George Civeris Disobeys Bridger

Summary

Podcast Summary: "I Said No Gifts! A Comedy Interview Podcast with Bridger Winegar"
Episode: George Civeris Disobeys Bridger
Release Date: March 13, 2025

---

Introduction

In this episode of "I Said No Gifts!", hosted by Bridger Winegar from iHeartPodcasts, Bridger welcomes George Civeris as his guest. As usual, Bridger insists on the podcast's rule: "No gifts!" However, George playfully defies this rule by bringing a present, setting the tone for a candid and humorous conversation.

Disobeying the No-Gift Rule ([02:25] - [04:43])

Bridger opens the episode by expressing his excitement about George joining despite the chaotic weather, attributing their safe arrival to a minor detour through Los Angeles neighborhoods:

Bridger ([02:25]): "I drove through 10 miles of Los Angeles neighborhoods. And it felt incredible."

George introduces himself, sharing his experience of staying alone in an Airbnb and encountering a woman at a coffee shop who requested only water—a rarity in today's complex coffee orders. This leads to a discussion about the simplicity of traditional orders versus today's intricate preferences.

Coffee Shop Complexities and Stereotypes ([03:27] - [05:20])

George reflects on the evolution of coffee orders, likening the trend to the horseshoe theory:

George ([04:02]): "We've become so complex in our specialty drink orders that it's now gotten like horseshoe theory..."

Bridger and George delve into how even the simplest coffee orders have become loaded with social and political implications, humorously touching on stereotypes and political labeling:

Bridger ([05:07]): "If you have more than four words in your order, I think you're starting to... You're closing in on conservative voter territory."

Politics, Gossip, and Celebrity Culture ([05:20] - [23:43])

The conversation shifts to politics, where George expresses frustration with shifting stereotypes and the muddling of traditional labels:

George ([05:34]): "Everything that used to be a sign of, like, hippie, dippy... is now, like, RFK coded."

They transition into discussing gossip culture, distinguishing between harmful interpersonal gossip and more constructive professional gossip. George critiques the trivial nature of most celebrity gossip, lamenting its lack of substance:

George ([07:40]): "I just have to make you feel better. George. Kristen Scott Thomas and Juliette Binoche were both nominated for the English Patient. Juliet Binoche won. Scott Thomas was just nominated."

Bridger brings up Neil Postman's "Amusing Ourselves to Death," prompting a deep dive into how entertainment has degraded meaningful discourse into mere trivia:

George ([22:51]): "Television and, by extension, new media has made information into entertainment... you learn all these things, but you don't learn them in context."

Book and Movie Critiques ([12:00] - [17:23])

George shares his disdain for certain popular books and their simplistic narratives, using "Where the Crawdads Sing" as a prime example:

George ([14:24]): "Where the Crawdads Sing. Yes, that's the one."

They critique how books are marketed for mass appeal rather than literary merit, expressing skepticism about their lasting impact and value.

Fashion Choices and Personal Insecurities ([20:00] - [58:09])

A significant portion of the episode touches on fashion, self-esteem, and societal expectations. George admits his struggle with being good at trivia, leading to deeper conversations about self-worth and social acceptance.

Bridger and George discuss the challenges of personal style, specifically sleeveless shirts, and the anxiety surrounding social acceptance:

Bridger ([74:36]): "This looks like rabbit food." George ([81:35]): "Because people have a hard time with TS&TZ, which appear in Greek a lot."

Their banter highlights the humorous yet relatable struggles of navigating fashion norms and personal identity.

The Gift Unwrapping Segment ([37:07] - [45:32])

George presents Bridger with a gift: a miniature adobe house from "Besties Vegan Paradise," complete with incense that doesn't "click" into place. The unwrapping process becomes a comedic exploration of the gift's imperfections:

Bridger ([38:37]): "It doesn't click into place. Which I found interesting, but also more charming."

They humorously debate the functionality and aesthetics of the gift, emphasizing the podcast's playful spirit.

Game Segment: Gift or Curse ([75:00] - [89:44])

Bridger introduces a game segment where they determine whether certain actions or items are a "Gift or Curse." Three items are presented:

1. Multiple Sneezes ([81:35] - [82:57])

   • George: Curse. He explains how multiple sneezes seem like an attention-seeking behavior.
   • Bridger: Corrected George, labeling it as a gift because it separates genuine attention from mere seeking.

2. Saying "TL;DR" in Conversations ([82:57] - [87:17])

   • George: Curse. He criticizes the intrusion of internet slang into real-life interactions.
   • Bridger: Correctly identifies it as a curse, emphasizing the annoyance it causes in verbal exchanges.

3. Rotten Tomatoes ([87:17] - [89:44])

   • George: Initially answers as a curse but later adjusts to align with Bridger's reasoning.
   • Bridger: Confirms it as a curse due to the meaningless nature of its scores in evaluating art.

Listener Question: Dealing with a Negative Mother-in-Law ([90:00] - [96:22])

A listener named Danny asks for advice on handling a mother-in-law who consistently turns conversations negative. Bridger and George offer candid, albeit rugged, perspectives:

George: "No. You think someone's gonna change?" Bridger: "People don't change."

They discuss the futility of trying to alter someone's inherently negative behavior, emphasizing the importance of setting boundaries and recognizing the unlikelihood of transformation.

Conclusion

Bridger wraps up the episode by encouraging listeners to engage beyond the recurring gift theme and to explore other topics and questions. He also plugs George's upcoming podcast special on April Fool's Day, blending sincere support with trademark humor.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Bridger ([02:25]): "I drove through 10 miles of Los Angeles neighborhoods. And it felt incredible."
• George ([04:02]): "We've become so complex in our specialty drink orders that it's now gotten like horseshoe theory..."
• Bridger ([05:07]): "If you have more than four words in your order, I think you're starting to... You're closing in on conservative voter territory."
• George ([22:51]): "Television and, by extension, new media has made information into entertainment..."
• Bridger ([37:07]): "Let's bring out the gift. It's in this beautiful little white bag."
• George ([74:36]): "This looks like rabbit food."
• Bridger ([81:35]): "Gift or a curse? When someone sneezes multiple times in a row."
• George ([82:57]): "I think just on a literal level, it feels like they're being possessed."
• Bridger ([87:17]): "Gift or a curse? Rotten Tomatoes."
• George ([89:04]): "I was wrong. Rotten Tomatoes is a curse."

---

Final Thoughts

This episode of "I Said No Gifts!" offers a blend of humor, personal anecdotes, and sharp social commentary. Bridger and George navigate through topics ranging from the trivial complexities of coffee orders to the deeper implications of gossip and media influence, all while maintaining the podcast's signature comedic flair. Listeners can expect a mixture of laughter, relatable frustrations, and thoughtful insights, making it a compelling listen even for those unfamiliar with the show.

Transcript

[George Severis]

This is exactly right.

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[Unknown]

When I invited you here, I thought I made myself perfectly clear. When you're a guest in my home, you gotta come to me empty handed. I said no guilt. Your presence is present enough. And I already had too much stuff, so how do you dare disobey me?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Welcome to I said no gift. I'm Bridger Weiniger. We're in the studio. We were supposed to be in the backyard, but Anneliese got in touch and mentioned something about flash flooding and the rain. And it is raining. I don't know about the flash flooding. I don't know if this is something Anneliese cooked up just to spend more time in Burbank as they love to do. But we're here in the studio. I drove over using surface streets. I took off highways on Google Maps and it took twice as long. It simply took 35 minutes compared to 17. I drove through 10 miles of Los Angeles neighborhoods. And it felt incredible. I'm here, safe. Our guest is safe. We're all safe for now. It's an absolute. I mean, it's just a. The storm outside is historic. I think we should get into the podcast because I love today's guest. It's George Severis. George, welcome to. I said no guests.

[George Severis]

Hello. It is an honor to be here. You are the first person I'm speaking to today.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What time did you wake up?

[George Severis]

I woke up at a normal time. Like, eight, maybe, But I'm in an Airbnb by myself. Actually, I did speak to the person that I ordered coffee from.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[George Severis]

And I went up to him right after a woman that went up to this is just a normal coffee shop. And she went up and she goes, do you guys have just, like, water? And I just thought it was, like, such a beautiful Los Angeles statement.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Did we know if she was thinking of like, she wanted a cup of water. She wanted a bottle of water.

[George Severis]

I think she ended up getting a cup. But it just was really such a. Like, we've become so complex in our specialty drink orders that it's now gotten. It's like horseshoe theory, where it's now actually the most insane thing you can order is just a glass.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Is the base of everything.

[George Severis]

Yeah. It's like how I, you know, I get dairy milk with my coffee. Sorry.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, boy. We can get into that, too.

[George Severis]

But there was a time, you know, now that Trump is back in office, dairy milk is legal again. But there was a time when you actually had to, like, ask if that was even offered in some places. So I had to become the girl that's like, do you guys have just, like, cow milk?

[Bridger Weiniger]

What is your order?

[George Severis]

My order, actually, I'm now just drip coffee, whole milk, which is the most basic. It's like, borderline Republican. It's like diner. I'm like, just an all American cup of coffee.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I don't feel like that is borderline Republican. I feel like, you know, going super extreme. If you have, like, more than four words in your order, I think you're starting to. You're closing in on conservative voter territory.

[George Severis]

Sure. I mean, I think it's tough because basically, what I have slowly realized, in the same way that, like, skinny jeans went from being gay to being straight, to being or whatever, like, to being truly, like, Republican.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes.

[George Severis]

Everything that used to be a sign of, like, hippie, dippy, you know, like New Mexico liberal or whatever is now is now, like, RFK coded.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's the weird. Yeah. Like spirituality, chiropractor. Everything has just become a complete muddy mess.

[George Severis]

Exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's impossible to tell what anyone is at this point.

[George Severis]

And so it's strange. I was thinking about. Sorry. I promise I'm not someone who talked about politics this much. I keep saying it's a politics problem. No, I'm actually going to stop. This is the last thing I was saying.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Welcome to Pod Safe America.

[George Severis]

This is the last thing I will say. But when Tim Walls, remember him? When Tim Walls thing was like, they're weird. We're normal, I was like, this feels like a real shift. Like, oh, so our thing. Our thing as the left is that we're normal. That's like. That is our official talking point. That cannot end well.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And, honey, it didn't. It simply didn't. But it's kind of true at this point.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

At least. Or maybe we're just boring.

[George Severis]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Maybe that's the word. We should be disagreeing.

[George Severis]

Which, again, can't be the messaging.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No one wants to be known as boring. I think the word he should have been using is pervert.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

We should have been labeling them pervert. That's kind of what weird was code for.

[George Severis]

Yeah. And then you're sort of reclaimed. I mean, it's tough because obviously the stereotype is, like, gay people are perverts. And now we're like, no longer perverts. No longer perverts.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm a pervert.

[George Severis]

Well, same. And that's the thing. It's like, how much ground are you willing to cede?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[George Severis]

To, like, prove that we're normal.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. And I don't know that there's even a model of normal at this point.

[George Severis]

I know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I think it's just literally, it comes down to minding your own business, which I've always been very good at.

[George Severis]

Yeah. I think.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Except for I'm also extremely nosy and a giant gossip.

[George Severis]

I know. How do you feel about the reclamation of gossip as no longer bad? Don't you think there's this thing. It started with people being like, gossip is feminist because it's like whisper networks.

[Bridger Weiniger]

The truth is being told, and the.

[George Severis]

Truth is being told.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's getting out somehow.

[George Severis]

And I feel like then that became almost, like, cliche, and now I don't know where we stand with gossip.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, it's weird with gossip because I think there was this giant drought of it during COVID when we were so separate.

