"I Said No Gifts!" with Bridger Winegar

Episode: Amy Silverberg Disobeys Bridger

Original Release: November 20, 2025

Episode Overview

Bridger Winegar welcomes comedian and author Amy Silverberg to the podcast for an early morning recording full of warm, offbeat conversation. As ever, despite Bridger’s persistent and insistent request (“No gifts!”), Amy arrives bearing something unique—a painting by her father. Their chat meanders through stories of dry heaving, dysfunctional mornings, the peculiarities of teaching Gen Z, their relationships with hobbies and gambling, and even a philosophical discussion on toilet paper orientation. The result is a hilarious, self-deprecating, and refreshingly honest exchange between two kindred spirits of neurotic comedy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Early Morning Woes & Pizza Party Disasters ([02:04]–[07:32])

• Bridger sets the scene by noting it’s their earliest ever recording (10:43am)—a time neither host nor guest is emotionally prepared for.
• Amy and Bridger commiserate over recent dry-heaving experiences: Amy’s food poisoning from a barbecue chicken pizza at a party (which turns out to have been her own birthday celebration), leading to a comedic breakdown of blame and distrust of Culver City pizza ([05:37]).
• They marvel at the divisive nature of barbecue chicken pizza, and Amy jokes about distancing herself from its selection.

Memorable Quote:

• Amy: “I'm putting all of Culver City on notice. Yes, the whole city.” ([06:54])

Phones, Social Media, and Gen Z Observations ([07:32]–[11:58])

• The pair discuss attempts at managing phone addiction, with Amy recommending the ScreenZen app and both acknowledging their “boomer” levels of technological expertise.
• Amy, currently teaching college creative writing, shares insights on her Gen Z students: they’re shy, internet-weary, and their writing classes devolve into ex-boyfriend FaceTime drama.
• They touch lightly on generational hand-wringing, with Bridger noting that “the advertisers are starting to turn their gaze towards Gen Alpha, and the rest of us are just continually losing power and sliding towards death.” ([11:44])

Relationships, Living Alone, and Private Lives ([14:00]–[16:21])

• Amy explains her preference for not living with her boyfriend, citing childhood trauma from a lack of privacy and a current need for space.
• Bridger reveals that he and his partner often sleep in separate beds—a choice both see as healthy and sanity-preserving.
• Their mutual therapy journeys, including shoutouts to Dr. Barbara, shed light on their self-awareness.

Memorable Quote:

• Amy: "Am I in therapy? Yeah. Shout out to Dr. Barbara." ([15:29])

Friendship, Advice, and the Art of Just Listening ([17:29]–[19:40])

• Amy is the quintessential “friend you call in the car,” offering a non-judgmental ear to friends’ endless L.A. problems—usually “problems with no solutions.”
• Both agree that friends don’t always want advice—just to be heard. On breakups: “If you insult the ex too much, then they get back together. You can’t be fully honest.” ([18:56])

Gifts: Amy's Dad’s Paint by Number Masterpiece ([24:26]–[27:44])

• The center of the episode is the unveiling of Amy’s “gift”: a Van Gogh paint-by-number painting created by her 80-year-old dad, Larry Silverberg.
• The discussion is loving but honest—Amy describes her father’s artistic journey as producing paintings “worse than the last,” though this one is “pretty good” by family standards.
• They riff on the beauty (and terror) of picking up a hobby later in life and debate the gift's ultimate fate (could it become a doormat?).

Notable Interaction:

• Amy (deadpan): “Honestly, you could put it on the ground as a mat.”
• Bridger: “A doormat.”
• Amy: “As a doormat, yeah.” ([27:17])

Hobbies: Poker, Gambling, and Rock Climbing ([28:38]–[48:02])

• Amy describes her passion for poker, her multiple casino memberships, and her community of “Filipino older men” friends she’s met at the tables.
• She’s a “nitty" (cautious) player, but has still experienced significant swings ($700 up, $600 down).
• Bridger confesses that, for him, gambling would become a stressful, joyless obligation—“If I lost $600, I would have to get a second job.” ([30:41])
• They touch on other hobbies—Amy's pottery class (where the instructor did all the actual work), Bridger’s brief stint with rock climbing, and their mutual lack of conventional creative outlets outside comedy.

