Giggly Squad: "Giggling about sports, socializing, and saying sorry"

Hosts: Hannah Berner & Paige DeSorbo
Date: January 23, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of Giggly Squad is a lively, candid, and tangential romp through sports, socializing, mental health, making mistakes, etiquette (especially in tennis), and why sometimes canceling plans just feels so good. Recorded at an ungodly hour due to scheduling misadventures (Hannah on LA time, Paige about to catch a flight), the hosts meander through personal stories, sports drama, pop culture insights, and make each other—and their listeners—giggle about the weird rules of life and the unexpected tenderness found in both sports and family.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Unglamorous Beginnings & Friendship Realness

[02:27]

• Paige made Hannah wake up at 7:30 a.m. in LA—"I'm so evil to do to my friend."
• Hannah is sleep-deprived but sporting perfect curls post-show in LA.
• "You literally look like you could Irish dance at any minute." – Paige [03:14]

2. Mental Health Moments: Underreacting vs. Overreacting

[04:17–06:47]

• Paige shares thoughts on how women are conditioned to “not overreact” and instead internalize emotions:

  “You're not overreacting. If anything, you could be underreacting and you'll think about it in five years.” – Paige [06:40]

• TikTok inspired reflection: Why do we relive old social cringe and think we were “crazy” when maybe we under-reacted?
• Both agree it’s time to stop shaming ourselves for emotions—sometimes burning it down IS the right move.

3. Reality TV & Accountability

[07:04–09:08]

• Hannah shares being triggered by The Traitors and her reaction to a Ron Funches scene, and the danger of judging reality TV moments without knowing all the facts.
• “How dare you do that to someone else after what you went through?” – Hannah [07:59]

4. Hot Takes & "Hard Opinions"

[09:21–10:35]

• The art of podcasting is having confident, often uninformed hot takes:

  “It's just about having really hard takes about things you don't know that much about.” – Hannah [09:46]

• Friendship is about choosing sides, riffing, and letting conversations spiral—podcasting as phone-calls with structure.

5. Navigating Social Anxiety & Friendship Etiquette

[10:35–11:53]

• Paige and Hannah discuss their mutual social anxiety, their no-pressure approach to calling, and how most of their life is “one long phone call with my mom with breaks in between.”
• Strategies for socially anxious friendships: announcing locations, creating safe zones for calls.

6. Pop Culture Tangents: Mother-Daughter Duos and Nepo Babies

[11:53–12:54]

• They reminisce about interviewing Kate Hudson and Mindy Kaling, and idolize Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson’s mother-daughter bond.
• "Thank God she got into acting... she gave us How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days." – Hannah [12:54]

7. College Football Feels: Miami vs. Indiana Saga

[13:10–16:37]

• Paige recounts the viral Miami-Indiana football game and the heartfelt story of Fernando Mendoza, the underdog QB from Miami passed over by his hometown.
• Emotional moment: Fernando’s mother, who has MS, sitting with his dad in the stands.
• “Sports is the only thing that makes you cry.” – Hannah [15:38]
• They reflect on sports as men's reality TV, praising the drama and pure character arcs.

8. Seeing Ourselves Through Others

[17:16–18:57]

• Hannah notes the mental health benefit of “seeing yourself through other people's eyes” as a remedy to toxic self-storytelling.
• Paige shares how sometimes describing yourself to others reveals you don’t believe your own PR.

9. Name Drops: Tara Yummy Party Story

[18:57–20:11]

• Backstory shared about Tara Yummy, a Gen Z influencer who assumed Hannah was much younger and single.
• “She comes to the show, stays afterwards... 'I was gonna ask you to come out with us, but I know you don’t do that.' And I said, now we’re gonna be close, babe. Now you get me.” – Hannah [19:28]

10. Family, Grandparents & Perspective

[20:19–22:46]

• Heartfelt and hilarious musing about aging: why being a grandma rocks, Nana’s death talks, and the comfort of intergenerational love.
• “My life is one long phone call with my mom with breaks in between.” – Paige [11:49]
• “I have to say about my Nana, she does not stop talking about death... 'I hope I make it to next time I see you.'” – Hannah [21:46]

11. Sports Nuances: Women's Tennis, Etiquette, and Saying Sorry

[32:04–48:28]

• Deep dive into tennis etiquette: why players say sorry, the “come on” incident between Naomi Osaka and Sorana Cîrstea, and the British roots of tennis politeness.
• Discussion on how men’s sports tolerate more bad behavior, while women’s tennis holds strict, sometimes absurd, standards of decorum.
• The handshake post-match as a ritual for implied grudges and unresolved drama:

  “Imagine after fighting with someone, having to shake their hand regardless of what happens.” – Hannah [47:42]

• Naomi Osaka's classy but subtly savage response:

  “If it was my last Australian Open, I’d be mad, too.” – Naomi Osaka (via Hannah) [49:31]

12. Dads, Practicality, and the Real Takes

[43:12–44:52]

• Both hosts reflect on their dads’ complete focus on practicalities—parking spots, Ubers—over personal achievements.
• “So in the past three days, the only things you've wanted to speak your mind about is the transportation.” – Paige [43:38]

13. The Fetty Wap Comeback

[52:27–53:55]

• Brief chat about Fetty Wap’s apparent return post-incarceration and looking “strong,” with playful speculation about what he ate in jail.
• “I can separate the artist from the art... I put on Trap Queen before my show and it was beautiful.” – Hannah [53:08]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Hannah on being forced awake for podcasting:
  “Let me just start about judging our entire life and what I should have done. And I literally had good points to make and my brain was like, no.” [06:47]
• On emotional validation:
  “You're not overreacting. If anything, you could be underreacting and you'll think about it in five years.” – Paige [06:40]
• On sports drama:
  “Sports is the only thing that makes you cry. Like, I won’t cry about anything except sports.” – Hannah [15:38]
• On their friendship and phone habits:
  “My life is one long phone call with my mom with breaks in between.” – Paige [11:49]
• On tennis etiquette:
  “You have to win, but you also have to say sorry for winning. Oh, my God.” – Hannah [33:35]
• On the forced tennis handshake:
  “Imagine after fighting with someone, having to shake their hand regardless of what happens.” – Hannah [47:42]
• Naomi Osaka’s subtle shade:
  “If it was my last Australian Open, I’d be mad, too.” [49:31]

Timestamps of Key Segments

• [02:27] Awake too early for the pod: candid friendship dynamics
• [04:17–06:47] Mental health and the myth of "overreacting"
• [07:04–09:08] Reality TV accountability & Ron Funches saga
• [10:35] Mutual social anxiety and phone call etiquette
• [13:10–16:37] Miami/Indiana football tearjerker
• [20:19–22:46] Grandparents, aging, and death talk—comedy meets heart
• [32:04–48:28] Tennis drama: Naomi Osaka vs. Sorana Cîrstea, etiquette deep dive
• [43:12–44:52] Dads and their practical obsessions
• [52:27–53:55] Fetty Wap, Trap Queen nostalgia

Tone and Language

• Lighthearted, irreverent, conversational, and full of inside jokes
• Willingness to turn self-deprecation and vulnerability into comedy
• Juxtaposes silly rambling with surprisingly astute observations

Closing Vibe

The episode is a testament to the power of not taking yourself too seriously, of giggling through life's absurd etiquette—whether in tennis, family, or friendship—and of finding joy in the random, even when sleep-deprived. Hannah and Paige remind us that life is about solidarity, humor, and the occasional savage comeback, whether on the court or at the podcast mic.