[George Severis]

Totally.

[Bridger Weiniger]

We were. Whenever I would have a friend come over to the house, it was like News of the World. You were just Desperate to hear anything about any other person. And it felt it was so electrifying.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And now it just feels like it's almost entirely conversation at some. Like there's nothing else to talk about. I think it's also because still nobody's ever working. We're never in an office with each other. So, like, what used to be like this spicy thing during the day is now you're still kind of desperate to hear it. And it's almost always. I mean, it doesn't make you a better person in any way.

[George Severis]

No, no, it doesn't.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I still love to hear it.

[George Severis]

It's better than small talk.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes. But it almost is just essentially small talk. But that's kind of all anyone wants to hear anymore. Have you heard any gossip?

[George Severis]

I know. You know, for a while before it became public, I had heard about the Barack Obama Jennifer Aniston rumor. And I really was like, every time people would be like, do you have gossip? I'd be like, boy, do I. Like for months. And now I can no longer have that as. And then people are like, do you believe it? And I'm like, it's not about that for me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, that, that and that rumor has also taken on new life in other categories, which I feel like we can't even talk about. And they're not. Again, this is also goes back to minding your own business sort of thing where it's like, if I had heard. If I just knew Barack and knew Jennifer Aniston as people who were not public figures. I met you not.

[George Severis]

Oh, they're great. You would love them. You would love Barack.

[Bridger Weiniger]

They dropped you off at the studio.

[George Severis]

Yeah, yeah. No, Jen always is driving me around.

[Bridger Weiniger]

She was the person asking about water this morning.

[George Severis]

It's her guest room. I'm staying at my Airbnb that I was talking to you about. She actually needs some extra income and she's been renting out her guest room. She's in this two bedroom. She has a housemate and it's just them and the dogs and it's always nice to be there. You know, she. And she always has whole milk for me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's tough times in Hollywood, but it is one of these things where, like, if they weren't public figures, I'd be like, yeah, they're in an open. Or somebody's in an open relationship. I don't care. Yeah, it sounds like they're having a wonderful time. They're both great looking people. But it. Well, and then celebrity gossip is also. Also kind of boring to me.

[George Severis]

I agree.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Because it's.

[George Severis]

I don't care.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Has no effect on me whatsoever. I might as well be talking about fictional characters.

[George Severis]

Here's a question for you. Do you care more about gossip that's like cheating interpersonal marriages or gossip that's more like professional? This person got a book deal but didn't submit a draft. Like that kind of thing.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That sort. I'm more interested in professional. And they're just generally a bad person or bad behavior.

[George Severis]

I agree. And I actually think that is the more moral type of gossip.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Absolutely. Because I do it.

[George Severis]

Yes. And well, of course. But then also the other type of gossip, to care to think cheating and like, non monogamy is scandalous. You actually have to have conservative family values.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You have to essentially have the brain of a child.

[George Severis]

Exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's like you just don't understand that relationships are complicated. Everything is complicated in that way.

[George Severis]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Whereas the other sort of gossip, it's like, if you're acting like a shithead, it's pretty cut and dry. You're just being a bad person. And I love to talk about it. Or if you're like, see now, there is so much gospel I would love to talk to you about right now. There are, like, certain specific things I've heard about recently.

[George Severis]

We just. Excuse. I recently heard someone who wrote a terrible book got $600,000 advance on it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, no.

[George Severis]

And I've been telling everyone I know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, can you say their name and we could beep it? Or is this just something we can talk about after the podcast?

[George Severis]

You know, I wonder if it's someone you would know. It is actually a fellow podcaster, but not a fellow comedian. So it's not someone in our media community, but I'm sure. Okay, can I say, then we'll beep it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I mean, on Sam, your co host, it's Sam Taggert. Famously, his is the only episode of the show we've beeped in other names.

[George Severis]

Really?

[Bridger Weiniger]

We might as well have it be matchy.

[George Severis]

Ooh, okay. Yes, let's beep it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's interesting. Oh, what a shame.

[George Severis]

It would be iconic if then you just didn't beep it. And then this random person that I literally have never met in my life was, like, furious at me because I a said their book was terrible. That wasn't some sort of pronoun joke, by the way. I'm just, like, wanting to hide their identity.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes, of course. And we, Annalise, will tastefully beep and edit this to make it exactly what it needs to be.

[George Severis]

No, it's funny. Okay. Actually, now I'm going to stop talking about it because if I keep talking about it, then we're going to have to keep beeping it. The point is one of my favorite types of gossip, which is also, I feel like a very New York kind of gossip, is gossiping about specific number. Like what people got paid for their book deals. Of course, for books that, like, ultimately no one will read. Like, no one reads books unless it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Is the thing that became the Blake Lively movie.

[George Severis]

Yes. Well, of. Yes. And fiction is different. Cause it can be optioned, Right.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I mean, it's almost built to be optioned.

[George Severis]

Fiction is sort of basically like a pitch document.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, it truly is.

[George Severis]

It's crazy sometimes. Cause I will. Even though I know new novels are mostly bad, I do fall for the marketing campaigns and I'll read them. And I'm like, this is at a second grade reading level. And it's like, right. It's made for Ryan Murphy to buy it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's made to be easy so people will read it.

[George Severis]

Yes. And so specifically Hollywood people will read it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

The dumbest people alive will. Yeah, I fall for it for that reason. And because I'm like, well, everyone else is reading it, so I need to know what's going on.

[George Severis]

I know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And then it's just this massive waste of time and I'm mad. The biggest example of this, and I can't. I mean, I only read probably 10 pages before being like, wait, oh, I know what's going on. Was there was like a big New York Times thing about the fireflies or what was that thing that was that horrible? I mean, it's truly a bad piece of literature that became.

[George Severis]

Oh, I know what you're talking about. Is it the. Wait, is it the one that.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What's it called? Set in a swamp or something?

[George Severis]

The Fireflies of Swamp.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I remember it was just this huge thing about it becoming like a runaway bestseller. And I was so curious and I started reading. I was like, oh, yeah, it's because most people literally stop reading books in 8th grade and God bless. But that's all they're capable of. And so the big books become these things that are written for young adults.

[George Severis]

I actually feel so alienated from it because I was about to say the sentence. I think of myself as a reader. Please bleep that. But like, whatever books are. This book.

[Anneliese Nelson]

Where the Crawdads Sing.

[George Severis]

Yes, that's the one. I was, okay. Where the Crawdad Sing.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Close enough. Fireflies in the Swamp.

[George Severis]

Where the.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Thank You.

[George Severis]

Yeah. Craw. What is it?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Where the crawdads sing.

[George Severis]

Right. And they made a movie out of that with. It's like, not Blake Lively, but it might as well have been bloody.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's the person from Big Little Lies. What's her name? Shailene.

[George Severis]

Shailene. Yes. By the way, Shailene. Very good on stage. I saw her on stage and she was very good.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What was she doing on stage?

[George Severis]

She's in the. She was on Broadway right now on a show called Cult of Love. It's written by Leslie Hedlund, and it actually, I just read, is being made into a film.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. And again, another thing that's kind of a pitch document. It's like, here's a proof of concept. Can we make it on TV or film?

[George Severis]

Yeah. Okay, so wait, you were talking about something before as we're. Well, whatever.

[Bridger Weiniger]

We were talking about gossip books.

[George Severis]

I feel alienated by, like, when I look at what is selling well, like, it's. Romantasy is the big.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, yeah, it's huge.

[George Severis]

So Romantasy is huge. I don't even know a single title. But if that's like, what everyone's reading.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But you can almost, like, the second you see a title of a book, you're like, oh, that's. That must be romantasy.

[George Severis]

Yes, 100%. And of course, the woman who wrote Blake Lively movie.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes.

[George Severis]

Colleen Hoover.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Colleen Hoover. Colleen. Colleen.

[George Severis]

Colleen. Colleen. I would actually love to be named Colleen and be like. It's actually pronounced Colleen.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Colleen.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And then there's, like, there will rare just very occasionally be a book that breaks through that's like Sally Rooney. Yeah, like Sally Rooney, but other than that. And again, Sally Rooney is an interesting one because her. I think her writing is. I. I really love her writing novels. But it's also very clean prose and easy, not in a bad way, but, like, it's not. Well, her latest is probably difficult for people to read. There's a little bit more.

[George Severis]

It's the only one I haven't read.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Almost stream of consciousness or like you're in different people's heads at different times. So it's probably her most challenging for the general reader. But she's one of the few that can actually break through.

[George Severis]

I know. It's like. And it's sort of the best we can hope for. I actually really don't like it when people shit on Sally Rooney because I'm like, do you understand how she's the only one we have?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I know. True. We have got to support this.

[George Severis]

There Is one smart woman writing books that are being read? There are many smart women writing books, but only one is being read. And at the end of the day, they are good.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes. And she's writing to her own intelligence level and saying the things that she wants to say.

[George Severis]

Saying the things she wants to say, not appealing to some like, yes, her books have become series and films and whatever, but I think she's challenging herself with each one.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes. And I mean, I think it also helps that they're sexy.

[George Severis]

Yes, they are sexy.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Almost everyone has something that's relatively sexy. You get to picture, like an Irish hunk.

[George Severis]

Totally.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And I think that helps in some way.

[George Severis]

I agree.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This latest one has two Irishmen, so hopefully that'll help.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. It's stock up savings time now through March 25th. Spring in for store wide deals and earn four times the points. Look for in store tags to earn on eligible beverage items from San Pellegrino and Pepsi or breakfast favorites like Chobani, Greek yogurt, Dan and Oikios yogurt and Pete's Coffee, plus many more. Then clip the offer in our app for automatic event long savings. Stack up those rewards to save even more restrictions apply. Visit Albertsons or Safeway.com for more details.

[Debbie]

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[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, wow, a real person. Yep.

[Debbie]

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[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, I've got a complicated project.

[Debbie]

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[Bridger Weiniger]

I didn't realize you did that.

[Debbie]

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[George Severis]

Wow.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I mean, I always thought I needed a designer to come to my home.

[Unknown]

But scheduling's always a nightmare.

[Debbie]

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[Bridger Weiniger]

Hmm.

[George Severis]

I just might have to do more.

[Debbie]

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[George Severis]

Okay, then. So the first room we're looking at is for guests. Coming up.

[Debbie]

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[George Severis]

Chess is challenging for me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, sure, sure.

[George Severis]

Because it makes me feel dumb.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, of course.

[George Severis]

Which is also how you'll buy crossword puzzles.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, interesting. I can do a mini crossword, but I refuse to do a big crossword.

[George Severis]

So my husband is one of those people that, like, has been doing it for decades and, like, prides himself on his time record or whatever. And, like, every morning, like, in bed, he does it in six minutes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wow, that's amazing.

[George Severis]

And when we were first dating, I was like, I'm gonna try to impress him by starting to do it myself. And I was so bad at it, it actually made me resent him. I was like, I don't why this person makes me feel bad.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But the thing about crosswords, the big secret is that it is a puzzle that you learn how to do 100%, which. And nothing about your husband.

[George Severis]

Totally.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But it's not entirely about intelligence.

[George Severis]

Yeah, no, he's a complete idiot.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And see, I mean, the guy's a moron.

[George Severis]

He's just literally, like, pressing buttons like a monkey.

[Bridger Weiniger]

He's barely functioning. He just figured out how to do this one thing.

[George Severis]

No, I mean, that's also what he says. But then I'm like, okay. But then even that shows the level of commitment.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Commitment is my problem.

[George Severis]

Same.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I refuse to commit to anything that's difficult or will take any level of time.

