Distractible Episode Summary – "When Was That Again?" (February 24, 2025)

Overview

In this lively episode of Distractible, hosts Bob Muyskens, Mark Fischbach, and Wade Barnes dive into a mix of nostalgic banter, personal stories, and good-natured competition. The main event is a quiz game called "When Was That Again?", where Mark and Wade try to guess the years of notable inventions, events, and pop culture moments to claim points and eventual victory. Along the way, the trio explores the hilarity and weirdness of memory, competitive gaming, and the ever-changing rules of their own podcast—all in their signature irreverent, rapid-fire conversational style.

Main Discussion Segments

1. Bullets, Lubrication, and the Art of Keeping Things Clean (03:40–07:32)

• Mark shares his adventure cleaning sticky bullets: Mark recounts his DIY bullet-cleaning process, including "procedurally going to different bins" and ending up with sticky, green-coated bullets (“I felt like I dug this hole for myself so I have to climb out of it myself. And you know what? It basically helped.” – Mark, 05:35).
• Gun lubrication humor: The hosts joke about "bullet condoms" and individually lubing bullets to avoid jams. Wade imagines what it would look like to see a "bullet condom flying through the air." (06:10)
• Throwbacks to old-timey firearms: The group laments the jams and simultaneously marvels at the reliability of Civil War-era muzzle loaders. “That way you would never have a jam.” (Mark, 07:32)

2. Cutlery Cannons, Improvised Weaponry, and Movie Tangents (09:30–11:16)

• Cutlery in cannons: Bob reminisces about "Pirates of the Caribbean" and the scene where cutlery is fired from cannons. “Put any fucking shit in the cannons… I love that sequence.” (Bob, 09:30)
• YouTube tangent: The group riffs on the “Will It Cannon?” hypothetical YouTube series and references the Slow Mo Guys’ hard drive setup. “Get on it.” (Mark, 10:28)

3. Catching Up: Sports, Homebodies, and Basketball Woes (11:29–17:00)

• Wade and the Super Bowl: Wade recounts not watching the Super Bowl, preferring to stream instead, and discusses reaction times with Mark and Bob.
• Wade’s doomed basketball league: Stories emerge about Wade unexpectedly forming a basketball "league" (really, a one-person invite), then finding out the opposition is made up of former Division I players. “He told me that I was the first person to say yes. You don't preface, ‘I've got this league I'm setting up…’” (Wade, 15:16)
• Rapid-fire advice: Mark jokingly suggests cocaine for weight loss and stamina, leading to anecdotes about high school science projects with a "cocaine grinder." (16:52)

4. Trivia Time: "When Was That Again?" – Main Game Segment (23:00–53:00)

Bob transitions to the main event: a battle of historical and pop culture knowledge, with flashes of chaos, mockery, and strategic play. Some highlights include:

Sample Questions & Notable Answers

• When did the NES launch in North America?
  • Mark guesses 1987, Wade 1986; correct answer is 1985.
• When was Lego patented?
  • Wade guesses 1944 (“to distract kids from the nuclear bombs”); correct answer is 1958.
• When did YouTube launch?
  • Both instantly answer 2005.
  • Mark notes, “It started as a dating site.”
• When was the Slinky invented?
  • Correct answer: 1943. “To distract the kids from the nukes, clearly.” (Bob, 30:42)
• First man on the moon: Mark nails 1969.
• Despacito becomes the most watched YouTube video: Mark (2018), correct answer 2017.
• Tickle Me Elmo craze: Wade is spot on with 1996.
• Treaty of Versailles: Mark with the steal, 1919.
• First “talkie” film, The Jazz Singer: Wade wins with 1927.

Fun Banter and Running Jokes

• Mark and Wade (semi-jokingly) accuse each other of “cheating” or “logic-ing” their way to answers.
• They joke about adding new “unfairness” rules and having to remember their podcast’s ever-expanding constitution.

5. The Fate of the Podcast Constitution and New Wheel Mechanics (54:00–60:00)

• Rules and coin flips: The group debates their complex game rules, adding a “loser” slot and imagining how coin flipping for fairness might work live with Distractible-branded coins.
• Wheel of Points: At episode's end, they spin their wheel of prizes/punishments, awarding Mark the point for “getting the biggest laugh” with his “Lion King bit.”
• Results Tally: Bob recaps who won points for what, before tallying Mark’s 13 points to Wade’s 8.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Mark's cleaning saga: “I felt like I dug this hole for myself so I have to climb out of it myself.” (05:35)
• Podcast philosophy: “This is distractible. I am your host. My name is Bob. ... The points don't really mean anything.” (Bob, 03:07)
• On Tickle Me Elmo: “This was to distract women at home from nuclear war.” (Wade, 50:48)
• On the growth of the Wheel: “We want big old wheel. I don't know why I said that like that.” (Wade, 54:29)
• On podcast fairness: “If you use the word unfair, you trigger coin flips. The coin will be flipped three times...” (Bob, 55:24)
• Mark's acceptance speech: “Thank you all so much for enjoying this episode… Chance was really on my side. … I'd like to thank Venus. I'd like to thank Saturn. I'd like to thank Pluto, which is a planet." (Mark, 64:05)
• Winner wrap-up: “Whoever loses an episode, they get killed off and we replace them with a replicant to do the next one.” (Bob, 65:05)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Sticky bullet story & cleaning adventure: 03:40–07:32
• Improvised cannons & YouTube talk: 09:30–11:16
• Sports talk & cocaine jokes: 11:29–17:00
• Quiz game—'When Was That Again?': 23:00–53:00
• Wheel/coin flip debate & rules: 54:00–60:00
• Winner announcement & speeches: 62:48–65:05

Summary & Flow

This episode is a showcase of Distractible’s energetic chaos—where the rules of the game are as fluid as the trio’s banter. The trivia contest is both genuinely challenging and a springboard for jokes about history, tech, and their own twisted logic. Mark’s improbable success in the quiz (and his acceptance speech thanking the planets) becomes a recurring gag, bookended by the crew’s love for convoluted, self-imposed podcast rules.

Listeners come away entertained and perhaps a bit more educated—if only about the quirks of their hosts’ memories. The lighthearted vibe, with deep dives into randomness, makes the episode a classic Distractible romp.

Final Score:

• Mark: 13 points (Winner)
• Wade: 8 points

Next Episode’s Host: Mark