Distractible: "The Pee Covered Episode"

Podcast Hosts: Mark Fischbach, Wade Barnes, Bob Muyskens (Ethan)
Date: September 30, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively in-person recording of Distractible, Mark, Wade, and Bob (Ethan) revel in their signature blend of chaotic banter, anecdotal oversharing, and tongue-in-cheek self-deprecation. This episode covers the hosts' recent life experiences—from potty training mishaps (hence the title) and medical misadventures to the philosophy of consciousness and the woes of podcasting structure. Along the way, they lampoon their own show, discuss the influence of their partners’ ideas, and take comedic detours into food trends, allergies, and the inevitability of technological obsolescence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Banter About Hosting and Podcast Structure

• The episode opens with Mark noting the lack of structure due to forgetting his hosting notebook, and a conversation ensues about how little the hosts prepare on their own.
  • Mark jokes about delegating editing ("If we were both rendered incapable and then Sam died in a plane crash...retirement." [04:14])
  • They admit many of their episode ideas actually come from their partners, Amy and Mandy.

Generational Humor and Audience

• The trio plays with Gen Z/Zoomer slang, poking fun at their own outdatedness.
  • Ethan: “Do you ever just be in Ohio putting off a lot of Riz, and then you drop your phone in the Skibidi toilet?” [05:38]
  • Discussion about "no cap," Captain America, and whether the slang even belongs solely to Gen Z.

Allergies, Gut Biomes, and Scientific (Mis)Theory

• Mark reveals he's developed an allergy to Skyline Chili, theorizing about gut yeast fermenting alcohol inside his body after eating it.
  • “If you get a change in your gut bacteria, you can produce alcohol because it's bacteria that ferments rye...you get drunk because it's already in your gut.” – Mark [12:00]
  • The conversation devolves into imagined scenarios involving extracting vodka from Mark’s bellybutton, and riffs on game theory and MatPat.
  • Wade: “So we give the Mark Skyline, then we like put a little like one of those barrel tappers in, and we could just drink alcohol straight out of Mark.” [12:05]

Potty Training and Parenting Realities (The Episode's Namesake)

• Ethan (Bob) shares in vivid detail his experience potty training his son James, describing how much pee he’s encountered recently.
  • Bob: “I have never had so much pee on my skin as I have in the last several days.” [19:13]
  • He explains their timer-driven potty training method, the unpredictability of toddler aim, and how rewarding with books and fun is essential.
  • Concerns about potentially conditioning his child with Pavlovian responses arise (“The timer...it might.” [20:41])

Childhood Fears and Imagination

• Bob recounts James’s fear of Nightmare Before Christmas, contrasting his logical understanding of stories with emotional reactions to scary visuals.
  • “For like a week...every time he went to bed...he’s all, I’m scared of Halloween.” – Ethan [23:04]
  • Mark playfully questions at what age children "achieve consciousness," leading to a riff about memories and self-awareness.
  • “So he hasn’t achieved consciousness yet. True consciousness.” – Mark [24:19]
  • They joke about the different stages of consciousness, including existential dread and frontal lobe development.

Medical Negligence & Distracted Living

• Wade shares his recent ordeal with an infected foot, developing after wearing improperly-fitted dress shoes.
  • Wade: “At what point do you go to the doctor for an infection? Like, when you just get, like, a scrape or a cut, it's like, it'll heal.” [27:11]
  • Ethan and Mark express concern over his unwillingness to consult a doctor, instead choosing to ignore it despite obvious infection.
  • Playful ribbing about Wade's resistance to technology arises when he says his doctor is too old for digital communication.

Navigating Technological Change & Buying Habits

• Wade reveals he pre-ordered a Switch 2 and Pokémon game in-person at GameStop, to the incredulity of his co-hosts, who tease him about his old-fashioned habits.
  • “You went to a GameStop and preordered in person. Was it 2008?” – Ethan [33:28]
• The conversation spirals into their general distractibility, with Wade admitting he zones out of many aspects of life.

Podcast Ranking Angst and Balancing Improvement

• The group lightly laments their falling podcast rankings and contemplates whether enhanced structure, sound bites, or "mukbang-style" eating videos would boost their ratings.
  • “This is why we're falling in the charts. Because other shows have like, sound bites going into the ass.” – Mark [34:36]
• Mark notes the appeal of host cutouts and the diminishing presence of hosts on rival shows, humorously applying these ideas to Distractible.

