Patreon Preview #376: Hot Takes No Prisoners

Summary

Podcast Summary: Hey Riddle Riddle – Patreon Preview #376: Hot Takes No Prisoners

Date: May 22, 2026
Hosts: Adal Rifai, Erin Keif, John Patrick Coan
Main Theme: The hosts riff on “hot takes” sent in by listeners and offer their own unfiltered opinions on cultural controversies, social etiquette, and more, with trademark comedic banter and tangents. The group revisits notorious moments from the show (like the “Minty Oreos” fight), muses on method acting, and debates what’s gone wrong with public behavior post-pandemic.

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Episode Overview

In this bonus episode, the Hey Riddle Riddle team dives deep into “hot takes”—both from listeners and their own lives. The hosts reminisce about memorable show arguments, dissect the weirdness of method acting, lament the decline of societal etiquette, and spin out delightfully absurd tangents (Costco as a “purge” zone, anyone?). Fans will find plenty of quick wit, relatable gripes, and the familiar, barely-on-topic conversational chaos.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Awkwardness of Starting a Podcast (00:00–02:16)

• The group reflects on how unnatural it can feel to start recording, especially in person after time apart.
• They humorously compare the silence before recording to a “black hole” of energy (01:28–01:55).
• Notable Quote:

  "The silence that happens right before we start recording, you'd be able to feel the difference. It's a black hole on earth."
  — Aaron Keefe (01:28–01:49)

2. Method Acting & The Art of Pretending (02:16–04:08)

• The team riffs on the extremes of method acting, referencing infamous Hollywood stories.
• Erin tells the anecdote about Anthony Hopkins questioning the need to starve for a role:

  "Anthony Hopkins was like, 'Have you tried acting, dear boy?' ...you must feel so dumb to be like, oh, one of the best to ever do it is, like, I play pretend."
  — Adora (02:43–03:12)

• The hosts poke fun at radical body transformations and actorly pretension.
• Memorable moment: Adora jokes about Daniel Day-Lewis “making shoes for five years.” (03:31)
• Hot Take:

  "I don't think that thing about method acting that it's, like, unnecessary is necessarily a hot take. I think most people are like, yeah, this kind of sucks."
  — John Patrick Coan (10:56)

3. Show Format Swap & Playful Stealing of Episode Concepts (04:11–04:43)

• Aaron surprises the group by “stealing” JPC’s episode concept, suggesting they can swap episode ideas freely.
• Lighthearted banter about which show formats or ideas are their best and worst.

4. Revisiting the ‘Minty Oreos’ Debacle (09:45–10:56)

• The hosts recall a previous episode’s heated debate about Mint Oreos, which sparked listener controversy and personal concern.
• Notable Quote:

  "That episode made people in my life worry about me."
  — Aaron Keefe (10:47)

• They joke about the logic of specialty Oreos and find humor in the absurdity of snack arguments.
• Memorable moment: The team jokes about eating Oreos with orange juice as a taste test.

5. Societal Decay and Etiquette Hot Takes (11:16–13:14)

• John and Aaron both share the “hot take” that societal behavior, especially in public, has gotten noticeably worse post-pandemic.

• JPC uses a childhood gym-class parachute metaphor:

  "You all stood on, like, 30 kids, all have, like, handhelds on a big sheet... When you drop it down, it's not fallen right... That's what society is."
  — John Patrick Coan (12:01–12:28)

• Aaron proposes bringing back etiquette classes (“not in a condescending way”) for practical life skills (12:28–12:53).

• Quotes:

  "I think we need to bring back etiquette classes and just change the curriculum from what they were teaching before."
  — Aaron Keefe (12:28)

  "I think we need to learn, like, you don't answer the phone in the middle of a movie."
  — Aaron Keefe (12:55)

6. The Hellscape of Costco & Retail Etiquette (13:05–14:50)

• Adora and John vividly describe shopping at Costco as chaotic and lawless.

