
Loading summary
Bridger Weiniger
This is exactly right.
Amy Brown
Hey, it's Amy Brown from the Bobbi Bones Show. Join me in supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for a chance to win a trip to meet Megan Maroney at the 2025 I Heart Country Festival in Austin, Texas on May 3rd. Hosted by Bobby Bones. We're gonna hook you up with tickets, flights, hotel, food credits and a meet and greet with Megan Maroney. Take action now to support St. Jude and help cure childhood cancer. And you're going to be entered for a chance to win. Visit iheartcountrytrip.com to learn more.
Ryan Seacrest
Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway. It's stock up savings time now through March 25th. Spring in for storewide deals and earn four times a point. Look for in store tags to earn on eligible snacks like Lays chips, garden veggie straws and Planters nuts or sweet treats from M&M's and Oreo 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.
Tom Sharpling
Where'd you get those shoes?
Bridger Weiniger
Easy.
Tom Sharpling
They're from dsw. Because DSW has the exact right shoes for whatever you're into right now. You know, like the sneakers that make office hours feel like happy hour, the boots that turn grocery aisles into runways, and all the styles that show off the many sides of you, from daydreamer to multitasker and everything in between. Because you do it all in really great shoes. Find a shoe for every you at your DSW store or DSW.com.
Anneliese Nelson
When I.
Unknown
Invited you here, 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
Hello, it's Bridger. I don't feel comfortable letting you listen to the rest of the episode yet. I know you just listened to the theme song. I don't care. I have a big announcement. I've got big news. The podcast is now on Patreon. Patreon.com I saidnogifts. What does this mean? Well, it means that the show here, as you're listening, will continue as usual weekly. But if you subscribe on Patreon, you'll be getting two bonus extra exclusive episodes a month. Full length. Delicious. A nice way to supplement your listening diet and as well as, you know, other little perks. I can't stand the word perks. I don't use it lightly. But that's essentially what you'll be getting along with these exclusive episodes. Little things and fun, you know, extras. You'll have to go to Patreon to actually see what those are. I'm not going to describe them here, but they are terrific. And there will probably be other things. You really never know what I'm going to cook up next. There's really no telling what I'll do. This is a great way to support the podcast. I know you're haunted by this. Every night you go to bed thinking, how do I support the podcast? You wake up thinking, how do I support the podcast? You, you zone out during meetings, at work thinking, how do I support the podcast? At dinner, you're barely present. You're thinking, how do I support the podcast? This is the way to do it. Well, this is one of the ways to do it and it's a very good way to do it. So go to patreon.com I saidnogifts as soon as possible, at your convenience, whenever you want. Subscribe and enjoy that little journey and the new episodes that are just going to be terrific. Okay, now I'll let you listen to the rest of the show. Here we go. Welcome to I said no gifts. I'm Bridger Weiniger, age 14. I'm looking right down the barrel of the camera. This is the second time we're starting the podcast. We've had some things, so I know I'm just repeating things that were repeated pre recording and that's nobody's fault, but my own. Anneliese is demanding I look right into the camera for YouTube for the videos. So that's what I'm doing. And if you're just listening to this, it doesn't affect you in any way. I've had my baby bell cheese from the office fridge. Nothing could possibly go wrong. Is there anything else? My horoscope reminded me that other people have their own problems. That does not sound right to me. So let's just move on to the podcast. I really adore today's guest. It's Tom Sharpling.
Anneliese Nelson
Tom, hi.
Bridger Weiniger
Welcome to I said no gifts.
Anneliese Nelson
Thanks for having me.
Bridger Weiniger
Of course.
Anneliese Nelson
Exciting.
Bridger Weiniger
Of course. It's a little rainy outside.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah, it's a little damp.
Bridger Weiniger
How was your drive over?
Anneliese Nelson
Oh, it was fine. A lot of classic LA drivers where the fast lane is kind of a suggestion that you can be like, either somebody's going 110 miles an hour as if it's fast and The Furious. Or. Or somebody is driving 45 miles an hour in the fast lane.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah, I feel like the fast lane within the Los Angeles County. No one understands that that's what it's for.
Anneliese Nelson
Yes.
Bridger Weiniger
Even my boyfriend, who's actually kind of an aggressive driver. But then we'll just be in the fast lane the whole time, and we're just going 75. And I ask him over and over, please move. You're supposed to pass in this thing.
Anneliese Nelson
Yes. Is this worth it to be going now? It's really bizarre how uniquely awful the driving is out here. And sometimes it's just like everybody's like, oh, the traffic. It's like, no, it's not the traffic. It's the humans making awful decisions.
Bridger Weiniger
I imagine somebody's made this observation before, but do you feel like that is because there are so many transplants here and everyone's constantly lost?
Anneliese Nelson
I could see that it is like a. It is a place where not a lot of people are from here who are here. Like, they'd be like, I'm from Los Angeles. I've been here for three years now, being from New Jersey. The fast lane is like the fast lane. It's like the autobahn, where people are just like, if you're not going 80, you might as well be going 10 miles an hour on the turnpike.
Bridger Weiniger
And I imagine there's a decent amount of road rage.
Anneliese Nelson
Oh, yeah, no, it's on the license plate. It says home of road rage.
Bridger Weiniger
Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket?
Anneliese Nelson
Oh, yeah, I've gotten plenty of speeding tickets over. Not in a long time. Knock on wood. But, yeah, I've gotten speeding tickets.
Bridger Weiniger
What's the fastest you were going when getting a ticket?
Anneliese Nelson
Probably like 78.
Bridger Weiniger
78.
Anneliese Nelson
55.
Bridger Weiniger
Oh, and a 55.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. Not okay, too.
Bridger Weiniger
That's ridiculous.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
I feel like 55 is no longer a real speed limit on a freeway.
Anneliese Nelson
No, that's a bizarre. It's like an antiquated thing. It's like when you hear that, like. Like I was thinking, like on Saturday Night Live where we write all Tuesday night into the morning. It's like, why? Because that's how we always did it here. It's like, are we sure we don't want to question that at any point and be like, well, maybe we could work normal office hours and not be sleep deprived when we come in to do a table read.
Bridger Weiniger
Right. That strange badge of honor or whatever for absolutely no reason whatsoever.
Anneliese Nelson
Sticking to these old norms is kind of. Kind of ridiculous.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah. I think the 110 is still a 55 speed.
Anneliese Nelson
110 is pretty awesome because it has. I didn't know you could have a 90 degree angle turn off of a highway where you go from going 55 to 5 into a resident. Like within 30ft, you're in a residential area.
Bridger Weiniger
You're going through someone's neighborhood.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. It's just like you're going so fast and then suddenly it's actual houses and you are still going fast. Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
Just breezing past an elementary school. I've recently like, I feel like the 110 does. And this is. This is a topic for four people. But I feel like that particular freeway, that stretch of it that's very old, gets a very bad rep. But I've kind of fallen in love with it recently.
