Bellied Up Podcast: "One Extremely Expensive Catfish" (#178)
Hosts: Charlie Berens & Myles "You Betcha Guy"
Date: December 4, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode of Bellied Up is a signature mix of Midwest humor, heartfelt conversations, and wild stories from listeners. Charlie and Myles belly up at a small-town bar, answer live calls, and riff about everything from battling the winter blues and Christmas wishlist gripes to a jaw-dropping catfishing scam that cost a family over $400,000. Listeners get Midwest life advice, DIY fort-building debates, ice fishing tips, and a deep dive into how loneliness and internet scams can collide.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Holiday Blues & Midwest Coping Skills (00:00–08:30)
- Charlie’s Strategy: Staying active to "outrun" bad feelings.
- “I have a lot of Midwest in me. I do a lot of things if I’m not feeling good...so I can’t feel the bad feelings.” – Charlie (00:31)
- Myles’ Take: Sticking to routine, but doing it grumpily.
- “I do the same thing I do every day, but I’m just shitty about it.” – Myles (03:17)
- Discussion about whether men experience a "male period," cycles of moodiness, and if their podcasting schedules could sync up.
2. Christmas Spirit and Gripes (08:31–15:23)
- The struggle of feeling (or not) the Christmas spirit.
- Self-consciousness: Charlie was insecure about his nose growing up, but now sees it as a feature.
- Fetishes: Playful debate about whether everyone truly has one (“Are you a foot guy?” — Myles).
- Annual what-do-you-want-for-Christmas bit and a riff on the best and worst gifts.
- “I just can’t do another button-up.” – Myles, on unwanted gifts (17:23)
- Discussion of the horrors of “nipple-chafing” shirts.
3. Midwest Household Chores & Life Hacks (15:45–24:52)
- Water softeners and dry winter skin
- Benches unfinished for over a year, Midwest barter system (“You cook dinner, I’ll stain your bench.”)
- The art of fort-building for kids vs. adults, and the joys/mess of letting go.
4. Toys & Parenting Philosophy (22:00–24:52)
- Myles’ frustration with his wife overbuying toys for their child.
- “The more toys a kid has, the less creative, the less actual playing the kid does.” – Myles (22:28)
- Advocates for a “one in, one out” toy policy.
5. Ice Fishing 101: Advice for a Southern California Caller (Donovan) (34:45–64:07)
Donovan’s Dilemma (34:42–64:07):
- Former military, heavy equipment mechanic, new to Midwest; wants to fulfill his dream of ice fishing while in Fargo, ND on business.
- Top Tips for Newbies:
- Go to an ice bar on Detroit Lakes—bring beer & curiosity to make friends and get invited to a shanty.
- Don't buy gear you can't bring home; rely on local fisherman generosity (or “borrow” from Myles…or not).
- Dress warm, get ice picks for safety, skip the fancy snow suit.
- “It’s hard to get in a shanty, but way harder to get kicked out!” – Charlie
- Play up being an out-of-towner: Midwesterners love showing newcomers “the way.”
- “Just start talking about meat salads. You’re gonna find your way into some perch pretty quick.” – Charlie (64:08)
- DIY “tuber” idea: Convert an old Suburban into a mobile ice fishing house.
6. The Catfishing Catastrophe (Cliff’s Call) (66:23–95:31)
Story of a Family Scammed Out of $400,000+ (66:54–95:31):
- Cliff shares a harrowing family story: His uncle (by marriage) fell for a sophisticated text-message scam (“pig butchering” scam: fake romantic relationship, escalating requests for crypto “investments”).
- “He sent $50,000…then $400,000. All gone.” – Cliff (75:00, 75:33)
- “He still thinks she’s real. He lost everything: his wife, his daughters won’t talk to him. He gave up his 5-bedroom house, now he’s in a single-wide.” – Cliff (79:00, 81:37)
- Hosts relate, discuss how technology and AI make scams easier, and urge listeners to be careful of unsolicited texts:
- “It’s never been easier to scam.” – Charlie (82:53)
- “If you get a weird text, just don’t answer.” – Myles (93:39)
- “Could you imagine giving all that up? For nothing.” – Charlie (81:26)
- Note on how some older listeners fell for scams using AI-generated voices claiming to be family members in distress.
- Midwestern PSA: Be careful, especially around the holidays.
7. Lighter Midwest Banter & Running Gags (Throughout)
- Singing "You Raise Me Up" (29:13), debate over church choirs, Midwest choirs made up of only gray-haired folks.
- The never-ending bit: “You got a kid” — Myles uses it as an all-purpose excuse for not replying to messages.
- Midwest sign-offs: “Remember to change your air filter…watch out for deer.”
- Barroom metaphors, “project fidgeting” as therapy, and classic dad-isms.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Coping Midwest-Style:
- "Depression can't hit a moving target." – Miles (01:44)
- On Ice Fishing Etiquette:
- “Just bring your curiosity and a few beers. Once you’re in a shanty, you don’t have to leave.” – Charlie (45:14)
- On Unwanted Gifts:
- “I just can’t do another button up. Button ups are tough… sometimes they chafe your nipples.” – Charlie (17:23)
- “Try it on before you buy it, just make sure it’s not a nipple chafer.” – Charlie (19:28)
- On Scams:
- “He sent $50,000…then $400,000. All gone.” – Cliff (75:00, 75:33)
- “He gave up his 5-bedroom, 4-bath, 2,500 sq foot, heated garage, vaulted ceiling house for that…crazy!” – Myles (81:26)
- “If you get a weird text, just don’t answer.” – Myles (93:39)
- On Fort Building:
- “I was just trying to not make a mess out of your living room…I didn’t know how free we could get with the forts in the Monplaisure household.” – Charlie (24:30)
Important Timestamps
- Coping mechanisms for bad days: 00:22–04:35
- Christmas mood, opening up about childhood insecurities: 08:34–10:45
- Debate over fetishes & Midwest palm reading bit: 11:10–13:23
- Nipple-chafing shirt complaints: 17:18–19:58
- Toys & parenting philosophies: 21:55–24:52
- Ice fishing and advice for Donovan (SoCal caller): 34:42–64:07
- Cliff’s “catfished for $400,000” call: 66:23–95:31
Listener Takeaways
- Laugh: At Midwest life quirks, childhood insecurities, and playful banter.
- Learn: Real-world ice fishing etiquette and the dangers of online scams, especially for older or isolated relatives.
- Reflect: On the importance of vigilance online, and the value in simple, creative play for families.
- Connect: With the spirit of small-town bars, Midwest resourcefulness, and the universal need for connection.
Tone: Playful, self-deprecating, candidly Midwestern, veers from heartfelt to hilarious without losing its down-to-earth spirit.
Bellied Up continues to deliver rollicking, honest conversations that mix Midwest wisdom, good humor, and big-hearted advice—whether you’re surviving the winter, the holidays, or the wilds of the internet.
