Distractible Podcast - "Anything Goes (Part 2)"
Release Date: September 12, 2025
Hosts: Mark Fischbach (Markiplier), Wade Barnes, Bob Muyskens
Episode Overview
In this second "Anything Goes" installment, the Distractible trio masterfully blend off-the-cuff humor with deeply relatable anecdotes. Mark returns with tales of near-medical peril, Wade and Bob riff on everything from sports soreness to library fines, and the freeform structure allows topics to flow—from silly body grievances to serious commentary on work, wages, and even the psychological nature of inner monologues. This episode is a perfect snapshot of friends at their honest, hilarious, and often unexpectedly insightful best.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Mark's Hospital Fiasco: The Baby Carrot Incident
[15:20-24:03]
- Mark describes a harrowing and absurd hospital visit after a prank with his dog, Chica, ends with him swallowing several baby carrots without properly chewing, resulting in a severe esophageal blockage.
- The incident escalates into "one of the most painful experiences" of Mark's life, with paramedics, painkillers, glucagon (a real treatment!), and plenty of humiliation as he explains to hospital staff that baby carrots—not a heart attack—are the culprit.
- Notable Quote:
“Boy, do I have a story about that. …I took a baby carrot, and I… crunch. And she really does look full. …So I did it again. …I’d done four baby carrots at once. And then I tried to swallow that all, and it didn’t go down very good.” — Mark, [16:03]
- Humorous asides abound, such as staff disbelief, Mark’s “waterfall of drool," and the surreal medical advice:
“The solution to my problem… Drink soda and jump. That was the second solution.” — Mark, [22:49]
2. Wade’s Weekend Vertigo & the Competition for Hospital Content
[07:13-08:43]
- Wade recounts a sudden, lingering vertigo episode that nearly sent him to the ER—but he refuses to “copy Mark’s content,” humorously blaming Mark for his life-threatening decision-making.
- Notable Quote:
“My reasoning was, no. Mark’s there. People are gonna say, I'm just copying him. So if I die, it’s this guy’s fault.” — Wade, [07:58]
- Mark deducts “copying points,” introducing playful point-tracking that persists throughout the episode.
3. Small Talk: Kids, Golf, and the True Nature of Friendship
[09:01-10:38]
- Bob shares life updates—mainly, his child James’s joyous discovery of a lukewarm hot tub (now a “world’s smallest pool”) and a recent golf outing with Wade where actual gameplay fades into background chatter.
- Mark, feeling unincluded, jests about not being invited (he was, in the hospital).
4. Distractible Merch & The Ship of Theseus Shirts
[11:15-15:14]
- Mark showcases new podcast merchandise, notably two designer “Ship of Theseus” shirts, humorously lamenting that the best designs don’t even say “Distractible.”
- The trio riff on the philosophical conundrum and the challenge of branded merch:
- Notable Quote:
“If you take threads out of one of the shirts of the Ship of Theseus and switch it with threads from the ship, the other shirt of Ship of Theseus. Are they the same shirt?” — Wade, [14:06]
5. The Psychology of Inner Monologue
[35:05-43:44]
- An organic discussion unfurls about how interior thinking works. Mark describes “hearing” his own thoughts, even mishearing them (“How did I mishear myself? Who’s listening?”). Wade echoes this sentiment; Bob claims he often has "radio static" silence and rarely any real inner voice.
- The trio debate whether they can “hear” different voices in their heads and what that means in terms of personality, focus, and even sleep.
- Notable Quotes:
“I was, like, floored instantly. How did I mishear myself? Who’s listening?” — Mark, [35:54]
“I have silence in my head a lot… Mandy’s the opposite. She’s constantly thinking and talking. …I just have silence in my head a lot.” — Bob, [41:17]
“My brain’s very active…” — Wade, [42:09]
6. Life, Work, and Wage Ramblings
[48:24-54:47]
- The guys veer into sports contract negotiations and the oddities of NFL pay structure, using the Cincinnati Bengals’ last-minute dealings as an example.
- Conversation morphs into real talk about minimum wage, how it hasn’t changed in years (“It’s still seven and a quarter, man.”), and personal stories from their minimum-wage days, including food service and break policies.
- Notable Quotes:
“NFL contracts blow my mind. I don’t get it. …there’s only so much money in the world, right?” — Wade, [49:31]
“It’s funny because those kids think they deserve money.” — Mark, joking, [51:09]
“If you're paid that little ... I would just go hide in the walk in…They weren't paying me enough to not do that.” — Bob, [53:37]
7. Absurd Library Fines & Apple’s Penny Chase
[44:28-47:12]
- Bob reads a story about someone returning a library book 82 years late, joking about the $90,000 fine that the deceased grandmother’s estate narrowly avoided.