[George Severis]

No, I feel the same way. And I actually don't know how to fix that, and that's why I'm here.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Do you play connections?

[George Severis]

I have. I definitely am more into something like that than the crossroads. I do. Like, I went through a wordle affairs like everyone else. I do spelling bee occasionally.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, sure.

[George Severis]

And I can get into that kind of thing, but I've never been. Okay, let me know if you. If this, like, resonates. There's a type of gay guy that's like, it's like word games, trivia. Like I used to be part of this thing called Learned League, which is like a trivia league. Do you know anyone who does it? No, it's. It's one of these like kind of nerdy trivia things. And then you find out this person you thought was normal is randomly amazing at trivia.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[George Severis]

And I tried doing it. I would always be like in the bottom, like fifth of all rankings. And I was like, this is just making me feel bad about myself, of course. But then I've been reading. Have you ever read Amusing Ourselves to Death?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes, of course.

[George Severis]

Okay. So I've been reading it for the first time because I thought maybe it would make me feel saner about like social media and stuff. It's not.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I mean it was written in the 80s.

[George Severis]

In the 80s, but it is still very relevant.

[Bridger Weiniger]

A lot of it's extremely relevant.

[George Severis]

But one thing that he says which I think is interesting is that like television and you know, by extension new media has made information into entertainment and that gave rise to like trivia culture and like Trivial Pursuit and things like that. Cause it's like you learn all these things, but you don't learn them in context and you don't learn them as part of like a broader worldview. You just know little facts.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[George Severis]

And all that prepares you for rather than being like an informed citizen is just like being good at trivia. And so that made me think like, oh, so it's actually like flop to be good at trivia. Like so I'm, I'm actually the smart one for reading. Like for, you know, reading, let's say like a couple of books where I learn about a topic in depth but not having broad trivia knowledge. And people that know trivia are basically, sorry. Amusing themselves to death, per Neil Postman.

[Bridger Weiniger]

They have, there's nowhere for that information to go for them. Yeah, they have, they have no actual skills. They're essentially worthless to society.

[George Severis]

Totally.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Except for they're kind of fun at parties or really annoying at bar trivia nights.

[George Severis]

Yes, 100%.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I mean, I will say. Well, I won't say that this for all people who are really good at trivia, but a lot of people I know who are good at trivia are largely deeply unpleasant people to be around.

[George Severis]

Well, it extends to other parts of their personality because it's like a, it's a sort of. You gotta be number one.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. Yes.

[George Severis]

And it's very. Gotta catch em all. But with like, pieces of information with everything. And I don't know. I used to think of myself, for example, as someone who, like, knew about the Oscars. And then you meet other gay guys and you're like, forget it. Fucking Christ. Like, I just knew that, like, you know, Juliette Binoche won for the English Patient. Wait, no, wait, no, that is not. Wait, that's not Juliette Binoche, is it?

[Bridger Weiniger]

To be like, you're exposing both of you.

[George Severis]

Is it Kristen Scott Thomas?

[Bridger Weiniger]

That seems closer to me.

[George Severis]

It's Kristen Scott Thomas, but no, she.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Must have won for something.

[George Severis]

She definitely, definitely have.

[Bridger Weiniger]

She's. I mean, she's.

[George Severis]

She went for Chocolat, maybe. Wow. This.

[Bridger Weiniger]

She was great.

[George Severis]

Do you actually know about the Oscars?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I know so little about the Oscars. I mean, I have a very hard time. For whatever reason, my brain cannot consume celebrity names.

[George Severis]

Sorry, English Patient.

[Bridger Weiniger]

English Patient. What'd you say?

[George Severis]

Did I say English Patient?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I feel like you said. What other patient could you have possibly said that?

[George Severis]

I don't know. All right, go ahead. I'm actually. We're beeping all of that. Go ahead.

[Bridger Weiniger]

There's going to be a lot. It's going to sound like a flash flood warning to the listeners. Large Amber Alert. I don't know anything about, Like, I have a very hard time holding celebrity names in my head or celebrity facts, even about celebrities I really love. And I don't understand why.

[George Severis]

I think that. It's like, whatever I learned by the age of, like, let's say, 27 is really burned in there.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes.

[George Severis]

I certainly can't learn about any of the new ones. The other day, someone was trying to talk to me about Brianna Chicken Fry. Do you know? Does that resonate with you?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I don't know who this is.

[George Severis]

It is apparent I can't even get into it, but it's apparently, like, a barstool sports podcaster who used to date a country musician, and they've had drama that is, like, on the front page of every tabloid and everyone somehow knows about her.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Is Chicken Fry her real last name?

[George Severis]

It is not her real last name, but it's a name she, like. I think maybe people, like, called her that and then she, like, reclaimed it, and now she's Brianna Chicken Fry. I mean, it is sort of an iconic name, I guess. Of course, I would love to be named Brianna Chicken Fry. Maybe I would be, like, you know, on every billboard if that was the name.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, that's a name I'll be able to remember for the rest of my life.

[George Severis]

Exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Because one of those Things is not a name.

[George Severis]

Right.

[Anneliese Nelson]

Also, I just have just to make you feel better. George. Kristen Scott Thomas and Juliette Binoche were both nominated for the English Patient. Juliet Binoche won. Scott Thomas was just nominated. So you were.

[George Severis]

Okay, I got two. Wow. So I'm basically Louis Fertel. That's like my go to. For someone who knows a lot about Louis Vertel.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I mean, the mind is.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's an absolute.

[George Severis]

I know. It's crazy.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's really wild what he's able to conjure. Yeah. Deeply unpleasant person. Just one of the worst. No, like, I think. And going back to trivia a little bit, I think maybe you can relate to this as a gay person. Like, growing up, you're probably during trivia games with friends, usually probably the best at it, which probably inflates your ego in some way. And then you get out into the real gay world, and that's when you really get demolished. You come out being like, well, I know some pop culture trivia and a little bit, I was decent enough in history.

[George Severis]

Yeah. I mean, so here's the thing, though. My parents are both engineering PhDs, so that creates a different element to all of this, which is growing up and I'm the only one in my family who did not pursue the sciences. I was always like. It's like everyone else would know about the details of mathematical the sort of math and science part of Trivial Pursuit or whatever it's called, and I would be struggling. And my mom is a huge history buff and has very encyclopedic knowledge of geography, and so she would, like, shame us for not knowing country capitals and stuff. So actually, to your point, I grew up being very insecure that I didn't know that stuff. And I'd be like, well, at least I know who won the Oscar for the English Patient. And then as soon as I graduated from being with my family to being around gay people, I also felt insecure about not knowing enough about Juliette Binoche.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So I've actually never felt no self worth whatsoever.

[George Severis]

I've never felt self confident about trivia.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, I just kind of. I guess I tried to avoid it at this point. And we'll just be very quiet during Jeopardy until I know an answer. And then when I. Even when I know an answer on Jeopardy, I don't really say it because then it's apparent that I didn't know any of the other answers. Yeah, no, I'm just not meant for that world. I don't know where I'm meant to be. And hopefully I'LL find it someday.

[George Severis]

Same. I mean, we're running out of time.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm rapidly running out of time.

[George Severis]

It's crazy.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I feel like it's basically. I basically am the person I'm going to be until I die. And I. Am I happy with it? Probably not, right?

[George Severis]

I know I go back and forth. When you wake up, are you. We're on a good track.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Currently. Yeah, that's a very good question. I feel like we're in such a period of. This is kind of a true answer of like what is going on anywhere. It's hard to base where my life is in any respect.

[George Severis]

I agree. It's weirdly like a. It's almost like a death of all context or something.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes.

[George Severis]

Every move I make and every word I say exists in a vacuum.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It means nothing.

[George Severis]

Yeah. It actually goes back to the weird versus normal thing. I'm like, what is normal?

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's nothing.

[George Severis]

It's nothing.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's nothing. I don't even aspire to another person that I'm like, oh, that person seems pretty normal.

[George Severis]

Okay, so two things. A, exactly what you're saying. I don't aspire to anyone else's life or existence. Wait, what was the second thing I was gonna say? Fuck. Damn. Okay. It's gonna come to me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. I feel like maybe the like, outside of me, the two categories people fall into this point are either boring or psycho.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And so I'm like, well, I don't wanna. What am I supposed to do? And I'm certainly not going to become my own thing.

[George Severis]

I know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So what's the third option here?

[George Severis]

Oh, I know what I was gonna say. So A, you can't aspire to anyone else's life. And B, there are no leaders that you like. There are no moral or even rhetorical leaders in the way that it used to be that basically public intellectuals. Who am I? Look, okay, so all these crazy things are happening. Who am I looking to? Who's the Noam Chomsky.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes. Who will bring some comfort to this situation?

[George Severis]

And you know when you watch old clips of like a Susan Sontag or something, you're like, oh, people would turn on the TV and just watch this.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Listen to the whole.

[George Severis]

On primetime. And now we have Brianna Chicken Fry.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And the only reason we know about her is some other thing that she's not even famous.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Like, what information am I supposed to derive from the chicken Fry family?

[George Severis]

Total. Yes, exactly. Or even like at least you could be like, oh, we used to have like Jon Stewart. I mean, I know, Jon Stewart is still alive, but it's like, times are different. Okay? I'm not actually being comforted. As much as I love and respect Jon Stewart, I'm not actually being comforted.

[Bridger Weiniger]

He went away for a very long time, and now he's come back, and I'm like, I don't even know what. It's a pet cemetery situation where I'm like, I don't even know. And also, I don't. I'm not gonna watch a full episode.

[George Severis]

Of the Daily Show.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What are we talking about? I'll see a random clip and. And then again, going back to amusing ourselves to death, it's like, well, if I didn't know any of these people or any of the things we're saying, would it have any effect on what I'm doing right now?

[George Severis]

I'm so glad that amusing ourselves to death got, like, a big response from you because it could have gone so easily in the other direction.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I would. So I see some tissue boxes on here. What should we talk about? This. It's. No, it's a very good book.

[George Severis]

It's great.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And there are a few kind of rusty things you come across, but of course, it's 40 years old or something.

[George Severis]

Yeah. I mean, it's very funny to remember which things people had moral panics about. Like, he loves. I'm on a chapter where he's talking about, like, religion on television and, like, televangelism, and it's like, oh, boy. Like, you have no idea how bad it's gotten. Imagine him, like, introducing him to the concept of a megachurch.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, he would have. No, they're in arenas.

[George Severis]

Yeah, they're in arenas.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Like, bigger than rock concerts.

[George Severis]

It's crazy.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Weekly rock concerts with. I don't know. I don't know. Well, I feel like there's something else we should talk about. I don't want to. I didn't even. I've been trying to delay, delay, delay, because I'm not comfortable bringing this up on my podcast. But you're here. I feel like we should just get through this as quickly as possible. I was excited to have you here today. I thought, George will come on the podcast. We'll have you know, we'll catch up, talk about things that are important to us and the listener, and move on with our days. So I was a little shaken, borderline upset when you walked into the studio. The podcast is called I said no Gifts. I feel like you must know that you were holding a gift.

[George Severis]

I was. Yeah. I sort of am. So irony poisoned. That I actually do the opposite of what I masked at all times. And so I thought, consider it my edgelord tendencies. I said, I'm gonna fucking bring him a gift.

[Bridger Weiniger]

When you're not on a message board, you're taking that behavior.

[George Severis]

I have a Reddit personal. I would say I might not be good at trivia, but I am good at saying slurs on the Internet.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Can we take one moment, though, and talk about how Reddit has had such an interesting for decades. I thought, horrible website run by men I would not listen to in any way. And now I'm crawling to it for any sort of real information.