• Notable Quotes:

  "When I walk around a Costco, I feel like I'm either surrounded by, like, drunk Roombas or like, I'm in a Jamiroquai video..."
  — Adora (13:17–13:23)

  "There should be a big banner when you enter Costco that says, 'You are now entering a chaos zone.' Laws do not exist in here because that's the way everybody acts."
  — John Patrick Coan (13:34–13:41)

• The group jokes about redesigning Costco policies (age brackets for shopping hours, the possibility of “Purge Rules”).

• Adora fantasizes about using special effects makeup to sneak into senior shopping hours, noting "I don’t trust those freaks. Same chaos, but slower." (14:35–14:50)

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Notable Quotes by Timestamp

• "The silence that happens right before we start recording... It’s a black hole on earth."
  — Aaron Keefe (01:28–01:49)

• "Anthony Hopkins was like, ‘Have you tried acting, dear boy?’"
  — Adora (02:43–03:12)

• "That episode made people in my life worry about me."
  — Aaron Keefe, on the Minty Oreos debate (10:47)

• "Society's not collapsed, but it don’t look good."
  — John Patrick Coan (12:01–12:10)

• "When I walk around a Costco... it’s everyone’s first day on Earth."
  — Aaron Keefe (13:23–13:24)

• "There should be a big banner when you enter Costco that says, ‘You are now entering a chaos zone.’"
  — John Patrick Coan (13:34–13:41)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |------------------------|-------------------| | Awkward beginnings & meta talk | 00:00–02:16 | | Method acting & artifice | 02:16–04:08 | | Show concept swapping | 04:11–04:43 | | Revisiting Minty Oreos fight | 09:45–10:56 | | Decline of public etiquette | 11:16–13:14 | | Costco/retail chaos discussion | 13:05–14:50 |

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Tone & Style

The trio's tone is lighthearted, sarcastic, and relentlessly self-aware—the kind of punchy banter familiar to longtime listeners. They blend listener interactions, personal anecdotes, and performative riffs, taking absurdity to the edge but circling always back to the shared puzzle-solving, improv camaraderie that defines the show.

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For New Listeners

You don’t need to love riddles to enjoy this episode: it’s a showcase of the hosts’ chemistry, sharp wit, and playful debates about the peculiarities of daily life—from the bakery aisle to the silver screen. Whether you’re a “Clue Crew” diehard or dropping by for a taste of comedic commiseration, there’s plenty of relatable content, running jokes, and memorable moments.

Transcript

[Aaron Keefe]

Are you really buying a car online on Autotrader right now? Really? I can get super specific with dealer listings and see cars based on my budget. You can really have it delivered or pick it up.

[Adora]

Mommy's walking.

[John Patrick Cohen]

I think kid is walking up the slide.

[Aaron Keefe]

Really? Autotrader, Buy your car online. Really? I don't know why it feels so unnatural to start up from zero at the beginning of an episode when we're in person.

[John Patrick Cohen]

Do you want me to help?

[Aaron Keefe]

Yeah.

[John Patrick Cohen]

Well, you're listening to the Riddle Show. It's the show hosted by three average trolls. We got Aaron Keefe and Adora and John Patrick Cohen. What a guy.

[Adora]

He's just doing the rap from Revenge of the Nerds.

[Aaron Keefe]

Is that. Is my name in that? Oh, my God.

[John Patrick Cohen]

Truly wild to go back and watch Revenge of the Nerds now and hear Aaron Keefe's full name.

[Aaron Keefe]

Yeah, that's pretty crazy.

[Adora]

Oh, I just assume that's where your parents got the name is from the

[John Patrick Cohen]

rap from Revenge for the Nerds.

[Adora]

And here's a beat from me, Lamar, and then Booger's on like, the electric violin. Do you know what I'm talking about? Does everyone know what I'm talking about?

[John Patrick Cohen]

Yeah.

[Aaron Keefe]

I don't know if I've ever seen it.