Anneliese Nelson
I like it. I like it. It's very weird. And it feels like nobody caught that this still exists yet and they haven't changed it. Like they've been meaning like it's like, oh, wait, we didn't alter that yet. How'd that get away from us?
Bridger Weiniger
It's very charming. It has a lot of curves which you don't usually see on a freeway. You actually have to pay attention.
Anneliese Nelson
Oh, yeah. No, you gotta be on guard.
Bridger Weiniger
Right. I mean, the biggest problem obviously is going from a stop sign to freeway speeds on the entrances.
Anneliese Nelson
There's always that moment where exactly you're trying to get on the 110. There's a stop sign and cars are going so fast and you're trying to just find your entry point.
Bridger Weiniger
It's so scary.
Anneliese Nelson
You have to be going so fast so quickly. Yeah. I'm amazed that there's not a thousand accidents on the 110 every day.
Bridger Weiniger
I know, it's really shocking. I should be responsible for at least 500 of those accidents. The way I'm pulling onto that thing. And I have no real sense of spel space or time. So when I pull out onto it, it's like I'm putting everybody's life in danger. And of course, like, that would be. You would get hit by a car going 70.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. Oh, yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
What does that look like?
Anneliese Nelson
That would look like you would be dead. Yeah, you would be dead. You wouldn't know what it looked like.
Bridger Weiniger
But while driving down it, you do feel almost like a. It's like a detective freeway in the 40s or 50s. I feel like you're on the case or something.
Anneliese Nelson
Yes. Yeah, the 110. It feels like you'd see Philip Marlo driving on the 110.
Bridger Weiniger
His Studebaker he just had a steak and coffee.
Anneliese Nelson
And he's exactly for. For 30 cents. He just had. Yeah, I like when you see those movies. And he's like, coffee, 5 cents. You're like, how did this go? 50,000% price increase on this. 5 cents was for coffee.
Bridger Weiniger
What point wouldn't you hand someone a nickel for? Anything.
Anneliese Nelson
Anything. It's just like movies, 10 cents. It's like. This is like wartime inflation. We've. We actually live in.
Bridger Weiniger
And the amount of change that people were carrying around, just jangling.
Anneliese Nelson
And then now we're just like coins. What are these coins? Why do we have coins?
Bridger Weiniger
Do you know what I did recently, though, is I got a roll of quarters and put it in my car middle. Whatever that little treasure chest is.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
And it's changed everything as far as parking meters goes.
Anneliese Nelson
I have in my glove compartment. I shouldn't say this because now my car's gonna be a target for your.
Bridger Weiniger
Target for thieves.
Anneliese Nelson
You're listening. We're targets for thieves breaking into my car. I have in my glove compartment, like a little zippy bag that's shaped like a piece of cake, and I have coins in it that I use for meters. And it's always a life changer.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah. A credit card and a parking meter. It's so frustrating for me.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. And do you know, this might be getting very specific. Nothing is more infuriating than the parking lot in Los fields next to Fred 62. There's that one park the machine never works.
Bridger Weiniger
Horrible machine.
Anneliese Nelson
And you can't even scratched. So people have scratched the thing. So you can't even read whether you paid for it or not. And there's always just like a line of six people. And finally she was like, it's not working today. Let's just hope we don't get tickets.
Bridger Weiniger
I mean, if the city wants you to pay, they should be on top of those things, making sure they work at all times.
Anneliese Nelson
Oh, absolutely. No, it should be a. They should care.
Bridger Weiniger
They should care.
Anneliese Nelson
On some level, they don't care.
Bridger Weiniger
I feel like if the machine isn't working, I should also have, like, post it notes in my car that I can write. It's not working. This is now your problem.
Anneliese Nelson
Absolutely. I always thought the greatest thing ever would be to have in your trunk, like a fake fire hydrant you could put in front of when you want to park somewhere. And you put it there when you know you're going to have to be there. And then you just go. And then you put the fire hydrant Back in your trunk when you get there. And then when you. Yeah, I just. I don't have the courage to do that, though, to actually be like, did you just pick the fire hydrant up and put it in your trunk? Yeah, I'm up to something.
Unknown
Sorry.
Bridger Weiniger
I wonder what the consequences would be if you were caught doing that.
Anneliese Nelson
Is there, like, impersonating a fire hydrant? There's no law.
Bridger Weiniger
A fire hydrant salesman, I think you're.
Anneliese Nelson
Oh, the other one you could do is, I always thought would be to put, like, win this car. You could just like, park on the sidewalk and just have a sign that says, win this car. With, like, a website. And then people say, well, this is clearly some sponsored arrangement here. There's a car. Win it. And then it's just. Then you just put your win this car sign back in the trunk.
Bridger Weiniger
Like a 98 Accord or something.
Anneliese Nelson
I'm giving you exactly why. Who wants to win this dirty Kia?
Bridger Weiniger
I've never. No, I've gotten one parking ticket and never gotten a speeding ticket.
Anneliese Nelson
Really?
Bridger Weiniger
Well, I meant modeling.
Anneliese Nelson
Congratulations.
Bridger Weiniger
An A plus driver.
Anneliese Nelson
That's what everybody says they know. Bureau. You're the Mr. Safety on the road.
Bridger Weiniger
I'm actually an atrocious driver.
Anneliese Nelson
Really.
Bridger Weiniger
The fact that I drove on the freeway today in the rain is crazy.
Anneliese Nelson
Well, I would hear people get so weirdly bad at driving in the rain. There's like. I remember arguing once. I lived in New Jersey for most of my life and came out here probably five years ago. And people and I would be out here and it would rain, and people would just be driving, like, 20 miles an hour and be like, why do you guys go so slow? And they're like, it's. The oils come out of the road when it rains. The oils out of the pores in the road. The asphalt has been holding oils that the water lifts from them.
Bridger Weiniger
Release.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. Everybody's skidding around. It's like, no, you guys are just not great drivers.
Bridger Weiniger
Panicking, panic drivers.
Anneliese Nelson
That's fine.
Bridger Weiniger
I mean, speaking of New Jersey, I feel like the last time I saw you, we may have even talked about this, but it's just been dominating my thoughts since the last time. I was in Jersey over the holidays, and I saw it for the first time. That giant mall. Have you been to that thing?
Anneliese Nelson
No, that thing was. It was not done. Xanadu is, I think, what they were calling. Is that what I.
Bridger Weiniger
They were calling it Xanadu.
Anneliese Nelson
I think it was. It's way up north. They were building the world like, this giant shopping center that had literally like a ski.
Bridger Weiniger
Yes. A ski slope.
Anneliese Nelson
Ski slope in it. And they ran out of money and it was just this incomplete, just albatross that I would pass for years. And then they finally got it on track when I was leaving.
Bridger Weiniger
What a shame.
Anneliese Nelson
I never got to see the ski slope.