[George Severis]

I know. It's kind of crazy, isn't it?

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's humiliating for me.

[George Severis]

Yeah. Reddit is such a fascinating part of the culture too, because its influence spreads so far. I'm a huge tennis fan and I always think about the fact that Serena Williams is married to the founder of Reddit.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I didn't know that.

[George Severis]

And it's like, it just goes. It's like. And also, I don't know much about him, so please don't come for me. But I'm like, compared to so many other tech CEOs and tech founders, he actually seems relatively normal and is married to Serena Williams, which is more than I can say for Elon Musk. And so it's like, then also Reddit had like one of the first female CEOs, which is so. So goes against their, like, the sort of reputation they have in the public room. Yeah. It weirdly is one of the only social media platforms that wasn't like, overtaken by advertisements and like, promoted content and just like slop.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[George Severis]

Like, Instagram is a hellhole.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It is so awful, so unbelievably poisonous in literally every way. It's crazy and it's become inescapable, but I don't know what to do with that aspect of my life. I wish I wasn't tied into it professionally.

[George Severis]

No. Every day I wish I. And also sometimes I'm like, is that even a cop out that I even pretend I am right?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Does that have any effect? Yeah, I don't know. But what if it does?

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[Bridger Weiniger]

Let's bring out the gift. It's in this beautiful little white bag.

[George Severis]

I would say the store that it's from is very misleading because it's actually has nothing to do with read.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What have I never heard of this? It's called Besties Vegan paradise.

[George Severis]

Correct.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Is it a vegan grocery store?

[George Severis]

So it is a vegan grocery store or like a vegan sort of specialty food store that also sells hot dogs.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[George Severis]

But they also do in fact have non vegan hot dogs. Oh, which is strange.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's a huge line for us.

[George Severis]

On the one hand, obviously it's great to appeal to more communities and to be inclusive. But don't call yourself a vegan paradise if you specifically do also have hot dogs which are like of the most meat forward types of meat.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You can have palatable vegan hot dogs and sausages. Vegan. I feel like almost no one can tell the difference.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So why bother with a real hot Dog there. Is it a cost cutting measure?

[George Severis]

I honestly think it's that. I think vegan businesses realize very early on that actually the vegan population is much smaller than they think.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. That's gotta be a rude awakening when you, like, open the doors. Yeah.

[George Severis]

So I think. And then hot dogs honestly are probably pretty cheap.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right?

[George Severis]

They already have the toppings. I'm sure the toppings are vegan. Anyway, I don't want to delay this further. The point is, the gift has nothing to do with vegan or food.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, great. I hope it's just a non vegan hot dog at the bottom.

[George Severis]

They also have, like, little knickknacks and stuff.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[George Severis]

I mean, it's a store in Los Angeles, so, you know, they're gonna sell candles.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, let's reach in here.

[George Severis]

And I try to go for maximum unwrapping potential.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, I love. Thank you. The listener appreciates that. I appreciate it.

[George Severis]

And it's especially crinkly, I would say.

[Bridger Weiniger]

The painting. I know. I love this. I just don't even want to look at this. I kind of just want to pet the wrapping. Okay.

[George Severis]

And it's multiple parts.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. Oh, should I take them out in particular order?

[George Severis]

No, no. I mean, it's like it all comes together. Okay, so see, that's the most exciting part.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is kind of a. Should I describe it yet?

[George Severis]

Sure.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Like a little adobe house.

[George Severis]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

With a ladder. And should we talk about this or should I keep opening?

[George Severis]

Keep opening, Keep opening. It's a little miniature house.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. Yeah, it's a miniature house with a little chimney.

[George Severis]

It's apparently made in New Mexico, so it sort of has that, like, New.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Mexican vibe like we were talking about earlier.

[George Severis]

Yes, exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Circling back to Anti Vax.

[George Severis]

Yes. It's an Anti Vaxx woman selling her wares. So that's the bottom. You can put it on top.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. Like this. Okay.

[George Severis]

The one thing is it doesn't, like, click into place.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, it does not click into place at all.

[George Severis]

It does not click into place. Which I found interesting, but also more charming.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Does it click into place at.

[George Severis]

No. I know, because I tried in the store and I had to accept that it doesn't. There is one more thing in the bag.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It simply doesn't. It just makes it look lopsided.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It looks like the house is built on a bad boundary, but that's how.

[George Severis]

You know it's, you know, handmade.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Authentic.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[George Severis]

So basically these are like incense that you put in it. That's what it is.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This looks like rabbit food.

[George Severis]

It definitely looks like ore rabbit droppings.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Can I smell them?

[George Severis]

Sure. I haven't. Do they smell good?

[Bridger Weiniger]

They don't smell like anything. I have a bad sense of smell, though.

[George Severis]

Let's see. I think they maybe will only smell when you light them.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Unless they're burned.

[George Severis]

Yeah, No, I definitely am not smelling.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, so you put these at the.

[George Severis]

Here. I think you put them there. You can also cut them in half if you want.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I was told if you want to be thrifty.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's. Again, they don't click in Santa Fe. Yeah. So it almost feels like a fire hazard.

[George Severis]

Totally.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Because sparks will be flying out of them. Yeah. I love this, but did this come from vegan paradise?

[George Severis]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So you were kind of just browsing.

[George Severis]

So here's what I'll say. I can tell you my thought process. I was like, obviously, the prompt to get you a gift. To quote, unquote, not get you a gift.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I don't know.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Beep.

[Bridger Weiniger]

All of that is beeped.

[George Severis]

Again, the prompt for a.

[Anneliese Nelson]

Lighter for you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, there's a lighter on the lease. Should we light it?

[George Severis]

Yeah, let's light it. I would love to see how it works.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is unbelievable. I didn't think we'd be allowed to light a thing. I mean, this could lead to some sort of disaster.

[George Severis]

I'm really not an incense type person, so. Okay. So it's being lit, I think.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Do you just burn it a little bit?

[George Severis]

I think you burn it a little bit, and then it just starts, and.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Then it just smokes.

[George Severis]

Yeah, that was enough.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I just want to look into the camera.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[George Severis]

And then it sort of comes out of the chimney.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It'll come out of the chimney. How much do I need to burn it? I'm not seeing any smoke yet. Oh, I see a. Ooh, now I'm burning my thumb, which is. Okay, let's see if.

[George Severis]

Damn. Maybe if I. Oh, but I smell it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You smell it?

[George Severis]

Do you?

[Bridger Weiniger]

And again, I. Okay. It's almost like a cedar.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Cedar chip. I really want it to keep going, but.

[George Severis]

I know. Same.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I should not be allowed to use a lighter. I'm not.

[George Severis]

I think just, like, keep.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Just keep going for a minute. Yeah.

[Anneliese Nelson]

So you just keep. Just until it catches on fire, basically in the.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, Annalise is trying to vacate the studio, essentially. I mean, you.

[George Severis]

Oh. Oh, there we go.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, here we go. Okay, it's on fire.

[George Severis]

And now it'll.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This'll all be great.

[Anneliese Nelson]

Now blow it out.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, I blow it out.

[George Severis]

Okay. Oh, there.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Drama.

[George Severis]

Okay, now oh, and now it's. Okay. That is stunning.

[Bridger Weiniger]

There we go. Oh, and it's got the smoke. It's a very cozy little place. Okay, now.

[George Severis]

And you know what? I know it doesn't click, but you've actually placed it in a really great way where it looks intentional, I think. Yeah, it's not lobster.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Now I'm starting to wonder if it's not supposed to click. I wonder if it's supposed to.

[George Severis]

No, it's definitely not supposed to click.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But, like, almost on.

[George Severis]

Oh, as in, like, you want the smoke to just be clear. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I wonder if there's some sort of design element where they.

[George Severis]

That makes sense.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I can't speak to lighting fires or how any of this works, but it looks intentional now.

[George Severis]

Definitely. I actually think it looks really amazing. Okay, so do you want me to tell what you have thought process so, you know, the prompt is wow. The smell is actually pretty overwhelming.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is as close to a Joe Rogan episode as possible. I've got a cigar in my mouth.

[George Severis]

Yes. So I was like, all right. Getting a gift. There is something that feels so desperate as a comedian to go to be like, what can I get that's so crazy that it's like, oh, I'm getting you a giant dildo. And, like. Or, you know, I'm getting, like, a big, giant sombrero. Like, you know, the instinct, of course, is to go big and to be either, like, borderline offensive or so alt comedy that it's like, I got you a paperclip.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. And then it's literally not a conversation topic.

[George Severis]

And so I was like, okay, maybe the most radical thing I can do is get, like, a cliche, faceless, completely lacking personality. Like, housewarming gift. Like a candle, a picture frame, something like that.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right, right.

[George Severis]

So my intent. And I saw that this place had a whole candle section. I was like, I'm gonna get him, like, a vanilla candle. And that'll be like. The joke is just like. It's so personality less that. It's like if your aunt that has not seen you since you were four came to your wedding and, like, brought you a gift. But then, I mean, I'm sorry, but I just have such amazing, like, aesthetic impulses that, you know, you see a tiny little. So I was in the candle section with the intention of buying a boring candle, but then I see a little Made in New Mexico, the Made in New Mexico miniature house that you put a little thing in it, and then the smoke comes out of the chimney, and I'm like, well, I Can't not get that.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's so charming.

[George Severis]

So I really.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This can actually go in my home.

[George Severis]

And actually, I completely shot myself in the foot because it's like, this is no longer funny in any way. It's just, like, a cute little object, which I appreciate. I'm glad.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I think that this is kind of a secret for guests on this podcast, is if they bring something that's genuinely interesting or interesting to them. I mean, this is a shock.

[George Severis]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

They want to talk about it, which I think. I mean, this is something I actually want to talk about, because I've never been to New Mexico, and I haven't. And that's obsessed with the idea.

[George Severis]

I have no connection. No connection to New Mexico. I literally don't like incense. Like, I'm much more of a candle person at home. I've never lit incense. I don't know anything about, like, ceramics. Like, this is a completely foreign object to me. And yet I'm looking at it now, and I'm like, you know, sorry, but you're never gonna throw that out. That's gonna be part of your life forever. And you're gonna have to move apartments or move houses with it. You're gonna have.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'll happily move houses. And it's also something I can carefully put in a box. It's not going to overtake anything.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You know, there are. There are different categories of gifts that I get on this podcast. Things that are actually in my house that I can put up and just leave, and I don't feel ashamed of it. Doesn't detract from the rest of what's happening in my home. Then there are things that I. That are interesting to look at, but I certainly wouldn't put out.

[George Severis]

Sure.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And then there's garbage.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And this is number one.

[George Severis]

I'm so happy. No, and I really did think about the garbage question. Cause I was like, is it funny to bring, like, a cup of coffee?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[George Severis]

Cause, by the way, let me say this. Generally speaking, this would be a very easy prompt. Like, bring anything and we'll talk about it. I am visiting with no access to my own things, staying in a completely faceless Airbnb, and it is pouring rain and I don't have a car. So actually, hell, I woke up today and I was like, oh. I'm like, I should cancel. It would actually be easier to cancel than to think of something I could either walk to from my Airbnb or get an Uber to a store.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, that's. I mean, this podcast for me, obviously, Is not that difficult of a thing. But I think about when there's any level of homework or anything for a podcast, I have to think about it. The way I spin out is unbelievable. It's like the only thing I care about in my life for the week leading up, just trying to think of the thing. And so I try to just ignore what my guests have to go through because.

