Podcast Summary: Give It To Me Straight
Episode 84: Giving You Thirst Traps, Age Gaps, and Spending Habits
Hosts: Alex & John
Release Date: December 30, 2025
Podcast Network: Dear Media
Episode Overview
In this candid and unfiltered episode, Alex and John—a married couple—reflect on the end of the year, dissect pop culture and relationship tropes (with a notable deep dive into "The Notebook"), and tackle an eclectic batch of listener questions about romance, parenting, nostalgia, spending habits, and more. Their trademark banter brings both humor and real talk, making for an episode that's equal parts entertaining and thought-provoking.
Key Topics & Discussion Highlights
1. New Year's Resolutions, Parenting, and Nostalgia
- 00:25–17:18
- The hosts playfully lament the concept of New Year's Resolutions, riffing on tired traditions and resolutions they don’t keep.
- Alex often jokes about being the "one always telling people to break up" while John claims he’s trying (and failing) to be less judgmental.
- Both reflect on how their daughter, Lucy, has shifted their perspectives on time, goals, and parenting.
- Discussion of their sleep and bedtime habits post-parenthood and how having a baby disrupts once-shared routines.
- Banter about watching "The Notebook" together sparks a passionate takedown of the movie's plot holes and unrealistic romance.
“There’s no world in which Ally would... just go back to someone who you spent one summer with.” – Alex (03:53)
“You don’t know about love. I birthed you. I fucking delivered you. Shut the fuck up. I’ll teach you about love, Ally.” – Alex (09:43)
2. Financial Values and Relationship Priorities
- 40:40–43:01
- Listener asks about a partner who values money and saving over experiences. Both hosts stress the importance of aligning on financial values, especially when building a future or family together.
- Alex recounts her own previous relationships and how financial compatibility became increasingly important.
3. Parenting Realities, Socialization, and Sibling Talk
- 20:54–28:29
- John discusses learning to accept the loss of privacy in parenthood and hilariously describes needing to poop while baby-wearing.
- Debate on whether kids under three need to be socialized, addressing internet “advice” and their own family experiences.
- The couple weighs in on whether their daughter, Lucy, should have a sibling; John jokes about scheduling his vasectomy.
- Both hosts reflect sentimentally on baby snuggles and the bittersweetness of fleeting childhood moments.
4. Listener Q&A Segment (Wide-Ranging Advice)
- 36:12–76:36
- Nostalgia for Exes (36:12)
- A listener worries about still feeling nostalgia for an ex despite a committed marriage. The hosts explore nostalgia’s place in adult life vs. current relationships.
“There’s a reason they’re your ex.” – Alex (38:07)
“I think some people hold onto that, like, memory or nostalgic thing... like it will never be that again.” – John (38:38)
- Age Gap Relationships (65:55)
- A 26-year-old’s relationship with a 46-year-old coworker is discussed. The hosts, while hesitant to judge, admit it sounds like an "uphill battle," but stress that as long as the relationship is legal and both are happy, it's not for outsiders to decide.
- Posting Thirst Traps/Body Pics (71:56)
- A wife feels uncomfortable with her husband’s fitness selfies. The hosts admit their own hypocrisy, acknowledging double standards about men/women posting body pics, but agree that communication and respect for each other's feelings matters more than arbitrary rules.
“If you’re working hard, if you are looking good—good. It makes you look good because you’re like, damn, look at my husband.” – Alex (76:02)
“He should be okay if you did the same thing.” – John (76:22)
- Mother-in-Law’s Passing & Grief (45:54)
- A heavy question about resentment following a mother-in-law's suicide during pregnancy. Alex emphasizes that multiple truths can coexist, but cautions about centering one’s own feelings in another’s tragedy. John is blunt: keep it to yourself and focus on empathy over self-pity.
“You have to follow your husband’s lead in this situation. It is his mom here.” – Alex (46:12)
- Estranged Sister & Childcare Offer (48:55)
- Listener fallout with a sister and awkward olive branch by offering childcare. The hosts spar over whether the offer was tone-deaf (Alex: too soon; John: just trying to help).
- Friendship Changing After Kids (57:15)
- A listener feels distance from a best friend whose only topic of conversation has become her child. Both hosts validate the concern, suggesting open, gentle communication about wanting to nurture the friendship’s broader foundation.
“You talk about your life in the current state that you’re in... but you shouldn’t feel guilty [for missing the old dynamic].” – John (57:23)
- Body Image & Pregnancy (61:14)
- Honest discussion about the toll pregnancy and motherhood take on one’s body and identity, with Alex sharing her firsthand experience of shifting priorities post-birth.
“I have, like, I’m just happy that she’s here. I truly didn’t care about getting, bouncing back or getting [my old body] back.” – Alex (65:56)
- Ex Seeking Closure via Therapy (68:05)
- A listener’s husband’s ex asks for a conversation to process their prior relationship for her therapy. Both hosts are unanimous: that’s a “hard no” and applaud transparent communication in marriage.
“We break up, you’re dead to me. We’re never talking again.” – John (69:17)
“It should have just been a hard no from the start.” – Alex (71:13)
- Nostalgia for Exes (36:12)
Timestamps for Notable Segments
- 00:25-04:46 – Playful recap of the year, sleep routines, and introduction teetering into "The Notebook" debate
- 06:50-09:16 – Relationship priorities: Love vs Money, practical considerations in long-term partnerships
- 17:18-18:41 – Year-in-review, changes since becoming parents, and adjusting to new priorities
- 20:54-22:48 – Parenting, privacy loss, and “pooping while baby-wearing”
- 36:12–41:19 – Nostalgia about exes and the difference between reminiscing and regret
- 45:54–47:52 – Handling resentment and complex grief after a family suicide
- 57:15–59:13 – Friendships post-parenthood and loss of shared topics
- 61:14-65:56 – Body changes, motherhood, and coming to terms with a new identity
- 71:56–76:36 – Posting thirst traps and negotiating boundaries in long-term relationships
Notable Quotes
- “There’s no world in which Ally would... just go back to someone who you spent one summer with.” — Alex (03:53)
- “You don’t know about love. I birthed you. I fucking delivered you. Shut the fuck up. I’ll teach you about love, Ally.” — Alex (09:43)
- “If you’re working hard...good. It makes you look good because you’re like, damn, look at my husband.” — Alex (76:02)
- “We break up, you’re dead to me. We’re never talking again.” — John (69:17)
Tone & Style
- Unfiltered & Playful: Alex and John’s chemistry is based on affectionate sarcasm, playful bickering, and a willingness to push social boundaries in their discussions.
- Practical & Candid: They don’t hesitate to offer raw opinions—even if that means disagreeing or poking fun at themselves.
- Relatable: Honest about the challenges of marriage, raising a toddler, and navigating the not-so-Instagram-friendly moments of adulthood.
- Supportive, yet Blunt: Their advice for listener questions strikes a balance between compassion and tough love.
Takeaways
- Communication and empathy are constant through lines—whether in marriage, parenting, or friendships.
- Self-awareness and honesty (sometimes brutally so) are key to navigating tricky relationship dynamics.
- Nostalgia is normal, but shouldn’t detract from building a fulfilling present.
- “Hot takes” are delivered with humor, but always loop back to practical advice.
For anyone navigating the murky waters of adulthood, evolving relationships, or just craving a sharp-witted debrief on modern love, this episode delivers exactly what the title promises: the straight (but never boring) truth.