[John Patrick Cohen]

It's a very famous set piece, end piece to Revenge of the Nerds.

[Aaron Keefe]

When we used to record in person, would we just, like, start an episode? Does anyone remember?

[John Patrick Cohen]

In fact, we've been starting episodes this whole time, Aaron. They. We always.

[Aaron Keefe]

I thought it was one big episode. It was one long episode.

[Adora]

I bet if we went back and listened 80% of the episodes we started, like, hey, yeah.

[Aaron Keefe]

Also, don't you think that if someone were to play you, like, if you put on headphones and they play you regular silence, I think that the silence that happens right before we start recording, you'd be able to feel the difference. Like, I think I'd be able to tell the difference between the two.

[Adora]

It's like, matte black. When you see a car that's painted with, like, matte black, you're like, that's sucking in sunlight versus just the silence

[Aaron Keefe]

before an episode sucks in so much energy. It's a black hole. There's a black hole on earth. It's in that moment, the conver.

[John Patrick Cohen]

And we were all just talking moments before we agreed that it would be time to start the episode. And then it hit a section of silence.

[Aaron Keefe]

But why should it feel any different? Do you know what I mean? Like, it's like how people overthink acting where all of a sudden you're like, no, you could act like a normal human being in your regular life. It's the separation that makes you stressed. We could just be talking. Look at us talking right now.

[Adora]

Maybe. Okay, Aaron, you comparing this to acting gave me an idea. Maybe we become method podcasters. I don't know what that means.

[Aaron Keefe]

Maybe we solve riddles in our real life. We drive our significant others crazy solving

[John Patrick Cohen]

riddles in real life. Did you?

[Aaron Keefe]

The crazy Abraham Lincoln voice? He did.

[Adora]

Adol keeps mailing me used condoms. I'm playing the Joker.

[Aaron Keefe]

Okay, That's a subscription service that you at. You signed up. Let's be for real.

[Adora]

That's maybe the funniest thing that's happened in human history is I can't remember who it was, but someone was like, oh, I'm playing Jared Lita. Well, I know that that's what that was. But somebody was playing something in a movie and was like, oh, I'm playing a starved person, so I'm not gonna eat for two weeks. And they were talking to Anthony Hopkins, and Anthony Hopkins was like, have you tried acting, dear boy? And I'm like, that's the funny. Like, you must feel so dumb to be like, oh, one of the best to ever do it is, like, I play pretend.

[John Patrick Cohen]

What do you do? I do think that it's like, whatever gets you into the character. But I think that there is just this level of pretension associated with method acting that is crazy.

[Aaron Keefe]

And it's always when guys are playing, like, shithead guys who are sleeping around and doing drugs or like, I should really put my whole ass into this one, guys.

[Adora]

Well, except for Dan J. Lewis. He goes and makes shoes for five years.

[John Patrick Cohen]

Yeah. But also, it's like when people do the radical body transformations for movie roles, too. Sure.

[Adora]

Vincent d' Onofrio in Full Metal Jacket.

[Aaron Keefe]

Christian Bale.

[John Patrick Cohen]

Christian Bale for the Machine Machinist, and then Batman and then Christian Bale for newsies. Christian Bale for everything that he does. He's like, wait, can I gain £60 for this? And there's no reason for that. And he's like, I'll do it. I'll do it. I do think that people like love and thunder. Yeah. I'm like, just take a space for you. Just like, just maybe change the way you say a word or something.

[Adora]

Like, don't have a Southern accent.

[John Patrick Cohen]

Yeah.

[Aaron Keefe]

You guys, that is a hot take.

[John Patrick Cohen]

Oh, Aaron. Aaron.

[Aaron Keefe]

You guys, I changed my mind about what I wanted to do today. I have stolen one of JPC's episodes called which means you can steal one of mine. You can take any of my concepts and do it.

[John Patrick Cohen]

Okay, great. I'm doing a relationship relationship.