[George Severis]

But I appreciate it, though. I think, like, it's very. You're almost like, deconstructing the idea of a conversation. Cause the conversation has to have a topic.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Sure. Yes.

[George Severis]

And you're like, okay, so what object can we talk about?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes.

[George Severis]

That's completely random.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's the absolute hope that it will force a conversation in a way that no natural conversation would ever come.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But back to New Mexico.

[George Severis]

Definitely. And by the way, I also wanted to say there were other options. One was more of a teepee.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And I could have.

[George Severis]

I was like, I can't go in a direction that feels almost like. I wouldn't say appropriative, but like, well, if I give you something that's shaped like a teepee, then I would have to, like, make jokes about the idea of a teepee.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes. Teepee is a complicated territory.

[George Severis]

Complicated territory.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's not what we went through in elementary school. Society has kind of figured out the teepee's not just a generic symbol.

[George Severis]

And, of course, I'm sure it has different connotations in New Mexico. Again, a state I've never been to.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Of course, there may have never been a teepee in New Mexico.

[George Severis]

Who knows? So I was like. And then there was a log cabin. That was the other option.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, okay. Which is boring and stupid.

[George Severis]

Thank you for saying that to me. I'm like. I could imagine living. Like, if I was to move to New Mexico, I would want my house to look like this.

[Bridger Weiniger]

If you live in just kind of a new build in New Mexico, why are you in New Mexico?

[George Severis]

Right. Exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You've got to be in something that looks like it's made from clay. It should be in the sun at all times.

[George Severis]

I really like the little. So if you turn around, you see that there's, like, a ladder that leads to the top.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, yes, yes. And this little door.

[George Severis]

Imagine a dinner party. Like an outdoor dinner party. The natural wine is flowing. You have everyone there. You can see your view of. Just like the desert, I guess. And people are smoking hash.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Too much hash. No. This is almost a reason I can't go to New Mexico because I've really created the ideal Version of what that state is. And I will just briefly say they do have the absolute best state license plate.

[George Severis]

Ooh. What is it?

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's stunning. I'm gonna show it to you because recently my home state switched their license plate to the most boring possible.

[George Severis]

You're from Utah?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes. And it's infuriating for me because we used to have a kind of a fun license plate. And it's upsetting for me. This is the New Mexico plate. The coloring, the design.

[George Severis]

Oh, that is stunning.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Why every state needs. It's like, oh, we're going to go for it. Why wouldn't you go for it?

[George Severis]

There's something about New Mexico and Arizona where like they were so ahead of the curb. Just graphic design wise.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, yeah.

[George Severis]

And like design trend wise.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, yeah.

[George Severis]

And it's interesting that people always call that family of aesthetics, like Scandinavian, like the sort of minimalist meets like exposed, whatever, clean line. And it's like. Yeah, but it's also southwestern.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Extremely southwestern. Look at this little house here. Look at that.

[George Severis]

You don't get that in Copenhagen.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes, you absolutely wouldn't. And you can't be out on the deck in Copenhagen.

[George Severis]

You cannot be out on the deck in Copenhagen.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Maybe for a week, a year.

[George Severis]

Oh, my God. When I went to Copenhagen, I've never been more ignored in a gay club in my life. I might as well have not existed.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Is that true?

[George Severis]

Yeah. I don't know what it was. I mean, I also probably had a sort of air of desperation about me. I was like pretty young and didn't have the disarming confidence I have now. I mean, I would never dare to bring this as a gift to someone.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What was the general vibe in the Copenhagen club?

[George Severis]

I just think there's something about. This was probably like 2014, let's say there's something about the cliche out. It's like imagine a Japanese architect, you know, like clean lines, Issey Miyake, sort of like kind of wide legged pants, whatever. Also really tall.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Cause it's ambient, intimidating.

[George Severis]

And so everyone was dressed like that, but as though they had like woken up that morning looking like that. And I just was very like American Apparel because that was what was going on over here.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Of course, you were drinking vitamin D.

[George Severis]

Of American Apparel, I'll admit.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes. That was. We were. That must have been post article about that guy. Yeah. What was his name? That creep with the mustache.

[George Severis]

By the way, they have great clothes now at Los Angeles Apparel.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Los Angeles Apparel. But the company has kind of been taken over. I'm not Looking into it by decent people. We hope by decent.

[George Severis]

I will not be looking into it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Good cotton.

[George Severis]

Yes. Yeah, Great cotton.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Great basics.

[George Severis]

Great basics. Great. In my old age, I'm experimenting for the first time in my life with like a. I wouldn't call it a muscle tee, but like a sleeveless sleeve.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, interesting. I wonder if I'll ever. I'll wear a sleeveless thing to the gym.

[George Severis]

I think you could absolutely put. You have a. Oh, God bless.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But I don't know that I just. I don't know that I could go out in public in just polite company wearing that and be, like, not thinking about it the entire time.

[George Severis]

No, I know. And you know what else? When a gay guy wears a sleeveless shirt, I literally have to stop. I have to. My instinct. As though it's like an. As though it's like the doctor hitting my knee and my knee's going up and my legs going up. Literally. I cannot stop myself from saying, okay, arms. Like, it's shocking. It's like, you think you're not that cliche or whatever. You know, you think you're not someone who would say, okay, arms. And it literally happened to me in Chicago recently. My friend Parker was wearing a sleeve, and I genuinely. It was as though I was suddenly hypnotized. Okay, arms.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And then, like, if someone were to say that to me, I don't know what I would even do with the information, because it's like half a compliment, half a.

[George Severis]

Just like, it's not sexual.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. But I'm like, now. I'm now even thinking about it even more than I was before. I know. I'm gonna go stand in the bathroom until everyone's.

[George Severis]

Suddenly you're flexing, like.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. It's strange. But you're experimenting with this. I.

[George Severis]

No, I'm. Oh, yes, I am. I'm experimenting with sleeveless. There's something about it that feels. I mean, again, I wouldn't go on a. You know, I wouldn't go to, like, a wedding in a sleeveless. I very much am against, like, red carpet. Like, vest. Only on a red carpet or something.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, yeah. That simply has never worked. I don't care how many.

[George Severis]

It's not.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You will look back and feel bad about wearing that.

[George Severis]

Wear. And also know, bare chest under blazer. Like, just wear a shirt and sleeves.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Because it's just. That is not. That's not clothing. It's not accepted. And you would not wear that to the grocery store.

[George Severis]

No.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And I know that the red carpet and grocery store are different things. But they are both in public.

[George Severis]

It's also like, clearly you're wearing it to show off your arms, but it weirdly actually makes you look less. Okay. What do arms denote? Like a sort of, like, rugged masculinity. But then when you just wear a vest, it's like, okay, well, you're K. D Laing.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You're dressed like a fifth grade teacher. Yeah.

[George Severis]

Like, it has the opposite intended effect.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes, exactly. And almost no vest ever looks good in any situation.

[George Severis]

100%.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So fully exposed. Just seeing pure vest feels crazy to me.

[George Severis]

So I would not wear it in, like. It's more just like, if I'm going to a gay bar, I will occasionally do it and be like, well, this is my big arm day. I'm actually kind of gonna. I'll let you in on a secret. I'm gonna do it on Friday because I packed one and I'm going to some sort of gay party on Friday, which I'll talk. You're invited.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'll feel, like, completely appropriate, and I'm gonna show up in the same thing.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. I feel like that maybe that's a place to kind of try it out.

[George Severis]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Get comfortable with it.

[George Severis]

And actually, in that context, you're the conservative one because everyone else is shirtless.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. Everybody's. Or in a vest with nothing under it.

[George Severis]

Yeah. Just like, being fisted.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Exactly. This is every gay party I've ever finished.

[George Severis]

Yeah. It's like, I'm in that. I'm Tim Walls being like, well, I'm normal. I don't know about you freaks.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Exactly. The other thing this is, I guess just the existing in general thing is, like, the amount of thinking about myself I'm doing is simply not what anybody else is doing. Yes. They might just glance and be like. I mean, I guess if the shirt looks good, they think, oh, that looks good, and they move on. They didn't think about the days of planning you had and putting it in your suitcase and being like, I'm gonna do it.

[George Severis]

Totally. That said, there is a point at which they do, like. If you are dressed stupid enough, they do start thinking about it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Exactly.

[George Severis]

And that's actually. It's like, I think I could get away. I think you or I could get away with, like, a sleeveless tee from Los Angeles Apparel.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[George Severis]

Okay. But then let's keep going further. It's like, all right, Maybe then after that, it's like, could we get away with spaghetti straps? No. I actually think if you or I showed up to a function wearing, like, a sort of limited to spaghetti straps with a little flower over here.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Losing friends rapidly.

[George Severis]

Yeah. And everyone would like keep commenting on it and it would not feel good.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Because it's so far out of the realm of possibility for what I wear. Not that there's anything wrong with. With that, but for what I've trained people to believe about who I am. I know to show up in that would be too much for everybody and it would be an evening ruining experience probably for everyone.

[George Severis]

But if you and I showed up in matching limited to.

[Bridger Weiniger]

There we go. Now no one knows what to do, then it's a bit.

[George Severis]

Yes, no one knows what to do. But also it's like. It's also like, you know, we know each other, but not that well. But then like us showing up in matching outfits at a party and then everyone's like, oh, I didn't know they were like best friends.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I didn't know they were so close. And then people start wondering like, should I wear that? It actually kind of does look good. And this is how you break down social norms.

[George Severis]

Totally.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And create a new reality. Yeah. Maybe it's time for me to get one. But I'll have to be around gay people first. Gay people and women wearing it before I hang around with straight people. Because straight people love to raz.

[George Severis]

Yeah, well, I know it's complicated because it's like they do love to raz. But then it's also, I feel like at some point, sort of post Jonathan Van Ness, straight people were like, all right, just to be safe, I'm not commenting on any clothing. So they actually, you can show up wearing Truly like a cow Halloween costume with udders. And a straight guy will just be like looking at you dead in the eye, being like, so, like, what do you do? Because he's so afraid, he has no.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Idea what's going on in the culture. Yeah, I guess that's probably true. Interesting. I feel like it's purely intention. If it looks intentional, it's always intention. But yeah, this, I don't know, we'll see what happens with my future fashion choices. But. But I have been wearing them to the gym and it's felt I'm getting more comfortable with the idea. We'll see what the future holds.

[George Severis]

I mean, at the gym, you know, it's like you are flexing by design.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[George Severis]

And it's always nice to get a little peek of yourself mid flex with.

[Bridger Weiniger]

A. Yeah, what are we working with here?

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Also my gym is very inconsistent with the air conditioner and it truly initially was out of necessity because it's like, what are they doing with the ac? I. I feel like I have the flu when I'm in this place. I love the place, but there are some issues with air flow. And so I started. I got on YouTube. How do I make a sleeveless shirt?

[George Severis]

Oh, you made it yourself?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I made it myself. I made several. Wow, they look great.

[George Severis]

I gotta tell you, Los Angeles Apparel will do it for you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm gonna pop in there and see what they've got.

[George Severis]

I would be remiss not to say that this has stopped fuming. There's absolutely no smoking, is not functioning.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Let's light it up for the rest of the episode. Why not? And is there anything left we have to say about. I mean, travel wise, I really would like to go to New Mexico. Is there anywhere you're looking forward to going?

[George Severis]

Ooh, great question. Well, okay. I am allegedly going to Japan.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, that's exciting. When?

[George Severis]

Allegedly. In the fall.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[George Severis]

We have not planned it yet. This would be our honeymoon.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, how exciting.

[George Severis]

But like, a year after we got married.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, sure.