Bridger Weiniger
Right.
Anneliese Nelson
Go to the mall with your skis.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah. Do people take their skis or do you just borrow them from the mall?
Anneliese Nelson
You might. Is it like a roller rink where. Yeah, where you just get some skis.
Bridger Weiniger
They're spraying them with Lysol spray that. Yeah, that. I drove past it. It is an atrocious looking building.
Anneliese Nelson
Oh, it's hard. It's like a checkered.
Bridger Weiniger
It does not look good.
Anneliese Nelson
It looks like the Partridge Family bus with all the patterns on it. And you're like, this is clear. Now I know why this thing was not finished. Because just the color scheme is bad enough. It's like clear. If that's a reflection on who's trying to get this thing off the ground. It's like, yeah, of course. This is a disaster.
Bridger Weiniger
There must have been a lot of dirty money there.
Anneliese Nelson
That's New Jersey. It's a place where.
Bridger Weiniger
What are you talking about?
Anneliese Nelson
You go to a diner. And then I would eat at this diner in Hoboken. And then one day in the paper, it's like, oh, this is the diner where they were making deals for selling organs illegally.
Bridger Weiniger
Or they keep them in the walk in fridge.
Anneliese Nelson
I don't know how they were doing. And it was like there were rabbis involved in it. Or not. Hibrat maybe. It was like. It was the messiest thing I've ever heard about. And it was like, that diner is where it happened. And then I learned about that. I'm still eating there. And then one night I'm eating. Artie Lang comes in, like, a disaster. At probably 1:30 in the morning, he orders two roast beef sandwiches to go. It's like, first of all, who gets a roast beef sandwich at a diner 1:30 in the morning, let alone two of them? Like, well, look, two. That's your call. But it'd be like the people get like. They go to the. They get like, oh, I got the, like the stir fry at the diner. It's like, this is not what they do.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah, they make one of those every five years, you said.
Anneliese Nelson
Just.
Bridger Weiniger
I think by mistake.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah, I think we can make that. They get the cookbook out for that one.
Amy Brown
Hey, it's Amy Brown from the Bobbi Bones Show. Join me in supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for a chance to win a trip to meet Megan Maroney at the 2025 I Heart Country Festival in Austin, Texas on May 3rd. Hosted by Bobby Bones. We're gonna hook you up with tickets, flights, hotel, food credits and a meet and greet with Megan Maroney. Take action now to support St. Jude and help cure childhood cancer and you're gonna be entered for a chance to win. Visit iheartcountrytrip.com to learn more.
Unknown
During tax season, your sensitive info does a lot of traveling to places you can't control, stopping off at payroll, your accountant or tax preparer, and countless other data centers on its way to the irs. Any of them can expose you to identity theft because they all have the info on your W2. Just the ticket for criminals to steal your identity. No wonder the IRS reported tax fraud due to identity theft went up 20% last year. You need Lifelock. They monitor millions of data points per second and alert you to threats you could miss. If your identity is stolen, LifeLock's US based restoration specialists will fix it, backed by the million dollar protection package and restoration is guaranteed or your money back. Don't let identity thieves take you for a ride. Get Lifelock protection for tax season and beyond. Join now and save up to 40% your first year. Call 1-800-LIFELOCK and use promo code iheart or go to lifelock.com iheart for 40%. Terms apply.
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 cleaning items from ALL and Cotton L and dinner essentials from Daisy, Skippy, Hellman's and Barilla plus many more. Then clip the offer in our app for automatic event long savings. Stack up those rewards to save even more restrictions applied. Visit Albertsons or Safeway.com for more details.
Bridger Weiniger
What's the and this just feels like we're really leaning into a stereotype with New Jersey. But did you ever come close to knowing anyone that was even remotely connected to the Mafia?
Anneliese Nelson
You could, I mean in terms of knowing, not knowing, knowing, but I would meet people and you're just like. It is really like the cliche where somebody would be just like yeah, I work in like waste.
Bridger Weiniger
Waste management.
Anneliese Nelson
Waste management or construction. And I mean that stuff didn't come from nowhere. It's not fiction. And you could always feel because there would also be people who would act like they were connected and you Know they're not. Right.
Bridger Weiniger
That's a total.
Anneliese Nelson
They're talking about.
Bridger Weiniger
Yes, yes.
Anneliese Nelson
It's the people who were like quiet and you're just like, oh, that guy's scary. And then you kind of realize you put two and two together on those guys.
Bridger Weiniger
What a shame for the people in New Jersey who are actually in construction and waste management.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. Just making an honest living. I mean New Jersey literally has the docks in like Elizabeth, New Jersey. It's like a put on. It's like the docks, it's just where it would be. The cranes are lifting those giant, those giant things off and they're filled with stuff and it's just. You can tell how crooked certain spots are.
Bridger Weiniger
How powerful do we think the mafia is at this point?
Anneliese Nelson
That's a good question. I think they would be a real headache if you had like a store and they'd be just like, guy comes like, hey, be ashamed if something happened to this place. Like it would be kind of exciting though if somebody came into like my store and was just kind of like, nice place you got here. Knock something over, it shatters. Yeah, we might have to look after it for you. It's like I'm running a baseball card shop. I don't make much money. Please. It's like, like it's a karate studio. We have some mats is all we have here. What are you going to take my mats away from me?
Bridger Weiniger
It just feels like co managing the store. You're just stepping in to help.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah, you want to help, I'll hire you. Work here now. Now you have the mob guys like booking classes for 15 year olds doing karate.
Bridger Weiniger
I like the mafia being reduced to a pain in the neck at this point.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah, Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
I wonder who like the number one guy is. Who was the last big mafia guy who got caught?
Anneliese Nelson
Well, John Gotti was the alt. That's like the biggest one, right? But there were always these guys. There was one guy who pretended to be like insane and would walk around the village in a bathrobe and but was actually still kind of like mobbed up. But he was pretending to be just like, oh, he lost his mind. And then they caught him at some point. It's like, no, he didn't lose his mind. He's just doing the long game here. But just the idea that the commitment.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah, that's such a deep cover.
Anneliese Nelson
I'm gonna be nuts. Like he tells everybody. I'm gonna walk around the village in a bathrobe, keep the feds off my back because I'm crazy wearing A bathrobe.
Bridger Weiniger
In public really is like the last resort to keep people away from you.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. No, that is a real. And he's like, you. That'd be the kind of thing when you're gonna like, take a fashion risk and then you're just like, scared and you're just like so self conscious with it, like, and then just like, I couldn't pull that off. I'm not wearing the robe anymore.
Bridger Weiniger
You're kind of just like trying to carefully take it off without people noticing.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. Oh, he went back to not wearing a robe again.
Bridger Weiniger
Do you have a bathrobe? Do you walk around the house in a robe?