[Aaron Keefe]

Great. I dare you very quick.

[Adora]

Sophie's choice.

[John Patrick Cohen]

Steal your best idea and you could have my worst.

[Aaron Keefe]

My best idea.

[John Patrick Cohen]

Okay, yeah.

[Aaron Keefe]

No. I've been loving hate relationship relationship the whole time. That is maybe my best idea. What was I talking.

[Adora]

Did you guys know for the role of Plomp that I don't enunciate.

[Aaron Keefe]

Oh man. Okay, 999 a thousand. Ready or not, here I come. Oh hey everybody. I'm just playing a quick game of hide and seek with Adol and JPC so you keep an eye out for them while I talk to you about quints. This past weekend I was out and about with my new Italian suede slouchy midnight blue bag. And I kid you not, several of the most beautiful cool looking women asked me where I got it and I got to go. Quints. It's super affordable. I want my everyday items to be classic and timeless and comfortable and easy and affordable. And that's why I shop at Quint's. Quint's has all the wardrobe staples for spring. Think 100% European linen shorts and shirts from $34. Lightweight, breathable and comfortable. But you're still going to look put together and clean. 100% prima cotton tees with a softness that has to be felt. Everything is priced 50 to 80% less than what you'll find at similar brands. Quince works directly with ethical factories and cuts out the middlemen. So you're getting premium materials without the markup. I love everything I have from Quince. I recently got sandals from them. I'm obsessed with their home stuff. If you're looking for basics like rugs or curtains, truly just the most timeless, classic, well made items are over there at Quint's. So check it out. Still not seeing Adler gpc. Starting to worry that they went to the movies or something. No, they're around. We'll find them. Refresh your everyday with luxury you'll actually use. Head to quince.com riddle for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Quince. Q U I n c e.com riddle r I---l e for free shipping and 365 day returns. That's a full year. Year. If it's a full year, you can decide. If you like it, you're gonna like it. Quince.com Riddle I found you. Oh no, sorry False alarm. Those are just two scarecrows eating dessert waffles. Onward and upward. Hello, everybody. It's me, Erin Keith, here to talk about my dog, Lou. I bet you've heard me talk about Lou hundreds, if not thousands of times on the show because I am obsessed with her. Fun fact about Lou, this past weekend in Palm Springs, she ran face first into a cactus and I did not handle it well. And if anyone gets being dog obsessed, it's Ollie. I love Ollie's dog food. They're relentless about delivering the best food and experience to your dog. And they give you a way to check in on their health over and over and over again. Ollie's fresh recipes are developed by real chefs and backed by vet nutritionists. They're obsessed with making the best meals in the highest quality in. From the moment you start your subscription, everything is tailored to your dog. The meals are perfectly portioned, and you get a puptainer cute and a scoop for easy storing and serving. With Ollie, you don't just get food through their app. You can actually check on your dog's health with real vets just by uploading a picture. Their team can check in on your dog's weight, digestion, teeth and coat because they're obsessed with making sure your pup is as healthy as can be. Lou's getting old and I just want her to be healthy and have the best life she can. Since switching to Ollie, Lou gets even more excited to eat. She clearly loves the food. And also, I just noticed she's got a little bit more energy. She's acting like a puppy again. And she's running into cactuses, cacti. And she's running into cacti full speed in the middle of the desert. Well, get ready for both you and your pup to be obsessed. Head to ollie.com riddle Tell them all about your dog and use code riddle to get 70% off your welcome kit when you subscribe today. Plus, they offer an obsession guarantee. If you're not completely obsessed, you'll get your money back. That's Ollie. O l l I-e.com riddle and enter code riddle rid Neely to get 70% off your first box. Isn't that right, Louis? I thought she would bark on cue. That would have been so awesome if she had barked. She didn't though. You didn't though, Lou. So I we asked for your hot takes to be emailed into HRR podcast and people delivered and the last time we read some of them out loud or one of the times we read some of them out Loud was in this very room last time we recorded in person, and we had one of our biggest fights. Minty Oreos.

