Garage Logic: MISCHKE – Test Dummy

Episode Date: March 25, 2026
Podcast Host: Mishke (subbing for Joe Soucheray/The Mayor)
Podcast Network: Gamut Podcast Network

Episode Overview

This episode of Garage Logic features Mishke in an offbeat, irreverent, and often comedic exploration of testing, dummies—both literal and metaphorical—and the quirks of American life, masculinity, gender equality, and relationships. Using old crash test dummies as a springboard (and comedic prop), Mishke riffs on everything from the overdue introduction of female crash test dummies, podcast testing with dummies, and the culture wars around gender representation. The episode then branches into personal, candid, and humorous phone conversations with listeners and explores themes from regional idiosyncrasies, nostalgia, and love to the future of relationships and the effect of the internet and AI.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Crash Test Dummies: Testing, Gender, and Satire

• Comedy Set-Up: Mishke begins with a satirical segment about using old crash test dummies as podcast test listeners (01:24). Six are named: Tim, Stephen, Robert, Al, Bob, and Dennis—no female dummies available.
• Gender Gap in Car Safety:
  • Mishke notes that only now, after decades of male-only crash test dummies, are female equivalents being introduced. "There have never been any female crash test dummies, only male, going back all the way to the beginning of collision testing. Many find this embarrassing." (03:16)
  • Mishke skewers the belated acknowledgment: "Well, the next frontier in the fight for gender equality—crash test dummies." (03:58)
• Satirical Interviews with Dummies:
  • Mishke attempts to “interview” a female crash test dummy, highlighting the absurdity of asking questions of an inanimate object and riffing on the concept of equality and representation. (07:00)
  • Mishke jests about fraternization concerns in collision labs: "Concerns about fraternization between male and female crash test dummies... sexual relationships ... have the potential to negatively affect morale, readiness, and good order and discipline during testing weeks." (07:35)
• Historical Perspective and Reflection:
  • Comedic riff comparing the first female crash test dummy to Jackie Robinson, Amelia Earhart, Sandra Day O'Connor, and Sally Ride, reflecting on firsts and the symbolic weight they carry. (09:04)

2. Podcast Testing Dummies & Listener Feedback

• Podcast Dummies:
  • Mishke claims they use “podcast dummies” to test the show before humans, lampooning the idea of producing ‘silent podcasts’ with test dummies.
  • Highlights email feedback, which is really complaints that the ‘show’ was just silence:
    • "This podcast had no one talking. What the hell is the point of it?" – Paul Ettinger, Appleton, WI (08:31)
• Thick Skin in Podcasting:
  • Suggests that testing dummies help absorb criticism, so humans don’t have to, in the world of podcast content creation. (09:10)

3. Historical Asides on Female Firsts

• Mishke segues into brief historical lessons, using Wyoming’s election of the first female governor (1925) and Jeannette Rankin (first woman in U.S. Congress) as surprise facts for listeners (11:15).
• Discusses Madam C.J. Walker, the first self-made female millionaire in America, highlighting underappreciated stories of women’s advancement. (12:41)

4. Social Commentary: Why Is Progress Ignored?

• Mishke muses on why the story of female crash test dummies isn’t getting more press, suggesting it may reflect ongoing male dominance or discomfort around the word "dummy" or the optics of violence against women. (13:48)

5. Listener Phone Conversations: Americana, Career, and Relationships

a. Chris (Green Bay Air Traffic Controller)

• Humor about Green Bay and Packers Fandom:
  • Mishke riffing on Green Bay culture, the Packers as near religion, and local lore (24:22).
  • Satirical scenario: What would happen if Lambeau Field and the Packers disappeared? (24:51)
  • "It’s more of a religion up here than any place in the country. I think the Packers rule almost like a church." – Chris (25:59)
• Anecdotes: Childhood, Dog Poop, and Cousins:
  • Mishke shares a childhood story about dog mess, neighbor Gary, and family. (21:25)
  • The call ends in a twist—Chris is actually Mishke’s cousin, revealed after reminiscing about lake escapades and mischief. (31:13)

b. Chuck (City Water and Sewer Worker)