Anneliese Nelson
I'm not huge on bathrobes for whatever reason. I don't know. There's just too much work. Kind of like. Cause it's too. I either get too, like, suddenly I'll go from being cold to being too.
Bridger Weiniger
Warm with a bathrobe.
Anneliese Nelson
Like within like four minutes, I'm just like, get this bathrobe off me. I'd rather just grab a blanket. Grab a blanket, just warm up and then dispose of. Not dispose of the blanket. I fold it back. I don't throw it out. Get this blanket out of this disposable blanket. I have a garbage can full of blankets that I throw.
Bridger Weiniger
I like a robe during the winter. It's nice, a light robe.
Anneliese Nelson
Do you like a light.
Bridger Weiniger
I would say it's like a medium level robe.
Anneliese Nelson
Okay. So you can get warm from the robe.
Bridger Weiniger
Yes.
Anneliese Nelson
Okay.
Bridger Weiniger
And it's not after showering or a bath. It's like when I wake up in the morning while I'm eating breakfast or whatever kind of shuffling around the house.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah, I don't do a whole lot of shuffling. I usually wake up in a panic and I don't have.
Bridger Weiniger
I also wake up in a panic, but that leads to shuffling.
Anneliese Nelson
Not a lot of robe time in my schedule. Just like, oh, shit, I gotta be out of here. Hurry.
Bridger Weiniger
How quick? How soon between waking up and getting dressed, like, what's the time there?
Anneliese Nelson
Oh, well, it depends. Me and my wife will do. We'll drink coffee in the morning to sit on the couch and talk. And that'll. That's kind of a fun thing when we can do that. So I that, like, we can just do that for an hour. It's the best hour of the day.
Bridger Weiniger
Right.
Anneliese Nelson
And then it's just like, well, I guess we gotta start our stupid days now.
Bridger Weiniger
What kind of conversations are you having? Like, upon waking up? I can't imagine doing that.
Anneliese Nelson
We talk about first we talk about sleep. How did you sleep?
Bridger Weiniger
Right.
Anneliese Nelson
Did you have any dreams?
Bridger Weiniger
Icebreakers.
Anneliese Nelson
Whatever. Yeah, Icebreakers. If we're just. As if it's speed dating or something. We're just meeting. We're seeing if there's any kind of chemistry between us. Yeah. And then we just talk about what we're gonna do, and then that spins off into any kind of discussion about anything. What our day is. And then we kinda take inventory of the people we don't like.
Bridger Weiniger
I remembered someone else I don't like.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah, no, no. It's actually a pretty positive thing. We actually kind of get each other ready for the day.
Bridger Weiniger
Right? That sounds very nice. I wish I was capable of that. Are you eating breakfast?
Anneliese Nelson
Sometimes. Not a major priority for me.
Bridger Weiniger
Does that make sense to me?
Anneliese Nelson
I don't know. I can't do too much coffee in the morning with nothing in my stomach. Or I'm just like. I get ill from that.
Bridger Weiniger
Nauseous.
Anneliese Nelson
But I go right to the line with it. Like, I push it. Right. I like eating lunch. I'd rather eat a more substantial lunch than to start things. Because if I eat breakfast, I'm weirdly hungrier. Like 90 minutes later. I'm just like, I've started the food.
Bridger Weiniger
Right. You've reminded your body that this is a possibility.
Anneliese Nelson
Exactly. Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
I just. I can't imagine waiting until noon to have my first meal of the day. I would lose my mind.
Anneliese Nelson
What would be breakfast for you?
Bridger Weiniger
What's a protein bar? I just need to chew something. Oh.
Anneliese Nelson
I mean, I have stuff in my car I keep like. Like, I go to Costco again. My car is going to get broken between. Now, either people are going to want the coins or they're going to want my trunk snacks. I'll just buy, like, a box of like. Like, fig bars and I keep them in my trunk. So if there's days where I'm just like, I am hungry now. I just.
Bridger Weiniger
They're in your trunk.
Anneliese Nelson
I don't want to be reaching for them every time I'm in the car. I have to rotate such a crazy wall to remove temptation. If it was in my car, I would eat a fake bar every time I drove. Because I'd be in traffic and I'd be just like, time for a fig bar. I got to do something to feel better about myself. Where's my fig bars?
Bridger Weiniger
The idea of having to go back to the trunk to get something to eat feels crazy.
Anneliese Nelson
Well, I do it when I'm leaving. When I'm leaving, I say, ah. I could Use this. I'll grab a fig bar, bring it up front, drive for like five minutes. And I'm like, okay, it's fig bar time. I'm telling you way too much about my micro decisions here. This is too much.
Bridger Weiniger
My trunk is just packed with clothes that needed to go to Goodwill like four years ago. And also a box of industrial sized garbage bags my dad accidentally sent me that needed to be returned to Costco. And that'll never happen. So it's just unusable space.
Anneliese Nelson
You can return anything to Costco at any point. Like, there is like, there's no.
Bridger Weiniger
Who do you think you're talking to?
Anneliese Nelson
You could bring something. Like, I bought this men in Black DVD.
Bridger Weiniger
Not true.
Anneliese Nelson
14 years ago.
Bridger Weiniger
I tried returning these once and I wasn't a Costco member.
Anneliese Nelson
Okay.
Bridger Weiniger
And I was like, you can just return these to.
Anneliese Nelson
Well, you weren't a member, but I.
Bridger Weiniger
Was like, return them to him.
Anneliese Nelson
We don't want to hear from you. I'm a Costco member.
Bridger Weiniger
I am now.
Anneliese Nelson
Okay, well good. Now you should be able to return it.
Bridger Weiniger
But I already went through the experience once. I don't think I can ever do that again. I only go to Costco now to get my chicken and various other little items.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah, I like Costco.
Bridger Weiniger
What are you buying at Costco?
Anneliese Nelson
Almond milk. Get that three pack of almond milk. Pretty sweet giant box of cereal which I eat at night actually.
Bridger Weiniger
Oh, interesting. What type of cereal?
Anneliese Nelson
Oh, what kind? Don't I get? No, it's like that. I like the Special K with the strawberry.
Bridger Weiniger
Okay, sure, whatever.
Anneliese Nelson
They have freeze dried strawberries that come back to life.
Bridger Weiniger
Astro milk strawberries.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah, it is like that. It's like that astronaut ice cream. It's simple stuff. I don't go insane at Costco. Like not buying like a tent. Like the way they always go in there and suddenly it's like they just have a tent set up.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah, like life things where I'm just like. That would be such a thought out purchase for me. It would never be. Oh, Costco has it. I'll get the tent now.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah, exactly. I'm in the market for a tent.
Bridger Weiniger
Time to buy a hot tub. It's like.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. Do you ever eat at Costco? You ever get in that line?
Bridger Weiniger
No, but I've been wanting to. I've been wanting to have lunch at Costco. It feels like an experience I should have at some point.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah, I think you need to get that under your belt to decide whether this is you or not. Yeah, let's see if it Fits your way of living. It's because they have this pizza. Costco's, like, the 10th biggest pizza chain in America. It is wild because they're just selling so many pizzas.