[George Severis]

The reason I'm being hesitant about it is because every single person I know is going to Japan or has been.

[Bridger Weiniger]

In the last 12 months.

[George Severis]

Or has been in the last 12 months. And it's like, I'm almost old enough to not care about being part of a trend, but not quite there. But I also. It feels crazy to be, like, rolling your eyes talking about Japan, because it's literally the most expensive trip I will ever take in my life. So I do need to be excited and ready to go.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's very funny to me, talking about travel as trendy, because it's like, oh, a country that's existed since forever. Well, this.

[George Severis]

The other thing.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, what a fad. That's gonna blow over.

[George Severis]

Exactly. Which is how I feel about. It's like, when I went to Mexico City, I was like, this. You guys. This is what you're going to like. You're all just going here to, like, go to, like, vintage stores that sell, like, Rolling Stones T shirts.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And it's like, the vintage stores in Mexico City, by the way, are extremely expensive. I was shocked.

[George Severis]

I just want to say there's. There's no right way to say this, so I will try my very best. Mexico City, as curated by gay guys in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, is a completely overrated sham. Obviously. Mexico City more broadly is like, a beautiful, historic city, and I think it's, like, a lovely place to visit, great food, whatever. When you get one of these Google Docs, where all these fucking fashion people and, like, random people that are, like, music producers or, like, you know, randomly work for, like, Andy Cohen or whatever. There are millions of these Google Docs, and people will not be shy about sending them to you. They all have the same exact recommendations. You go to those places, you're like, are you fucking kidding me?

[Bridger Weiniger]

My secret. I went with a straight man who spoke Spanish.

[George Severis]

Well, there you go.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You have incredible experience.

[George Severis]

No, you actually have to go with a specifically straight man who is Mexican or at the very least, speaks Spanish.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes, he spoke Spanish and loves Mexico in general. So it felt it was two gay men and a straight man. And the two gay men didn't care what we did. So we just got to follow the lead of this person, and it was a perfect trip. But what you're describing is hell.

[George Severis]

It's hell. And I actually, like. I mean, we ran into multiple people we knew from Brooklyn, and I was like. I was humiliated.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You're not in Mexico. Are you kidding me?

[George Severis]

And then we were like, what are you. Like, what have you guys been doing? And they just mentioned the same places that we were gonna go to from the fucking Google spreadsheet that, like, Anth Perowski created.

[Bridger Weiniger]

The last person in the world I want dictating my travel.

[George Severis]

Oh, my God.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So Japan could happen. I mean, that could happen to you in Japan.

[George Severis]

So this is. This is. My big goal is, like, I really don't want it to happen to me in Japan.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. So do you have goals within Japan that you want?

[George Severis]

We really have not started planning it yet, but I actually am this close to, like, looking into a travel agent. Cause I read an article in the Wall Street Journal that said that Gen Z is reinventing travel agents.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I've been saying this. We took them for granted for so long, and then the Internet collapsed, and you no longer can count on yourself or the Internet and the Internet. Right. None of that matters anymore. You need somebody who actually knows.

[George Severis]

Yeah. So I want, like, you know, I want, like, a Japanese woman who's maybe 47 years old.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You have extremely detailed profile of this person.

[George Severis]

And I want her to have already had a CR. Career in Japan as, like, something cool, like a museum curator or something. And then, you know, she had.

[Bridger Weiniger]

She got married.

[George Severis]

Had maybe got married to an American.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Had profile of a sperm donut.

[George Severis]

Yeah. And was like, you know what? I love the art world, but it's gotten so toxic. Like, I need to. You know, I need a second act. And she. Through her experiences in the. I actually am loving this person. I'm describing through her experience in the art world and traveling and Basel and all this stuff, she actually has really developed amazing taste in food, culture, whatever. And so then she was like, what if I become a travel agent? I know all these wealthy people from the art world. They can be my first clients. This is like. And that's how she sent her three kids to college.

[Bridger Weiniger]

A Japanese travel agent. Reach out.

[George Severis]

Yeah, exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

She exists. She's gotta be out there. Of course there's something within that ballpark.

[George Severis]

She head to Tokomme des Garcons. I can picture. It's like. So I really need her to reach out.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Do you have cities in mind within Japan?

[George Severis]

See, I shouldn't have brought it up. Cause literally, we have not started talking. Like, I just. I think because we are obviously using money people gave us for this.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, right. Of course.

[George Severis]

It's the first time in my life that I feel like I can really.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You can go for it.

[George Severis]

Go for it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes.

[George Severis]

So I don't have any sense of the geography, but I'm like, if we can do multiple cities and do like, two or three days in each, and we can really, like, book two weeks of travel, it'll be the first time in my life that I'm doing anything that ambitious.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. The travel agent is writing all the time.

[George Severis]

Yes, exactly. Thank you so much. Have you been to Japan?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I have. I was there in 2015.

[George Severis]

Okay. Did you enjoy it?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Hated it.

[George Severis]

Wow.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Kidding. It's like, I'm out very anti Japan.

[George Severis]

I'm so careful about, like, my, you know, review of Mexico City. And now you just hate the entire country of Japan.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, I mean, it was unbelievable.

[George Severis]

I'm sure that's what everyone says.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It was kind of this experience of like, I left. I was like, oh, no, I've ruined going anywhere else for the rest of my life, because that's the only place I want to go. It was. Everything was just wonderful. Endlessly fascinating. The food was so good. It was not as expensive as I expected. Getting around was so easy. There are just so many different parts of, like, Japanese culture and entertainment that, like, I was there for 10 days and I saw, you know, the smallest thumbprint of all of it. And I went to Tokyo and Kyoto and I was alone and I was just wandering around. And it's the only place I've ever felt safe completely. Just being like, I can get lost and it does not matter.

[George Severis]

Well, that's great. I mean, it really is one of those places that ever again. It's an entire country that is One of the most. Like, one of the literally most populous countries in the world. And I keep being like, yeah, it's just like everyone says, it's a great place. I'm also very conscious of sounding like a dumb tourist because I am from a place that is such a tourist thing. Cause I mostly grew up in Greece.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[George Severis]

So tourism is such a big part of the culture that I, as a Greek person and as someone who went to high school in Greece, I know I roll my eyes so easily at cliches that people have about it, but if you're not, there's no way to know what the cliches are about other places.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, those are the big things you hear about. And you're like, well, I gu. That's what I see. Do Greek people resent tourists?

[George Severis]

You know, actually, they don't. I actually think. I mean, you know, obviously, to an extent, if, like, a place is overrun by tourists and you can no longer go to your favorite beach or restaurant or whatever, then obviously that's bad. However, because Greece sort of doesn't have any other huge parts of its economy. No offense.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. Right.

[George Severis]

To the country. Tourism is so, like, when tourism is booming, that just is such a good sign for the health of the country.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes, yes.

[George Severis]

And so I think Greek people, especially compared to Italian, French, other places where maybe there's more scoffing at tourists, I actually think Greek people are incredibly hospitable and really go out of the way to learn English. And hospitality is really seen as a serious industry and whatever. So. So, yeah, it's sort of like shipping and tourism are the only two industries.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Those are the only things you ever hear about.

[George Severis]

Unless you're, like, lucky enough to, like, own Faye.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[George Severis]

Which is huge.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You know, it's one of the biggest. That's a crazy success story.

[George Severis]

Insane. And it is. People sometimes ask me, like, oh, surely Faye is like an amer. It's like, that's not what Greek people eat. I'm like, no, it is.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You can find that in grocery stores in Greece. Yeah.

[George Severis]

No, it's like, the number one.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wow.

[George Severis]

Yeah. Like, that's what I grew up eating.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wow. That's amazing.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

How long did you live in Greece?

[George Severis]

I lived in Greece for most of my early childhood. Then we moved here for, like, six or seven years, and then we moved back when I was 13, so I went to high school there. So it's sort of like it bookended my experience in America. But then, because I lived such formative years here, I feel pretty American and don't have an accent.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What part of the US did you live in?

[George Severis]

New Jersey.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, okay. Fantastic.

[George Severis]

Yeah. Oh, definitely. Yeah. Yeah. It was so amazing.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I have no problem with New Jersey.

[George Severis]

It's just, to me, it's so like, I lived in, like, suburban New Jersey. Almost, like. Almost imagine Connecticut. Not as fancy, obviously, but, like, that was the level of suburbia. Just sort of, like adjacency to country clubs, you know, sort of a commuter town for New York City. Like, my dad worked in Manhattan.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. What city did you live in?

[George Severis]

I lived in. It was in Morris County.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[George Severis]

We lived in New Providence and then Chatham.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[George Severis]

If that means anything to your listeners.

[Bridger Weiniger]

My boyfriend's from Lyndhurst. Do you know where that is?

[Unknown]

No.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's near Giant Stadium.

[George Severis]

Okay. Okay. Cool, cool, cool.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So that's my one little thing.

[George Severis]

I do feel a connection to people from New Jersey.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[George Severis]

And, like, there's something about New Jersey that is so perfectly, like, normal to me. I'm like, okay, well, you're from the east coast, but you don't have the specific WASPy New England Ness.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right, Right.

[George Severis]

But then you're also not like a New York City kid that, like, yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

There'S some money flowing.

[George Severis]

Was literally doing coke at four years old.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[George Severis]

It's just sort of. And it's like a. Obviously, it's like a blue state, but it's not like you're not, you know, in San Francisco or something crazy.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's a little. I mean, as far as. I guess I'm trying of as far as LA goes, it would be like growing up in, I would say maybe Arcadia or Alhambra.

[George Severis]

Sure.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Close enough, but, like, far enough away from.

[George Severis]

Honestly, even people who grew up in the Valley, I find, are so normal when I meet because they're, like, just far enough away. I guess I'm just thinking of Kirsten Dunst. I don't know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

We all love Kirsten. She does seem like a good egg.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Let's say it. I've never heard a bad thing about Kirsten.

[George Severis]

I'll be the first. Yeah. It's like, can you imagine if. What would the rumor be like? I do. I would love gossip about Kirsten Dunst.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. I feel like it would be like she wants to go to dinner too often.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Or.

[George Severis]

One of my favorite things about Kirsten Dunst is that she endorsed Bernie Sanders and then he immediately dropped down as a father.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's rough.

[George Severis]

And no one remembers it. And I actually one time looked through her Instagram. I think she might have deleted her Endorsement.

[Bridger Weiniger]

She embarrassed.

[George Severis]

She was just like, she was. It was so funny because it clearly came from a good place. I. I think she, you know, earnestly supported him and she, like, posted a little tile and she was like, feel the burn. And then he, like, dropped out at me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's a rough feeling.

[George Severis]

I know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Anytime you support something and then it falls apart, you're a little like, yeah, where do we go from here? Let me ask you this. I feel like, and this has been brought up almost exclusively by me on this podcast multiple times, but the pronunciation of Yiro.

[George Severis]

Oh, my God. You know what's funny? I was just listening to your episode with Katya and you were talking about it with Katya.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, okay. And what. I feel like you're the first person that comes close to being an expert on this.

[George Severis]

It's just, I mean, it is gyro. It's just like, with a Greek accent, it would be gyro, right?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Like a rolled R. Yeah.

[George Severis]

Like, we just.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I've tried to spend gyro. Yeah. It's just. I feel like I'm shocked by how far gyro has spread.

[George Severis]

It's actually one of those things that is like a never ending conversation somehow. I'm trying to think of another. It's like how people pretend they hate the word moist or something. Oh, right. Like, I had been hearing about the pronunciation of yarrow for. For legitimately my entire adult life, and I'm like, don't you guys, like, didn't you guys at some point just learn how it was pronounced and move on with your lives like you did? It's very confusing to me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And people really plant their flag in gyro, which is like, obviously that is.