- Mark riffs on Apple’s attempts to collect a penny from him and pivots to a tangent about neglecting to promote free 3D printers, exposing his failures as an influencer.
- Notable Quotes:
“Thank God Grandma’s dead would be how I would summarize this story.” — Bob, [44:28]
“Hey, Apple, I want you to know that if you are listening to this and you are in any way able to get me free Apple things... why don’t I ever get stuff? Even though I got free stuff? Holy shit. Wait, I gotta make a promo video for Prusa…” — Mark, [46:08]
8. Points, Games, and Unraveling Competition
[Throughout, esp. 43:59-end]
- Mark’s whimsical point system returns in force—arbitrarily awarding and deducting points for everything from insults and lies to well-timed jokes (“like a me!”).
- The game concludes with coin flips, debates about fairness, talk of “lie points,” and wheel spins that ultimately crown Bob the winner—but only after much mockery and self-aware game logic.
- Notable Quote:
“Shut up, we’re sleeping now.” — Mark, about silencing his inner monologue and literally, the funniest deadpan comment. [41:50]
9. Regional Pride & Grievances: Ohio vs. California
[57:09-58:47]
- Wade jabs at California taxes while Mark proudly says those taxes “pay for the benefits.” Bob and Wade discuss the ambiguous nature of Ohio’s regional identity, from “Midwest” to “Great Lakes,” all the while highlighting the absurdity of defining states by arbitrary terms.
- Notable Quotes:
“Gulf of what is our country called? United States or whatever is better. Fuck the Pacific.” — Wade, [57:24]
“We touch one of those [Great Lakes]. Touch it all over. We put all our nastiest shit into the Lake Erie lights on fire by us. Because it’s cool.” — Bob, [58:16]
10. Podcast Banter, Advertisers, and Beloved Chaos
- Throughout, the trio banter about sponsors, dogs, and self-aware podcasting. The tone stays brisk and comedic, punctuated with genuine friendship and playful competition.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)
- On making listeners cry:
“Have we ever made anyone cry on this episode?” — Mark, [03:40] “God, I hope so.” — Bob, [03:42]
- On merch design:
“If you take threads out of one of the shirts of the Ship of Theseus... Are they the same shirt?” — Wade, [14:06]
- Mark’s carrot-induced agony:
“I was eating carrots... And then I tried to swallow that all, and it didn't go down very good.” — Mark, [16:03]
- Mark’s hospital realization:
“Drink soda and jump...That was the solution.” — Mark, [22:49]
- Point-keeping chaos:
“I'm deducting a copying point.” — Mark, [08:21]
- On break times:
“I worked there for two and a half years and... I never got an official break ever.” — Wade, [53:32]
- Comedic summary of the episode's story:
“Thank God Grandma’s dead would be how I would summarize this story.” — Bob, [44:28]
- On region pride:
“Gulf of what is our country called? United States or whatever is better. Fuck the Pacific.” — Wade, [57:24]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [03:40] — Opening, podcast purpose, “Have we made anyone cry?”
- [07:13] — Wade’s vertigo/ER story, “copying points”
- [09:01] — Bob’s life updates, hot tub, golf
- [11:15] — Mark unveils Distractible Merch, Ship of Theseus shirts
- [15:20–24:03] — Mark’s ER carrot story
- [35:05–43:44] — The nature of inner monologues
- [44:28–47:12] — 82-year library book, Apple and promo tangents
- [48:24–54:47] — Bengals contract drama, minimum wage & work stories
- [57:09–58:47] — California vs. Ohio, regional pride
- [43:59–end] — Points tallying, arbitrary game logic, winner reveal
Tone & Language
Distractible’s trademark tone is effortless: quick banter, genuine self-deprecation, and affectionate teasing. While the episode touches on serious topics—pain, work, psychological self-perception—it never lets the comedy flag, staying accessible and hilariously re-watchable even for new listeners.
Summary
"Anything Goes (Part 2)" showcases Distractible at its unpredictable, unfiltered best. Drawing on a seamless mixture of gut-busting stories (sometimes literally), deep dives into what makes us tick, and the unique alchemy of three friends who know exactly how to roast, challenge, and support each other, this episode embodies everything that makes the podcast beloved. From the perils of baby carrots to the existential mysteries of inner thought, it’s proof that when anything goes, everything is possible—and almost always hysterical.