Bridger Weiniger
They must be, like, number three hot dog chain.
Anneliese Nelson
Hot. Yeah. I mean, look. Well, who's a competition? Nathan's Wiener Schnitzel.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah.
Anneliese Nelson
I've never been in one of those.
Bridger Weiniger
Neither have I.
Anneliese Nelson
No, they look scary to me. Like, what's going on in there? There's, like, certain chains I've never. Jollibee.
Bridger Weiniger
I've never been to. I have been inside a mall. Jollibee. But a friend was eating.
Anneliese Nelson
Okay, sure. Never been there. Never been to Derveen. Is it Der Wiener Schnitzel? Is that what it is?
Bridger Weiniger
I would just say Wienerschnitzel.
Anneliese Nelson
Whatever. I'm just trying to be respectful.
Bridger Weiniger
I know.
Anneliese Nelson
You're the German culture. Yes. Precious.
Bridger Weiniger
About the Wienerschnitzel.
Anneliese Nelson
I wanna respect my German friends. Cause they're coming for us.
Bridger Weiniger
Wiener Schnitzel is run by Nazis.
Anneliese Nelson
Yes.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah.
Anneliese Nelson
We've been funding the Fourth Reich this whole time.
Bridger Weiniger
Wait, but have you had the pizza at Costco?
Anneliese Nelson
Oh, yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
Is it good?
Anneliese Nelson
It's not very good. It's so cheesy. It's like that kind of like. And I'm not gonna be the person who's just, like, out here, the pizza's like this. Cause this Costco pizza's the same everywhere. But it's that incredibly doughy, soft. It's almost like eating cake. That cheese on it. Cheese and salt. Yeah. No, it's not great.
Bridger Weiniger
Right.
Anneliese Nelson
But it's very cheap.
Bridger Weiniger
Yes. And the hot dogs are very cheap.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
And I have had a cookie from it that's, like, a recent addition to the menu. And I thought it was decent. I mean, not bad.
Anneliese Nelson
Very sugary, though.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah. Extremely sweet.
Anneliese Nelson
They go very hard on that stuff. They're just like airplane. It's like airplane food where they're just like. When you're higher up.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah. You've got to intensify the flavor.
Anneliese Nelson
Exactly. Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
Because your senses are numbed.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. But we're on the ground.
Bridger Weiniger
But maybe while you're in Costco, you have a similar. Like, your body has a similar reaction to being at 10,000ft in the air.
Anneliese Nelson
It does feel like you're somewhere else.
Bridger Weiniger
When you're there, the air is thinner.
Unknown
Yes.
Anneliese Nelson
The air is thinner at Costco.
Bridger Weiniger
Well, there's something else I feel like we should talk about. And I feel like you've been avoiding the subject the entire time, which is upsetting me a little bit. Tom, I was excited to have you here on the podcast.
Anneliese Nelson
Of course.
Bridger Weiniger
I think you're wonderful.
Anneliese Nelson
Well, thank you.
Bridger Weiniger
I figured we'd have a nice conversation, we'd move on with our day. The podcast is called I said no Gifts. And so I kind of had to. You know, I did a double take when you walked into the studio holding two what are clearly gifts, two items wrapped in a gorgeous wrapping paper which really screamed Tom sharply.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah, so expertly wrapped.
Bridger Weiniger
Expertly wrapped.
Anneliese Nelson
It's like a department store.
Bridger Weiniger
Were you at Nordstrom this morning?
Anneliese Nelson
Lashes sticking off and the tape going.
Bridger Weiniger
Like, yeah, someone went to Dillard's.
Anneliese Nelson
Look, I didn't listen. I did what I wanted. I brought you a couple things.
Bridger Weiniger
Well, fair enough. Should we open them here on the podcast?
Anneliese Nelson
Sure.
Amy Brown
Hey, it's Amy Brown from the Bobby Bones Show. Join me in supporting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for a chance to win a trip to meet Megan Maroney at the 20202025 I Heart Country Festival in Austin, Texas on May 3rd. Hosted by Bobby Bones. We're going to hook you up with tickets, flights, hotel, food credits and a meet and greet with Megan Maroney. Take action now to support St. Jude and help cure childhood cancer and you're going to be entered for a chance to win. Visit iheartcountrytrip.com to learn more.
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 like Red Bull and sparkling ice or breakfast favorites like Kellogg's Pop Tarts, Kellogg's Frosted Flakes and Kellogg's Eggo Waffles plus many more. Then clip the offer in our app for automatic event long savings. Stack up those rewards to save even more restrictions applied. Visit Albertsons or Safeway.com for more details.
Unknown
Ready to prioritize yourself in the new year? Your skin is a great place to start. Dime Beauty, founded by a master esthetician, is more than just a skincare company. With four skin conscious categories, skin care, beauty, body care and fragrance, Dime offers simple, spa worthy products that will help you enter 2025 with confidence. Whether you're revitalizing your regimen with nourishing products or building one from scratch, Daim makes it easy. The work system, our all in one best selling routine includes a cleanser of your choice, toners, serums and moisturizers. Taking the guesswork out of care for Your healthiest, happiest skin yet. Dime's commitment to clean ingredients and sustainable packaging ensures every product is as gentle on your skin as it is on the planet. With thousands of glowing five star reviews and a loyal community, the results speak for themselves. Revive your skin and give yourself the routine refresh you deserve by visiting dimebeautyco.com that's dimebeautyco.com your best skin awaits.
Anneliese Nelson
These work in conjunction. They will work together.
Bridger Weiniger
Okay, so should I open one before the other?
Anneliese Nelson
I think. Which one will go first? Okay, well, this is. It's going to be for you to have a fun night.
Bridger Weiniger
One is a gun and one is bullets.
Anneliese Nelson
Yes. No, we'll go with that one first.
Bridger Weiniger
Okay, we'll open this one first. All right. This is the smaller of the two.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
Okay. Oh, I've been meaning to try this. Oh, yeah, it's the French. The new Girl Scout cookie. The French toast one.
Anneliese Nelson
Yes. I like how you accent Scout.
Bridger Weiniger
Oh, interesting. Do I say it strangely?
Anneliese Nelson
You said Girl Scout.
Bridger Weiniger
This is interesting because you're from New Jersey, my boyfriend's from New Jersey. And the harassment I get about certain ways I say things like air conditioning. I say ice cream. Okay, does that sound strange?
Anneliese Nelson
Like air conditioning? Like you go, air conditioning. As if we're doing different things to the air. Well, this is the air conditioning part.
Bridger Weiniger
And you say air conditioning.
Anneliese Nelson
Say air conditioning. Yeah, but you're saying it as if, like, turn on the air reduction machine.
Bridger Weiniger
But that's what it is.