[John Patrick Cohen]

It was. I mean, still, I just. It's like one of those things that I don't even feel strongly about, but I don't want to bring up, because I don't. There were. So the people came out of the woodwork about that hot take, the minty Oreos. Hot take.

[Adora]

I feel like the. The whole case is thrown out of court the minute you stop and realize they sell mint Oreos. Why would they. You know what I'm saying? Why would they sell mint Oreos if they're inherently.

[Aaron Keefe]

No. Well, they. They sell double stuf Oreos, and that doesn't mean their stuff was something else. It's just more of the same. Mint Oreos is like. And more of that minty taste you love.

[John Patrick Cohen]

I do think that Aaron's double stuff.

[Aaron Keefe]

I'm a lawyer.

[John Patrick Cohen]

It holds some water. I don't. I think it's the same as, like, holding water in your hand, though. Like, it's just. It's gonna drip out.

[Aaron Keefe]

It holds some cream.

[John Patrick Cohen]

It's temporary cream hands.

[Adora]

But they're just saying that. They're doubling it. They're not saying again.

[John Patrick Cohen]

I mean, it's like, why get back in the muck when we're standing down? We're all standing, looking at a pit full of mud.

[Aaron Keefe]

All I know is that episode made people in my life worry about me.

[Adora]

Now let's eat an Oreo and drink orange juice and tell me what happens.

[John Patrick Cohen]

So we're gonna get into listener hot takes. I don't think that thing about method acting that it's, like, unnecessary is necessarily a hot take. I think most people are like, yeah, this is kind of sucks. It's a weird thing for people to do. Do you guys have any other hot takes from your life or from things that you've noticed?

[Aaron Keefe]

Ooh, perhaps a new hot take.

[John Patrick Cohen]

Yeah, that's coming about. I'm trying to think, like, I think it's like a very, like, old man yells at clouds type of thing. Like, the older I get, the more I think. But this, to me, does feel true. I do think that people don't know how to exist outside anymore. I think, like, across the board, whether it's like going to a movie, driving a car, walking, like, places. I just think that, like, there has been probably post pandemic, some, like, massive degradation in the way that people exist in society. And, like, society's not collapsed, but it don't look.

[Aaron Keefe]

It don't look good.

[John Patrick Cohen]

It don't look good. You know, in gym class, did you ever do that thing where you all stood on, like, 30 kids, all have, like, handhelds on a bed, big sheet, or, like, a piece of canvas, and you pull it up as a parachute? It's like that. When you drop it down, it's not fallen right. You know, there's a whole side of it is coming down way too early. There's a big air pocket and another side. Like, that's what society is. And it's like, it's on its way down, but it hasn't fallen completely off yet.

[Aaron Keefe]

We have the same hot take. Because I said recently, I think we need to bring back etiquette classes and just change the curriculum from what they were teaching before. For all the same things that you're talking about, like stopping short in the middle of a sidewalk and turning the other way without pulling off to the side, not looking in the direction that you're walking. Has been happening so constantly. And I'm like, I think we need. And, like, not in. I'm, like, trying not to condescend. I'm like, maybe people literally don't know.

[John Patrick Cohen]

Yeah.

[Aaron Keefe]

And I think having an actual class that you go to, we talk about, like, having classes to learn how to do taxes and stuff, but I'm like, I think we need to learn, like, you don't answer the phone in the middle of a movie. Like, we need stuff like that.

[Adora]

There should be an etiquette class. Replace sidewalk. Don't stop and turn around in the middle of the sidewalk. There should be an etiquette class about how to move in a Costco.

[John Patrick Cohen]

Oh, my God.

[Aaron Keefe]

Because, oh, my God, every time I

[Adora]

walk around a Costco, I feel like I'm either surrounded by, like, drunk roombas or like, I'm in a Jamiroquai video

[Aaron Keefe]

where I'm like, it's everyone's first day on Earth.