• On Names:
  • Mishke explores the differences between "Chuck," "Charlie," and "Charles," philosophizing about how names shape personalities. (38:01)
• Sewer Work Tales:
  • Curious about oddities flushed into sewers (cellphones), suggesting "BB King is their leader" for people who never look down (to see what they’ve flushed). (42:09)
• Relationships, AI, and the “Manosphere”:
  • Chuck discusses late-in-life romance, societal changes:
    • "No, not a lot of folks are getting married anymore it seems like." (46:20)
    • Mishke worries: "Will it be the case that there won’t be any guy any of us know who’s actually with a real woman? What is the future going to look like, Chuck?" (46:50)
  • Chuck: "You got your AI buddy, who needs a girlfriend anymore?" (46:41)
  • Mishke sees sewer work as a "survival advantage" in a dystopian future. (47:20)

c. Mike (IT Worker; Wife is Susan)

• A Real-Life Love Story:

  • Mike’s wife, Susan, put his number in for the call, which Mishke bemoans, as he’s hoping to add women listeners. (51:20)
  • Mishke asks Susan (in character): "Is it that rough out there? Is it that bad that just a nice guy's enough?" (51:54)

• Marriage and Attraction:

  • Mike explains their love story—friends to partners, late marriage, no kids by mutual choice, previous divorces. (54:41, 55:05)
  • Mishke presses humor and honesty about “being attracted” before marriage and whether “nice guy” is enough.

• On the "Manosphere":

  • Mishke: "The manosphere is what you can find if you spend any time on social media…young guys…just lost…in their search for masculinity, meaning, understanding how to be around a woman." (57:05)

• Simple Joys and Domestic Bliss:

  • Mike describes peak happiness as reorganizing kitchen pots and pans with his wife:
    • "I am just so happy right now." (58:14)
  • Mishke: "Finding Meaning in the Meaningless," or “Why the Best Time of My Life Was Doing Dishes Late Night with My Wife." (58:30)

• Music and Personal Expression:

  • Mike, a guitarist, has written eight songs for his wife, a point Mishke riffs on as romantic and symbolic. (59:32)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

(Timestamps in MM:SS)

• “The next frontier in the fight for gender equality—crash test dummies.” (03:58, Mishke)
• “You know what crash test dummies do, you twit. I’ve worked with something similar…podcast dummies...” (08:10, Mishke)
• “They say you do become your name. They say names are so critically important…” (38:34, Mishke)
• “You got your AI buddy, who needs a girlfriend anymore.” (46:41, Chuck)
• "Will it be the case that there won’t be any guy any of us know who’s actually with a real woman? What is the future going to look like, Chuck?" (46:50, Mishke)
• "It’s more of a religion up here than any place in the country. I think the Packers rule almost like a church." (25:59, Chris)
• “It is strange, isn’t it, when you’re about as happy as you can be and nothing really that extraordinary is happening. It’s just life itself. But you’re sort of at the end of the road…that’s a toughie.” (58:30, Mishke)
• “You don’t know what the manosphere is? ...They’re just lost somewhere. Something happened to the young men out there. I feel for them and I fear for them.” (57:05, Mishke)

Notable Segments with Timestamps

• Crash Test Dummies & Gender Gap: 01:24–09:10
• Podcast Dummies & Listener Complaints: 08:10–09:10
• Historical "Firsts" for Women: 11:15–12:41
• Cultural Commentary (Female Dummies / Media): 13:48–14:45
• Chris in Green Bay: Packers, Dog Poop, and Family: 18:55–32:49
• Chuck (Water & Sewer), On Names, Flushed Phones, and Changing Relationships: 37:28–48:20
• Mike & Susan: Modern Love, “Manosphere”, Music, Meaning in Everyday Life: 49:59–60:51

Episode Tone and Style

Mishke’s tone is sardonic, playful, and genuinely curious, blending sharp satire with heartfelt reflections and expertly riffing on Americana, nostalgia, and the dilemmas of modernity. The humor is wry and affectionate, with a persistent undercurrent of bemusement at the ironies and oddities of contemporary life and relationships.

Takeaways for Listeners

• Gender equity debates extend hilariously even to crash test dummies.
• Podcasting, like much of public life, requires resilience and a thick skin.
• Late-in-life love, ordinary happiness, and small-town Americana are as worthy of celebration as any grand narrative.
• The episode is as much about the absurdities and sweetness of daily life as it is about the dysfunctions and advances of modern culture and technology.
• The future of relationships (and society) is up for grabs, with AI and the internet posing new challenges—but Mishke finds hope in connection, conversation, and simple joys.

This summary captures the spirit, notable discussions, and standout quotes from MISCHKE: Test Dummy—offering newcomers an engaging roadmap to the episode’s major themes and distinctive humor.