Anneliese Nelson
Turn on the air conditioning machine because.
Bridger Weiniger
The air has been conditioned.
Anneliese Nelson
There's air. Multiple air machines that you're like, which air machine should I put on the air conditioning?
Bridger Weiniger
1. I'm not wrong here.
Anneliese Nelson
Look, you're not wrong.
Bridger Weiniger
That is the purpose for the air conditioner.
Anneliese Nelson
You're the host. You're not wrong. So, yeah, so you have these Girl Scout cookies that are.
Bridger Weiniger
It's the new French toast. And now I feel. Now I'm like, am I saying French toast correctly?
Anneliese Nelson
You're getting that perfectly right. In New Jersey, people would be like, you're from here. If you start saying French toast like that, people be like, what exit on the highway are you from?
Bridger Weiniger
Have you had this particular. How is it?
Anneliese Nelson
Yes, they're great.
Bridger Weiniger
I mean, I feel like we should open them now.
Anneliese Nelson
Sure.
Bridger Weiniger
I've been, you know, I have.
Anneliese Nelson
But I will say this is for a night. For you to have a night. I don't want you to cash that out because it goes in conjunction with this.
Bridger Weiniger
And should I open that now to.
Anneliese Nelson
Talk about it, because it would be. This is meant for you to have a nice night at home.
Bridger Weiniger
And I will. I mean, I will tell you, this is a very good gift for me because every night I do have a nightly cookie.
Anneliese Nelson
Okay.
Bridger Weiniger
And so I usually bake them, but when a cookie's about this small, I'll have four of them.
Anneliese Nelson
Sure. No, I've heard about the dough you've got stockpiled.
Bridger Weiniger
Who told you this?
Anneliese Nelson
You said it on the show. Yes.
Bridger Weiniger
Oh, on the show. I was like. I was like, what?
Anneliese Nelson
Showed it into a microphone.
Bridger Weiniger
Oh, right. We've recorded other podcasts, other episodes of this before.
Anneliese Nelson
That's my worst night. I am at the point where I've talked into microphones for so long, and I'll have a thought, and I'll be like, is this a new thought? Did I already say this to a friend out loud? Did it leave my lips at some point? Did I say it into a microphone? Have I said it more than once into a microphone? Like, I can't remember any thought, what I've done with this thought.
Bridger Weiniger
I just assume at this point I will not have a new thought ever again. And that those thoughts have been said a hundred times on the podcast. And so the listeners still hanging on are like, well, here it comes again.
Anneliese Nelson
Okay. Well.
Bridger Weiniger
So, yeah, okay, I've got the French toast. Let's open this other thing. Thing here.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. It might be slippery, so get ready.
Bridger Weiniger
Oh, my God. I'm going to throw this away before I even look at it.
Anneliese Nelson
It's the bane of every person's existence.
Bridger Weiniger
They're movie screeners. Guild screeners, yes. Which, if the listener is not aware if you're a part of sag, the Screen Actors Guild or the Writers Guild or whatever, every year you get sent. Actually, I don't get sent these anymore. I think I may have signed up for the Leave me alone. But these are. They send DVDs.
Anneliese Nelson
I figured you could watch a movie and have some cookies and have a great night at home.
Bridger Weiniger
You know what? I watched a movie, a screener. Last night I watched Conclave. Okay, did I say Conclave? Correct.
Anneliese Nelson
You said it.
Bridger Weiniger
Right now I feel like anything with two syllables, my life is gonna fall apart.
Anneliese Nelson
What movie did you see? Conclave. Now you're. Again, I'm the one saying it wrong. I thought we're on your show. I need to say things the way you say them. So enjoy those girls.
Bridger Weiniger
The problem here is I'm from Utah and you're from New Jersey. Two states that are constantly used as punchlines so we don't. There's no, like, real. Neither of us has the foot up here.
Anneliese Nelson
What's the worst thing people say about Utah? That you actually take offense. Because I know what's wrong with New Jersey, and some people hit bullseyes when they put it down, but other times, people are. It's just like, screw you. You don't know what it's about.
Bridger Weiniger
The one that is, like, clearly just incorrect is, like, that everyone's a polygamist.
Anneliese Nelson
Sure.
Bridger Weiniger
That's just like. And I feel like a lot of people still kind of assume that it's real and that's. I mean, like, polygamists do exist in Utah, but they're like the state joke. You see them and you're like, what's happening? Yeah.
Anneliese Nelson
It's like our mobsters, right?
Bridger Weiniger
Exactly. Except for you can pick them out in a crowd because their hair is braided and they have 50 kids.
Anneliese Nelson
Okay. You can usually pick a mobster out in a way because they're.
Bridger Weiniger
They're wearing a zoot suit.
Anneliese Nelson
Generally wearing. No, they're generally weari. A lot of Yankees and, like, expensive track jacket and something that says Yankees on it somewhere.
Bridger Weiniger
Okay. I have these screeners. I've seen Honora. Did you like an aura?
Anneliese Nelson
I did, yes.
Bridger Weiniger
Fantastic. It's so funny.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
We're going to go through all of these. I haven't seen American fiction.
Anneliese Nelson
It's good.
Bridger Weiniger
This is last year, so we are getting.
Anneliese Nelson
We're going back. Look, movies are classic movies.
Bridger Weiniger
This is another Judas and the Black Messiah. I. I don't remember this.
Anneliese Nelson
Watched half of it on a plane.
Bridger Weiniger
Let's see who's in this. Oh, wait. I have seen this. This is really old. This is several years ago.
Anneliese Nelson
It might be a few years old.
Ryan Seacrest
Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
Okay. The United States vs. Billie Holiday. The Harder they Fall. Borat.
Anneliese Nelson
Yes.
Bridger Weiniger
This is a 2020. Why hadn't you thrown this away? What's happening in your house?
Anneliese Nelson
Well, my friend directed the second Borat movie, Jason Waller, so I held onto it for sentimental reasons. And then I was just like, I think I can let the boy.
Bridger Weiniger
You're at the screener. You have to buy the dvd.
Anneliese Nelson
I can let the screener go at this point. Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
I'm thinking of ending things. Okay, sure. Da Five Bloods. The father. Oh, Olivia Colman. I haven't seen her around for a while.
Anneliese Nelson
No, she's great.
Bridger Weiniger
She's so good.
Anneliese Nelson
I know. She started like such a comedy person.
Bridger Weiniger
I know.
Anneliese Nelson
And she became respectable.
Bridger Weiniger
Yes. She's so good in peep show.
Anneliese Nelson
Oh, Absolutely. Yeah. What a weird turn of events to.
Bridger Weiniger
Be legitimate, like, one of the most respected actors in film. West side Story. I tried it. Didn't make it. Living. Have no idea what that is.
Anneliese Nelson
For people who don't know, there's a certain type of screener that shows up in a plain.
Bridger Weiniger
This is a sad one.