[Adora]

Everyone is like, I'm like, you're swinging your cart around in the most insane. I'm like, if we all just move like humans, we'll get through this.

[John Patrick Cohen]

I gotta solve for Costco.

[Adora]

Yeah.

[John Patrick Cohen]

Because it's crazy in there. There should be a big banner when you enter Costco that says, you are now entering a chaos zone.

[Adora]

Yeah.

[John Patrick Cohen]

Laws do not exist in here because that's the way everybody acts. But everyone should be aware. Like, I shouldn't have to be mad about it. I should go. When I go in there, I should be, like, watching my flanks. It should be the Purge Snipers. Like, Purge Rules. Exactly. It should be purge rules in a Costco at all times. Just so that no one has to be like, this is. It should be better here.

[Adora]

Now, purge set in a Costco. Did we just write a movie?

[John Patrick Cohen]

Okay, now. Okay, now.

[Aaron Keefe]

I think that with a Costco, I know they have like senior hours for older people to shop.

[John Patrick Cohen]

Yeah.

[Aaron Keefe]

I think we're breaking it down. Every hour is a different age group and you just have to deal with your age group and then maybe it's a good hard look in the mirror what kind of time you're having there.

[Adora]

I'm almost tempted to invest in, like,

[Aaron Keefe]

is this cat peeing in my purse or just sitting on my purse?

[Adora]

I'd probably just sit. He likes to sit on backpacks. Oh, I love that when we record

[Aaron Keefe]

and stuff the cat.

[Adora]

I really hope he's not peeing. That would be.

[Aaron Keefe]

He just did a little cat, like, squat that looked a little pee like. And I was like, no, but that's great. That's a great spot, Aaron.

[Adora]

It's almost worth investing in, like Hollywood special effects, like Mrs. Doubtfire esque makeup to portray an elderly person to go shopping during those hours. Because I don't trust those freaks.

[Aaron Keefe]

I do not trust them any more than I can.

[Adora]

Same chaos, but slower. Same chaos, but slower.

[John Patrick Cohen]

1, 2, 3, 4.

[Aaron Keefe]

Hate riddle. Riddles.

[John Patrick Cohen]

Clue Crew. Listen to the rest of the episode now by starting your free 7 day trial at patreon.com heyriddle Riddle.

[Aaron Keefe]

Hi, I am Mandy Moore.

[John Patrick Cohen]

Sterling K. Brown.

[Adora]

And I'm Chris Sullivan. And we host the podcast that was Us now on Headgum.

[Aaron Keefe]

Each episode we're gonna go into a deep dive from our show. This is us.

[John Patrick Cohen]

That's right.

[Aaron Keefe]

We're gonna go episode by episode. We're also gonna pepper in episodes with different guest stars and writers.

[Adora]

And are we gonna cry?

[John Patrick Cohen]

Yes, a little bit. Are we gonna laugh a lot? A whole lot.

[Adora]

That's what I'm hoping. Man.

[John Patrick Cohen]

Listen to. That was us.

[Aaron Keefe]

On your favorite podcast app.

[John Patrick Cohen]

Or watch full video episodes on YouTube or Spotify. New episodes every Tuesday.

[Aaron Keefe]

Are you really buying a car online on autotrader right now? Really?

[John Patrick Cohen]

At a playground?

[Aaron Keefe]

Yeah, really? Look at these listings from dealers.

[John Patrick Cohen]

Wow, your search can really get that specific.

[Aaron Keefe]

Really?

[John Patrick Cohen]

And you just put in your info

[Aaron Keefe]

and boom, Car's in your budget. Mom needs a second. Honey, you can really have it delivered. Really? Or I can pick it up at the dealership. One sec, sweetie. Mommy's buying a car.

[John Patrick Cohen]

I think your kid is walking up the slot, Kyle.

[Aaron Keefe]

Again, really? Buy your car online. Really?