Mukbang, Diets, and Eating Habits

• The trio briefly discusses mukbangs, the Korean trend of eating large amounts of food on camera, debating their ability to compete and their aging metabolisms.
  • “I thought just eating was a mukbang. Is it a certain amount?” – Wade [38:14]
  • Mark provides etymological clarification—'muk' (eat) and 'bang' (broadcast/room) [38:43]
  • Wade bemoans trying to lose weight and practicing intermittent fasting to control acid reflux.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Podcast Self-Awareness & Idea Generation

• “That's actually the secret of Distractible. We barely come up with ideas for ourselves.” – Mark [07:20]
• “People keep suggesting that they should be the ones hosting. And they're not wrong." – Wade [07:27]

Potty Training & Parenting

• “I have never had so much pee on my skin as I have in the last several days.” – Ethan/Bob [19:13]
• “We've been trying to potty train James...One of the strategies is he just doesn't wear pants or a diaper, and whenever he starts peeing...you just grab him and go…and run to the bathroom, which sounds like the most insane shit I've ever heard of.” – Ethan/Bob [19:32]
• “He does not care if his pee is aimed into the toilet.” – Ethan/Bob [20:13]

Gut Yeast Theory

• “You ferment sugar into alcohol in your gut, and you get drunk because it's already in your gut, so you absorb it right away.” – Mark [12:34]

Podcasting/Show Reflections

• “I think we just need to, like, take a step back from the rules of Distractible and just chat.” – Mark [06:42]
• “Maybe someday you'll want to win, man. Maybe someday.” – Mark [07:01]
• “On the bell curve of self-actualization, I'm on the wrong end of it now.” – Wade [25:19]

Medical Indifference

• “I was busy. With what? ...Just busy.” – Wade [29:15]
• “At what point do you go to the doctor for an infection?” – Wade [27:11]
• “You could... text your doctor, be like, 'Hey, my foot's really infected and stuff's coming out.'” – Ethan/Bob [29:13]

Being Distractible

• “I'm just so distractable.” – Wade [34:19]
• “You're not going to remember it.” – Mark [35:38]
• “One of the hosts barely even exists. I think one of those is secretly a cardboard cutout most of the time.” – Mark [35:23]

Timestamps for Noteworthy Segments

• [03:08] – Mark riffs on being placed 'not in the center' to avoid looking tiny; group pokes fun at each other's attention spans.
• [05:38] – Joking about Gen Z slang ("Riz", "Skibidi toilet").
• [09:00] – Mark explains new allergy to Skyline Chili; segues into a gut yeast/fermentation 'theory.'
• [12:00] – Extended gut yeast and internal fermentation tangent.
• [19:10] – Ethan/Bob introduces the main theme: the trials of potty training and being covered in pee.
• [20:43] – Discussion on using a timer to prompt potty training and Pavlovian conditioning worries.
• [23:04] – Sharing stories about toddler fears, development, and when kids achieve "consciousness."
• [27:11] – Wade details his foot injury and his resistance to medical attention.
• [33:00] – Wade pre-orders the Switch 2 at GameStop, prompting generational jokes.
• [34:19] – Self-deprecating meta-commentary about being "distractible" and issues with podcast structure.
• [38:14] – Discussion on what 'mukbang' really means and the idea of doing a Distractible eating challenge.
• [40:07] – Wade talks about his attempts to eat less via intermittent fasting.

Conclusion & Tone

The "Pee Covered Episode" is classic Distractible: meandering, irreverent, and full of self-aware humor. The in-person dynamic amplifies their comedic timing and casual ribbing. Listeners are treated to real-life anecdotes about parenting, medical mishaps, and everyday struggles, all mixed with random asides, pop culture commentary, and some surprisingly thoughtful reflections on consciousness and creativity. The hosts gleefully mock their own podcasting shortcomings, promising a continued and chaotic evolution for the show.

Final words:
“Thank you everybody so much for being a part of this podcast experience. Be sure to follow it or we’ll kill you. Have a good day. Podcast out.” – Mark [40:40]