Anneliese Nelson
A plain white envelope that. They're usually the ones that show up first, like, in, like. It'll be like Halloween.
Bridger Weiniger
It was a rush.
Anneliese Nelson
And then you get, like, these movies and their titles. You're just like, this could be a fake living. There might be nothing on that.
Bridger Weiniger
This could be about anything.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. It could just be. You put it in the player, and it just says, like, congratulations, you try. Or just, like, you win. You're the first person to win a million dollars because nobody's ever tried to watch one of these bleak, white envelope screeners.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah, it looks like off brand medicine or something. Challengers. I liked Challengers. I feel like the big complaint was it wasn't sexy enough. Sure, sure.
Anneliese Nelson
They hedged their bets.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah. They didn't go as far as people wanted them to. People are disgusting. Nickel boys. I need to see this.
Anneliese Nelson
Oh, look. There you go.
Bridger Weiniger
Okay, I got a second.
Anneliese Nelson
Honora, just in case the first one didn't work.
Bridger Weiniger
I can spoil a friend. I'm gonna put these on people's windshields.
Anneliese Nelson
Sure. Yeah. I like if they're. And they're always like, these are traceable. Don't.
Bridger Weiniger
Oh, give me a break.
Anneliese Nelson
They're always like, destroy them. By March 15, you must destroy these.
Bridger Weiniger
Like, they weren't already on torrent websites nine weeks before release.
Anneliese Nelson
Exactly. And it's just like. So they're really gonna track down that. That's my copy of a Nora. And what are they gonna do, not send me more of this garbage?
Tom Sharpling
I'm calling dibs on that second anora.
Bridger Weiniger
You get it, Annalise? You win. The seed of the sacred fig. Now, this is something I have never heard of.
Anneliese Nelson
I've never heard of it. When I.
Bridger Weiniger
My apologies to the filmmakers. Maybe it's good.
Anneliese Nelson
Isn't it funny that that's Somebody's. Somebody's Life is that movie. And there's just so much stuff now.
Bridger Weiniger
It's a nightmare for everyone.
Anneliese Nelson
You can't track anything.
Bridger Weiniger
It is impossible to make an impression on anyone.
Anneliese Nelson
Like, Julia Roberts has done, like, TV stuff now, where you're just like, what happened? How was this?
Bridger Weiniger
This is like. I mean, it's so strange to write and work in tv. And someone will be like, you tell Somebody that. And they're like, oh, what have you worked on? I'm like, I'm just not gonna tell you because it's gonna be one thing after another. I'll just be like, well, I worked on Jimmy Kimmel. That's my first job. Because that's the only thing you certainly have heard of.
Anneliese Nelson
Sure.
Bridger Weiniger
No, I. Interestingly, this says best film editing, Andrew Bird. Andrew Bird is, as far as I know, just an indie musician.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. Well, I guess he's got a side hustle going on.
Bridger Weiniger
I mean, that's also the modern curse. That really well could be Andrew Bird.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah, he's very.
Bridger Weiniger
Now he edits, he's editing and whistling and he's. Oh, this is a grand finale.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah, there we go. I figured it end with on a high note the at all controversial.
Bridger Weiniger
This is my big question is, is it a pun on Emily in Paris?
Anneliese Nelson
Well, that's a fair question.
Bridger Weiniger
It's a Netflix film.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
It sounds like Emily in Paris.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
It feels like there could be some tie in, but I. And from what I know about the movie, it's insane. So why wouldn't it be?
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. I've not heard one person say anything short of, that's a total piece of shit movie. Like, everybody's just like, it's one of the worst things I've ever seen.
Bridger Weiniger
But why?
Anneliese Nelson
I didn't even open the door. I'm just. I'm gonna start to do that thing where I, like, kind of pretend I saw it.
Bridger Weiniger
I mean, that's the other thing I thought it was. Whatever. Yeah. Yeah. Is it a musical? I think I know it's a musical and it's bad.
Anneliese Nelson
That's what I've been hearing.
Bridger Weiniger
And I feel like there's one scene that's been texted to everyone in existence. You have to see this thing.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. I've been tuning a lot of things out lately, so I'm just gonna pretend I know the scene you're talking about.
Bridger Weiniger
I was sent a scene, but I didn't see it anywhere online. So I don't even know if it's the scene because clearly the movie must have scene after horrible scene. But apparently somebody likes it. Or there's just a huge marketing budget.
Anneliese Nelson
There's a huge push.
Bridger Weiniger
Why did they pick this one?
Anneliese Nelson
I don't. I don't know.
Bridger Weiniger
They could have picked the Jason Bateman at the airport movie.
Anneliese Nelson
They could have picked the one where he had the long hair. When I see that, it's like, ooh, it's a different Jason Bateman.
Bridger Weiniger
That's A bad guy, bad guy, bad guy.
Anneliese Nelson
And then, like, there's this Mark Wahlberg movie where he's got, like, he's bald or something.
Bridger Weiniger
I just heard about this. It's called Flight Risk.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. And it's directed by Mel Gibson, of.
Bridger Weiniger
Course, director of the Beaver.
Anneliese Nelson
Thankfully, he's back.
Bridger Weiniger
No, actually, star of the Beaver. That's a Jodie Foster.
Anneliese Nelson
Yes. Wait. Yeah, he starred.
Bridger Weiniger
That was, like, kind of his comeback after the big arrest or whatever.
Anneliese Nelson
There must have been something going on on that Maverick set where Jodie Foster did that movie with Mel Gibson where they were bonded for life now.
Bridger Weiniger
They saw something.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah, exactly. Something went down there, and they are linked together for all eternity. And. No, I see these glimpses of. Mark Wahlberg is just like.
Bridger Weiniger
He's bald in it. I need to Google, get my eyes on this. Let's see here. Mark Wahlberg bald or just Flight Risk Bald sounds like a nasty. Let's see. Wait. He's like. I did search bald. Now I'm gonna. He's, like, receding hairline or, like, male pattern baldness. Is that right?
Anneliese Nelson
I guess it looks like the dad on that 70s show.
Bridger Weiniger
This looks horrible.
Anneliese Nelson
Yes. This looks so scary that these are the artistic choices being made.
Bridger Weiniger
When you said shave or bald, I just imagine, like, completely shaved. I was like, that probably looks.
Anneliese Nelson
No, he's got, like, the tufts.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah. Puffy back of the head.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. Like Ed Asner.
Bridger Weiniger
It looks horrifying. And like this sort of thing, like, on someone where it's happening naturally. It's just like, whatever. But, I mean, this is. It looks like he bought it at the Halloween Superstore, where it's like that bad bald cap could fly off in the wind.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
This looks. I have to see this movie.
Anneliese Nelson
It's like if. Like a kid dressed like Dr. Phil for Halloween, that would be what they would dress.
Bridger Weiniger
Mad Scientist.
