:
  • "If your lunch comes in a cooler, blue collar. If your lunch comes in an Uber, white collar." (A & B, 45:06)
  • "If you have steel in your leather shoes, blue collar. If you have polish on your leather shoes, white collar." (A & B, 45:38)
  • “If you polish your shoes on an escalator, blue collar move for sure.” (A, 46:20)
• Other markers: Showering locations (gym vs. truck stop), using Gatorade bottles for relief, the type of beer you drink, and more.
• Mental Health: "Do you treat your depression with antidepressants or beer? That's the difference between white and blue collar." (A, 58:29)

Memorable Moments

• Brad spends the whole call standing on a stump for cell service, leading to a running gag and some meta commentary on the podcast process:
  • “Okay, stay there. Stump it is.” (B, 36:30)
  • “You’re free to go from the stump now, Brad.” (B, 58:55)

Side Tangents & Local Flavor

• Comedy about Midwest attitudes to money, dating, working life.
• Tender jabs at family, the quirks of living in Wisconsin and North Dakota, and the social dynamics of small-town bars.
• Spontaneous role-plays and self-roasting about the podcast's ability to keep even the callers entertained.

Discussion: Sports Bars and Cultural Consulates (50:25)

• How far away does a themed sports bar (e.g. Packers bar) need to be from its home team before it feels fun and not just "normal"?
  • Out-of-state Packer bars are like "consulates" for Wisconsinites—little embassies across the U.S.
  • "It's almost like a consulate, you know? Like you're at the Boston consulate in San Francisco." (A, 51:30)
  • Shoutouts to Packers bars in Portland, Charleston, LA, and more.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "That would have increased my net worth by 3,000 times." (A, 05:15)
• "If you have polish on your tennis shoes, blue collar. Really?" (A, 45:50)
• "If you polish your shoes on an escalator, blue collar move for sure." (A, 46:20)
• "Do you treat your depression with antidepressants or beer? That's the difference between white and blue collar." (A, 58:29)
• "If your lunch comes in a cooler, Blue collar. If your lunch comes in an Uber, White collar." (A & B, 45:06)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Packers talk & Charlie's gambling Vegas story | | 07:03 | Money panic & tax stress | | 11:00 | Caller 1: Aiden - Sister dating best friend dilemma | | 35:16 | Caller 2: Brad - Blue collar vs. white collar jobs | | 45:06 | Rapid-fire blue/white collar traits | | 50:25 | Themed sports bars as cultural “consulates” | | 58:40 | Depression: beer vs. antidepressants (humorous riff) |

Episode Tone & Takeaways

• Tone: Warmly sarcastic, deeply Midwest, completely unfiltered but never mean-spirited.
• Takeaway: Whether you deliver kegs or polish loafers, drive Ubers or sleep in minivans, life is messy, funny, and complicated—especially in the Midwest.
• Honorable mention: The podcast lives up to its promise: a barroom where everyone’s stories, questions, and quirks get their moment to shine (even if it means spending the whole call literally standing on a stump).

For more, belly up to the Bellied Up Podcast next week!