[George Severis]

Not how a Greek word would be pronounced.

[Bridger Weiniger]

In what way?

[George Severis]

That said, it's like, I don't know, for example, why is the university called Notre Dame? That is psychotic.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That one has gone too far.

[George Severis]

But everyone just knows, like, you would you say Notre Dame if you're talking about the church and Notre Dame if you're talking about the university?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, Notre Dame. Notre Dame and then Notre Dame. I feel like there's a very, like the French. Take it even further. So that. But I feel like Notre Dame, it was somebody who had an axe to grind pronunciation totally.

[George Severis]

So I remember. So I, you know, when we lived in New Jersey, because my parents were foreign, there were like, little things that I, like, didn't understand and like, you know, sort of would step in it sometimes because we didn't speak English at home. And one of them actually Was I had heard someone pronounce it Notre Dame. And I was like, okay, so in America, that's how they say those words. And then I was separately talking about the church, and I was like, so, yeah. And then, like, we were in Paris and we went to Notre Dame, and then suddenly I sound like a fucking loser that doesn't know how to pronounce it. Because I thought that that's how you say it in America.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You shouldn't have to hold both things in your brain.

[George Severis]

And I actually. I think I even, like, learned that difference, like, in my, like, late 20s.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Like, well, there's a very. Like. There's a thing about, like, if you were at one of the football games and you said, I'm going to a Notre Dame games, people would be like, oh, look at Mr. Books over here.

[George Severis]

It's like, well, fuck off.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Who cares?

[George Severis]

I'm from Europe.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But ye roh, for whatever reason, haunts me to this day.

[George Severis]

Totally. No, it is. It is. I mean. I mean, and it's like, yeah, you could go up and say, like, gyro, but it would be now we're going to. Why would you do that? Like, you would sound like a.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Nobody rolls their r in the United States. I mean, in English.

[George Severis]

In English, yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes, in American English. Well, I'm glad that we have kind of the final word on this. It's important to me.

[George Severis]

You know what's interesting to me, people talk about yura all the time. People don't care about how you pronounce tzatziki, which to me is a much more difficult, like, TZ together. I guess it is more phonetic. It's like, you literally pronounce it tzatziki, but, like.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wait, so what is the actual Greek pronunciation?

[George Severis]

Zadziki.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Tzatziki.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And I would say, like, tatziki.

[George Severis]

Sure. But, well, people have a difficult time. So my real last name starts with the ts, and I change it to a C because no one can. People have a hard time with TS&TZ, which appear in Greek a lot.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[George Severis]

And so how would you say your.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Name in Greek with a Greek accent?

[George Severis]

C. Like, it would just be like, my real last name is Tsiveriotis, and then I shortened it to oh, wow. So it was like, tsiveriotis. And I was like, all right, Tsiveris. Severis.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, okay.

[George Severis]

But, like, there's a very successful tennis player named Tsitsipas. It's like T S I, T, S.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I, P, A S. Right.

[George Severis]

And it's like, forget about it. Like, you think John McEnroe is going to pronounce Tsitsipas?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Not a chance. No way. Not in the heat of the moment.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, well. Well, whatever.

[George Severis]

Yeah, totally.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I just needed an official pronunciation on that. I think it's time to play a game.

[George Severis]

Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Unless we have anything left to say about adobe houses, I'm sort of like, it's beautiful.

[George Severis]

A picture is worth a thousand words.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And a clay sculpture's worth even more. Thank you, Vegan Paradise.

[George Severis]

Thank you, Vegan Paradise. Great hot dogs.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Did you have a hot dog?

[George Severis]

Not this time around. Wait, can you actually remind me what their actual name is? It's Best friends or something.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Besties. Vegan Paris. Besties.

[George Severis]

Vegan Parrots. I do actually want to shout them out because I've stayed at this Airbnb before, and it's one of the places that's, like, walking distance from it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[George Severis]

And I do really like their hot dogs, and they have a great selection of, like, fun snacks and treats and stuff.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's good to know.

[George Severis]

And it really is run by, like, an authentic, kind of, like, funky vegan guy.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. I like that. And kind of Greek colors. White colors. Yeah. It all comes back to you. We're gonna play a game called Gift or Curse. I need a number between one and 10 from you.

[George Severis]

Seven.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. I have to do some light calculating to get our game pieces right now. You can promote, recommend, do whatever you want.

[George Severis]

Ooh. Okay. I want to say I am the only person that has watched the film Emilia Perez twice, and it was kind of by chance. So the first time I watched it, I was in a hotel room in Toronto, and it had just come out, and I felt like I should. I should be part of the conversation. And so I had sort of taken an edible by myself and watched it on my own, and I was very taken aback by it. I did not particularly think it was a good film, but I was kind of glad that I saw it. And then the second time I saw it, it was my husband's birthday, and we had a big lunch, and then were sort of like, you know, just, like, wanted to sit on a chair, go to a movie, whatever. And the only thing playing was Emilia Perez. So I was like, sure, I'll see it a second time. And now it's kind of all I can talk. And I, again, would not necessarily endorse the film. I don't think it's a great movie, but I really want it to be a larger part of, like, I want lines from it to be part of the conversation more so I can reference them. And it's like, I keep cornering people and talking about it, and everyone keeps being like, oh, yeah, her tweets. And isn't that terrible? I'm like, yeah, no, I totally agree. I definitely don't support anything she has said. But, like, what about in the movie where she says, bingo? Like, why are we not talking about that? Because that's iconic. And also, the first time I saw it, I thought Zoe Saldana was great, and I still do. The second time I saw it, I think I was primed because it was after the scandal to really pay attention to Carlos Soviet Gascon's performance. And I'm sorry. Like, I definitely disagree with all her political views, but she's actually really phenomenal in the film.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I mean, I have not seen it yet, and I would like for you to kind of just even briefly explain why. Because it seems so universally hated. Yes. Why anyone has voted for this. Is it just money that's driving this?

[George Severis]

I'm sure Netflix has a big, you know, has a lot to do with it. However, it already won Best Actress at Cannes before it was even bought by Netflix.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, okay.

[George Severis]

So this is exactly the kind of conversation I want to have with my friends and peers, because I think it's fascinating that it's gotten this big response, because you would think, oh, it's like old liberal boomers who want a heartwarming tale of self actualization. But that's not what it is. She's a villain. It is about this woman who is a drug lord who murders.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, wow. I didn't know that.

[George Severis]

And then she. I mean, I don't want to ruin it, but she attempts to get her life in order, but her past comes back to haunt her, let's say. And she is a morally complicated character. She's not, you know, this inspirational symbol of an empowered woman or something. And so I actually think in its own way, it's like, sort of despite the fact that it's not a good movie, I'm sort of like, oh, how funny and almost good that it has gotten people's attention.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. And the music is bad. Bad. Is any of it memorable?

[George Severis]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Does it have a defying gravity moment? What?

[George Severis]

It seems the clip of penis to vagina.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I've seen a clip, and I'm not sure if this is it or not. I remember someone sending a thing to me. I was like, what am I looking at? Or hearing? It must have been this.

[George Severis]

Zoe Saldana is basically hired. I realized I was supposed to promote My own work.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And we'll get to that. We'll get to that.

[George Severis]

Whatever. Maybe when this comes out, this will be completely irrelevant. So I apologize for talking about Emilio Perez. Zoe Saldana is hired to figure out a way for this woman to transition.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[George Severis]

And as part of that, she goes to a clinic that specializes in gender affirming surgery. And she is in this number, she is in conversation with a doctor, and they are talking about it in the most ridiculous, cartoonish way. So she goes, the doctor's like, men to woman or woman to men. And then Zoe Saldana, like, man to woman. And then the doctor goes, penis to vagina.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is like Rocky Horror.

[George Severis]

Literally.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's crazy.

[George Severis]

But here's what explains it. Sorry, I'm gonna stop talking in one second. What explains it is that it was actually initially an opera that they turned into a musical.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh.

[George Severis]

And the thing with opera is that, like, the songs are not, like, musical numbers. Like, they're not. They wouldn't translate. Like, they're not pop songs.

[Bridger Weiniger]

They're people just singing words without any song signature.

[George Severis]

Almost exactly. Yes. And it always sort of sounds off. Like, when you see an opera, you're like, wait, so this is what opera is? This is what I've been hearing about.

[Bridger Weiniger]

All these just people almost yelling words.

[George Severis]

Yeah. So I think that does explain. Again, I'm not endorsing anything about this film, but I do need everyone to see it so we can finally have a conversation about it that isn't like, you know, it's rooted in facts.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You're tired of the lies.

[George Severis]

So anyway, that's what's going on with me. Listen to Stratio Lab.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Listen to Stratio Lab. That's George's podcast.

[George Severis]

Yeah. I'm recording a special on April 1st at the Slipper Room.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Go see George recording a special.

[George Severis]

Yes. You know, what do you think about me recording a special on April Fool's Day? I'm being very joker. Vibes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's a tough thing to get for everyone to deal with.

[George Severis]

It was not my intention.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I think that's gonna work against you in a lot of ways.

[George Severis]

I definitely agree.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Unless you. You can't embrace it, because then people start to wonder. You can't ignore. There's no winning with this.

[George Severis]

No, it's bad. It's bad.

[Bridger Weiniger]

April Fools is. We've gotta move on from that holiday.

[George Severis]

I know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No one has a good time. It ruins everything. It's just a waste of every 24 hours of a day. The news cycle becomes very difficult to follow. You can't trust anything.

[George Severis]

Yeah, but you have to trust me when I say that is when the recording is happening.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Actually, it's not magic. Everyone go see George.

[George Severis]

Okay. And that's it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[George Severis]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is how we play Gift or a curse. I'm going to name three things. You'll tell me if they're a gift or a curse, and why, and I'll tell you if you're right or wrong. Because there are correct answers.

[George Severis]

Gift or a curse. Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. Number one, this is from a listener who. We have no idea who it was. This must have come from Instagram Live, so deal with it. Gift or a curse? When someone sneezes multiple times in a row.

[George Severis]

Curse.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Why?

[George Severis]

I think just on a literal level, it feels like they're being possessed. Like it's. Someone is, like, acting normally and suddenly they're just, like, making weird noises and movements and, you know, like. And it feels like a devil is, like, either entering or exiting. I just can't imagine that being a gift.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wrong.

[George Severis]

Oh, okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's a gift. Oh, this is why. Because I feel like it really separates people from the people who have a problem with the sneeze and people who are seeking attention. I think one sneeze is a natural thing to do. Two sneezes is a natural thing to do. But that's where we stop. Once you go past two, you're an attention seeker. You're looking for the spotlight. And I know exactly who you are. You're just trying to make noise and get. I'm not going to say bless you more than twice. I usually will say once and then do a polite laugh at 2. 3. I'm. Now I'm getting annoyed.

[George Severis]

So then what's the gift about it?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Because I know if somebody's doing three, this person didn't get enough attention from their parents.

[George Severis]

It's a gift for you because you can judge them more accurately.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes, I can absolutely separate people from. They had some dust in their nose and. Oh, they don't. They need to do stand up. Okay, so wrong. Number two. This is from a listener named Megan. Gift her a curse. Saying tldr in a verbal conversation.

[George Severis]

Oh, I think curse and I really don't like. It really is one of my big pet peeves when Internet language makes its way to the real world. And like, I would. And I see this with myself. Cause I can't resist doing it. And I really think that it should be punished by the government. Like we show wearing little dog collars. And if you say honestly, any cliche, you should Be hurt a little bit. Obviously, cliches are part of life, but, like, I think just a little punishment. Just like when you eat something really unhealthy, like you get, you know, you get diarrhea or something.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So you learn.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So your body becomes aware of.