Apocalyptic Fantasies & Survival Skills ([35:53]–[36:40])

• The duo debates how they'd fare in a post-apocalyptic world—both agree they wouldn’t make much effort to survive.
• Amy, as a type 1 diabetic, jokes that she’d be among the first to go: “Just eat me first.”

TV Trash and Guilty Pleasures ([41:11]–[44:27])

• Bonding over phone games (Amy: "Bubble Spinner, level 357… so creepy."), they discuss their reality TV obsessions with reveals like TLC’s “Poly Family" and “90 Day Fiancé.”
• Both have a soft spot for the “mean Russian women” taking advantage of hapless American men on reality TV.

“Gift or a Curse” Game ([55:20]–[64:04])

• A signature part of the show: Amy plays Bridger’s “Gift or a Curse,” making snap judgments with justifications on three divisive topics.
• She goes 0/3 (notably disagreeing with Bridger on Instagram gift posts, lo-fi instrumental music, and cakes with black icing), with each “wrong” sparking more comedic debate.

Philosophical Toilet Paper and Listener Q&A ([64:26]–[73:07])

• Producer Annalise introduces a bonus "Gift or a Curse": is it a gift or curse when someone replaces your toilet paper the “wrong” way? Spirited debate ensues—neither Amy nor Bridger understands why people care, while Annalise insists there is, in fact, a “correct” way ([67:32]).
• Listener Sarah asks for ideas for a gift for her sibling, who is on a theater tour—Amy and Bridger tongue-in-cheek suggest “a weapon and a bindle” to survive the open road, before considering practical ideas like a Swiss army knife or a nice dinner.

Reflections, Goodbyes & Takeaways ([73:08]–end)

• Bridger thanks Amy for contributing to his “enrichment,” and Amy promises future gifts of poker chips and books.
• The two trade genuine appreciation amidst laughter at their shared neuroses and failures.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On pizza parties and growing up:
  “I thought maybe that was the day you became a woman.” – Bridger ([06:18])
  “That was the day I became a woman. It was my bat mitzvah.” – Amy ([06:22])

• On not living together:
  “We don’t live together because I have some kooky beliefs… I need a lot of privacy.” – Amy ([14:39])

• On calling friends for support:
  “I call a friend and I listen to her problems… They’re problems with no solutions.” – Amy ([17:42])

• On Amy’s dad’s painting hobby:
  “Every painting he does is worse than the last. This one’s actually one of his better ones.” – Amy ([25:00])
  “I just think, actually, that it’s really beautiful to start a hobby late in life.” – Amy ([27:20])

• On apocalypse plans:
  "I'm a type 1 diabetic. Just eat me first." – Amy ([36:12])
  "I would loot. Absolutely. I would loot now.” – Bridger ([36:52])

• On classic L.A. topics:
  “Turns out we're ready to loot right now.” – Amy ([38:56])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 – Ads and theme
• 02:04 – Bridger introduces the show and sets the (sleepy) scene
• 04:54 – Amy joins, dry heaving and pizza party stories
• 10:28 – Teaching Gen Z, creative writing woes
• 14:39 – Relationships, privacy, and living alone
• 17:42 – Phone calls, listening to problems, and L.A. friend therapy
• 24:26 – Unwrapping Amy’s gift (dad’s paint by number)
• 28:52 – Poker, gambling, and casino tales
• 35:59 – Apocalypse planning (or lack thereof)
• 41:11 – Hobbies, phone games, TLC trash TV
• 55:20 – “Gift or a Curse” game
• 64:36 – Philosophical toilet paper debate
• 68:18 – Listener Q&A: gifts for theater siblings
• 73:08 – Closing gratitude and gentle roasting

Tone & Language

In classic "I Said No Gifts!" fashion, the tone is dry, self-deprecating, and intimate, with Bridger and Amy freely admitting their flaws and indulging in low-stakes confessions. There’s a camaraderie based on shared anxieties, L.A. irritations, and the joy of ribbing each other. The banter toes the line between silly and sincerely thoughtful throughout.

Summary for New Listeners

This episode is a quintessential “I Said No Gifts!” experience—if you’ve never listened, expect loose but sharp-witted conversations, an irreverent spin on the tradition of gift giving, and unfiltered takes on everything from pizza trauma to Vegas hedonism. Amy Silverberg’s deadpan delivery and Bridger Winegar’s affable neuroticism make for an hour-plus of gently cathartic fun.