[George Severis]

Yes. So that's how I feel.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Correct.

[George Severis]

Oh, okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Curse. I mean, it was difficult for me to even say it. To present this information to you. That was a very. I don't think I've ever actually heard this. Settle out. I mean, I've heard other Internet slang and this sort of thing. Settle out. And it's never not been unbelievably grating. And I've lost respect for whoever said it. I can't imagine any scenario where someone says those four letters in my face for so many. I just don't. It is the most excruciating behavior and it's something we're going to just have to deal with for the rest of our lives.

[George Severis]

Yeah. Okay, here's a question for you. What. And I'm trying to think of my own answer. What currently would you say is, like, the number one thing you hate hearing someone say, like, in terms of cliches like that?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, that's a very good question.

[George Severis]

Oh, I know mine. Okay. I know what mine is.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Let me think for a moment here. You tell me, and then maybe it'll spark some thought.

[George Severis]

I think mine currently, and this can change, is we love to see it. Oof. It really bothers me. And what is it that I don't like about it? Like, I, as a tick, I often will say, it is what it is, which I don't love about myself, but it just. I can't unlearn it. And one time, a close friend of mine was like, one of my biggest pet peeves is when people say, it is what it is. And I was like, oh, fuck. And so I get it if it's something. I think sometimes you just like these things go inside of you and you can't escape them. But there's just something that is so meaningless about we love to see it. And weirdly, not quite sarcastic, but almost cruel. It's like I just said something and then someone's like, oh, we love to see it. It's like, are you making fun of me?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. What does that mean? I think part of the problem with that particular phrase, and I think there's a whole category of those, is they came from nowhere. Whoever's saying them, it has nothing to do with their actual personality or how they speak it's like that read it on something or heard it on a podcast from someone who read it on something and it's. Yeah, it does feel like a tick. It's just like a thing that they can't. You can't control. And it's not even slang. I don't even know what category of useless language that is.

[George Severis]

It's like Internet language.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I hate it so much. But it's a sort of. I don't know where you stand on lol, like within text.

[George Severis]

Oh sure, sure, sure.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Were you ever. Did you ever use.

[George Severis]

Yeah, of course.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. I've never used it.

[George Severis]

You've never used lol?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Maybe once in my entire life. I remember very early on being like, that looks stupid. I would say, haha. Yeah. And what I'm really shocked by is when people who are like decades older than me will use an lol and I'm like, what's happened to society? But I just, I could never naturally type lol.

[George Severis]

Do you do lmao?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Maybe. I've probably done one of those. Both of those ironically at some point. But I just never go to those. I go to ha ha ha.

[George Severis]

Which is the more respectful option, of course. And of course LOL comes with the baggage of sometimes you're basically undermining your own. It's like I'm almost there. Lol. You're just undermining a statement you just made. It's like, have some self respect.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right, Right. Okay, you've gotten one right so far. And this is the final one. This is from a listener named Martin. Gift or a curse? Rotten Tomatoes.

[George Severis]

This is interesting. Obviously the obvious answer is curse. You know, it's like you can't rank or rate art. The only way that I think it could be a gift is Sam Taggart and I, my beloved co host, we have this thing where we love 60% Rotten Tomatoes movies.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I love to hear this. Well, keep going.

[George Severis]

So this is like, it's like a classic example. Is Darren Aronofsky's Mother or Vox Lux is a great example. No one fact check what their actual scores are. And so in a weird way, because of how flawed and how much of a curse Rotten Tomatoes is, there is this weird paradoxical, you know, counterintuitive corollary where actually it does point you to interesting movies because those movies have is 50 to 60% on rotten tomatoes. So okay, I should give you a final answer. I will say to be provocative. Gift.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I mean, you are wrong.

[George Severis]

Of course it is a curse.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It is a curse. But everything you're Saying right now is essentially exactly how I think when someone tells me it got 100% on rotten tomatoes. There is no metric that is more meaningless in the world. That means if something got 90 to 100%, that means it's boring almost 98% of the time. It means it's just a nothing thing that everybody gave a B. Yes. And the secret is between 50 and. I would say, upper 70. Sure. That's a movie that will be interesting and probably good, or it's not going to be a completely dull time. But I can't see another thing on the Internet that says you have to see this 100% rotten tomatoes.

[George Severis]

I agree. I. We're on the same page, but I accept that I was wrong in my answer.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You were wrong, and you only got one out of three.

[George Severis]

All right, well, so not even the 50% mark.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, you're not. Everyone can trust this Rotten Tomatoes score.

[George Severis]

Damn. All right.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No one's going to see you. Poorly played. I'm sorry. This is the final. Oh, Anneliese, do you have yours? Anneliese has a gift or a curse that they're going to present to us, and we both have to answer, and they have their answer.

[George Severis]

Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is the fairest we can get on this podcast.

[Anneliese Nelson]

So today, obviously, we just passed. I mean, not today today, but this episode is coming out right after St. Patrick's Day, so it's only appropriate that I say gift or curse. Irish goodbyes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh.

[George Severis]

Oh, okay. I'm just gonna go literal with this one rather than try to be, you know, controversial. I think gift. I think just leave. Like, leave him wanting more. Leave when you're ready. I don't. The performance of suddenly having to give 17 hugs in a row doesn't do anything for anyone. I will say I wish it was socially acceptable to just go give one hug to one person that you were especially happy to see, but you can't do that.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But I'll say gift, and I'm going to say curse, because I love them, so it's the only option I ever want to use. And I know that some people aren't okay with you just vanishing. And some people will comment, and they're usually very irritating. But I. For me, it's become almost a disease in my life where I never say goodbye to anybody at the party. I'm just taking off. And it's almost given me too. Too much permission to leave a party.

[George Severis]

I see.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But I do love it so much. Annalise.

[Anneliese Nelson]

It's a gift. They're a gift. I Mean, at the end of the day. Oh my God. I said the word. I said a buzz. At the end of the day. I can't say that. Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

At the end of the day.

[George Severis]

At the end of the day.

[Anneliese Nelson]

That's another one of those buzz phrases.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But it's a classic.

[Anneliese Nelson]

It is a classic.

[George Severis]

You're getting buzzed. Yeah. Your collar is going off.

[Anneliese Nelson]

Exactly. So the way that I see it is that if you don't say goodbye, if you do an Irish goodbye at a party, the real friends of yours will understand. They will forgive you. And the ones who wouldn't are the exact kind of person that it's appropriate to give an Irish goodbye to. So your reasoning is absolutely justified for doing it in the first place.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right? Yeah, I totally understand that. Anneliese, you are wrong. George, you are wrong. I'm correct. Very interesting. But it seems like we all appreciate the Irish goodbye in some way. And that's. That's what is important.

[George Severis]

Yeah. I would even say your answer was in favor of it. And then you called it a curse.

[Bridger Weiniger]

We're all in favor of it. Okay, where are we in the. Oh, we have to answer a listener question. And I just want to say to the listener, please start writing in about with questions other than things about what to give people. I'm so tired of giving gift advice. Ask me and the guest anything. I am ready to answer other questions. That said, let's answer a question. I said no gifts. Okay. This says. Let's see here. Dear Bridger and guest. How do I deal with a mother in law who is a Debbie Downer? She knows how to turn any topic into a painful one. She. I can't invite her to our little celebrations. Is there a way I can steer her away from saying something that will shit all over our get togethers? Any suggestions would be helpful. Thank you so much, Danny. So basically, Downey has this mother in law who sucks, who's causing trouble at all the parties and just making everybody feel bad all the time. Is there something that she can do to keep her from ruining every event that she's ever been invited to?

[George Severis]

No. You think someone's gonna change?

[Bridger Weiniger]

People don't change.

[George Severis]

They're fucking real. And also, I'll tell you what else. There is no elegant way to be shitting on your mother in law. By the way, I don't say this from experience. Cause I love my mother in law. But my mom, My mom and my grandmother on my father's side just have different personalities. They are perfectly cordial. But anytime you get into the space of basically doing mother in law humor. Even when you think you're coming out on top, you are the. You seem like the mean one. You're the problem because you're mad at an older woman who has sacrificed so much.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[George Severis]

And is in fact the reason you're married to your husband Greg. And it's just one of those things that, like, if you don't like your mother in law, you gotta suck it up.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right? Right. I mean, I will say the way I deal with somebody who is just a non stop negative force. Well, I feel like I fall into that category a lot of the time. But when I have somebody who will not stop, what I do is I lean into whatever they're complaining about and I go too far to the point that they have to be like, ooh, that's good. Oh, this seems bad.

[George Severis]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And then, I mean, it makes me seem insane or horrible, but at least we're like, hopefully course correcting this person's behavior because they're like, oh, now I'm questioning my own opinions and what I'm doing because Bridger's going so far and so hard with this negative opinion.

[George Severis]

I mean, unless they call your bluff and they really just like, get you lower and lower and then you both are just like.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You're saying unforgiveness.

[George Severis]

Yeah, I know, but it is obviously. I get it. And to your point, I've also been that person and I had to really, like. I mean, it's still within me, but I had to unlearn or I had to learn that, like, it's not inherently interesting to hate everything.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[George Severis]

Which I used to genuinely think it was.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But I'm also going to say there's a category of person that will say you just hate everything. You'll say something critical about something. I bet you've dealt with somebody like this where they say, well, you just like to hate everything. That category, that sort of person is very much. You have too much time on your hands. How do you think of these things? That kind of thing, I mean, talk.

[George Severis]

About a cliche that thankfully is on its way out, is like, let people enjoy things. Cause that is.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That was a poisonous period of time. That is a bad, bad philosophy.

[George Severis]

What if I enjoy constructive critique?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes. You can't give everything a free pass. Some things are bad.

[George Severis]

Yeah. And actually it's. I think the thing is most people that, that, that the let people enjoy things thing is yelled at. Don't deserve it. Like, it's like most people are perfect, like you and I and we're just like very critical. But then when we do like something, we have a thoughtful. We will express that and we'll be thoughtful about it and it'll be like there's evidence. Yes. But then it is true, just inevitably, that there are some people who do hate everything.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[George Severis]

But they make it worse for the rest of us that are just like really kind of smart and critical.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. Who have standards.

[George Severis]

Exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. Just once when I criticize something, I'd like someone to say you have standards rather than you hate everything.

[George Severis]

I know. Whatever.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I need more compliments, Danny. Do whatever you want with the mother in law. Don't write back in. Beautiful. Beautiful. We answered the question. I have this gorgeous little thing that will be in my kitchen very soon and I've had such a lovely time with you.

[George Severis]

Me too. This has been so lovely.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Thank you for taking part of your trip out to Come Here in the Rain listener. The podcast is over. I need you to just figure out something to do with your day. I have no suggestions whatsoever. I love you. Goodbye. I said no Gifts is an exactly right production. Our senior producer is Annelise Nelson and our episodes are beautifully mixed by Ben Tolliday. The theme song is by miracle worker Amy Mann. And we couldn't do it without our booker, Patrick Cotner. You must follow the show on Instagram at I saidnogifts. That's where you're going to see pictures of all these wonderful gifts I'm getting. And don't you want to see the.

[Unknown]

Gifts when I invited you here thought I made myself perfectly clear. When you're a guest in my home, you got to come to me empty handed. I said no guest. Your presence is presence enough. And I already had to much stuff. So how do you dare disobey me?

[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Unknown]

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