Anneliese Nelson
Yes. Yeah. Like Mad Science.
Bridger Weiniger
Like the kits that comes with a lab coat and a beaker.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
Okay. I haven't had my cookie yet. Do you want one?
Anneliese Nelson
I'm gonna let you have the cookies.
Bridger Weiniger
They're available. Annalise, do you want one?
Tom Sharpling
Save me one for later.
Bridger Weiniger
These are much bigger than I expected. It's nearly.
Anneliese Nelson
Almost a piece of toast.
Bridger Weiniger
It's almost a piece of toast.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
I'm chewing into the microphone, which everybody loves. Turn up. Turn up the soundtrack.
Anneliese Nelson
Lean into it.
Bridger Weiniger
This is very good.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah, I like them.
Bridger Weiniger
It tastes like maybe cinnamon toast Crunch.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah, like it has almost like that. Yeah, like that syrup. Right. I remember there being a little syrup. Look I ate the thing like a ravenous dog. So I just ate them all.
Bridger Weiniger
I'm gonna stop. I'm stopping eating it now. Not because I don't like it, but because of my. I'm trying to be a kinder podcaster to the listener. But it is very. It's because I have pretty strong feelings now about Girl Scout cookies, and I feel like a lot of them bomb.
Anneliese Nelson
Well, what would be your favorites?
Bridger Weiniger
I think the Thin Mint is the only one that's actually good and has been good the entire time it tastes. I don't think that it has ever changed. It's one of the few things in history that's as good now as it was 20 years ago.
Anneliese Nelson
I would agree with that completely. The ones that used to be called samosas and they said that's offensive. So now they're called. They changed the name of them to wonderfuls or something like that.
Bridger Weiniger
They're called wonderfuls.
Anneliese Nelson
Something like that. But I remember when those showed up, I was just like, somebody's getting fancy in the cookie lab over at the Girl Scout.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah. Going a little far with the tag alongs. Those used to be good.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. There has been like a drop in general. Drop in quality.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah. I think they've been cutting corners on some of the ingredients.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
I think the shortbread's still good.
Anneliese Nelson
I like the shortbread. Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
What are the other ones?
Anneliese Nelson
Isn't there like a peanut butter one in there somewhere?
Bridger Weiniger
Oh, I don't mind that one.
Anneliese Nelson
I'm not huge on peanut butter cookies.
Bridger Weiniger
I don't like to hear. But you like peanut butter in general?
Anneliese Nelson
I like peanut butter, but sometimes peanut butter cookies a little. It still slows things down a little too much. Like now I have to drink something for every bite of a cookie. I need to drink something. Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
I think that's all of them. And. Oh, there's a s'mores flavor, which. It didn't work for me.
Anneliese Nelson
No, it was very, like, chemical tasting.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah. It's very like frozen yogurt. Artificial flavor.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. We're being told that this is right.
Bridger Weiniger
Because we know those. It should literally just be graham cracker and a. We know you can put a marshmallow and that can be preserved in a package.
Anneliese Nelson
We've all seen it.
Bridger Weiniger
Yes. And put some chocolate on that.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
But instead it's like just a literal cookie with the flavor infused, which I find upsetting.
Anneliese Nelson
I agree with you completely.
Bridger Weiniger
It's like a jelly belly.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah, I guess so. Sure.
Bridger Weiniger
But I do like a jelly belly.
Anneliese Nelson
Well, where would. Where the test for me with Jelly Bellies is where people feel about the buttered popcorn.
Bridger Weiniger
Okay. I hate.
Anneliese Nelson
You hate it.
Bridger Weiniger
What do you think of it?
Anneliese Nelson
I like it.
Bridger Weiniger
Okay. I think it's a bad tasting. First of all, it does not taste like popcorn. No, of course it doesn't, but it doesn't taste like anything. It tastes just like a bad. It just hurts my tongue. It's between sweet and, like, putrid.
Anneliese Nelson
And the thing is, I agree with you completely, yet I do like them. It's one of those things where it's just like. I don't know. This is working for me. I'm just gonna keep going. Look, I would not seek them out. I'm gonna go to, like, the. It's sugar and just get a bag of just buttered popcorn. Jelly Bellies. But if I come across one, you'll eat it. Yeah, I got no problem.
Bridger Weiniger
There's something very urinal.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah, I could see that.
Bridger Weiniger
I don't know, like the.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. I don't like cinnamon ones, though. They're too strong.
Bridger Weiniger
I don't like any cinnamon flavored candy.
Anneliese Nelson
I think. Yeah. Like Red Hot things. I don't like any of that stuff.
Bridger Weiniger
No. And that. I think that falls into kind of the S'more category where it's like, I know what cinnamon tastes like. And this is not that.
Anneliese Nelson
No, this is just. You're overcompensating and making it very extreme.
Bridger Weiniger
Right.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
And I think those are the two. Oh, and banana flavor. Those are the three that just never work, ever.
Anneliese Nelson
Banana's rough. And grape is not. I like a grape, but it's just nothing to do with what an actual grape tastes like. Like, it's just, like purple. They might as well call it purple flavor.
Bridger Weiniger
But I imagine at some point, whoever was creating it, that's what grape tasted like to them.
Anneliese Nelson
I guess. So, I mean, what would be the. The start of that would be like grape soda.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah. Grape soda feels like the earliest form of that. Grape syrup.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. And it's just. But where did they get off saying this is grape?
Bridger Weiniger
Right.
Anneliese Nelson
They came up with this flavor, and then somebody's like, let's just call it grape. Like, what's this taste like? I don't know. It's grape. Okay, sure. I'll take your word for it.
Bridger Weiniger
I feel like a lot of people's problem with grape flavoring is they associate it with children's. Thailand and being sick as a kid.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. But I also have a. If there was a candy, that was the taste of those aspirins, I Would eat that.
Bridger Weiniger
Oh, of course.
Anneliese Nelson
What were those again? The saint, Remember, like, the aspirins were, like, very chew, like for kids.
Bridger Weiniger
Oh, I'm not familiar.
Anneliese Nelson
Man, they were good. I would actually go to. I would go to, like, CVS and get a bottle and just like, eat two. What's the big deal if I eat a few children's aspirin a day?
Bridger Weiniger
So good for your heart, right?
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. It's like I'm taking care of myself. But I remember thinking, those tasted so good. St. Joseph, I think it was.
Bridger Weiniger
I love a great medicine. There was a sunkissed vitamin that was a similar thing that tasted fantastic. They were so much better than a Flintstones vitamin, which I think are awful.
Anneliese Nelson
They were not good.
Bridger Weiniger
And that also falls into kind of the Gatorade gum territory for me that you didn't like that.
Anneliese Nelson
It's so strong.
Bridger Weiniger
I love this lemon. Oh, it's great.
Unknown
Yeah.
Anneliese Nelson
It's like. Well, what it comes down to is I don't exercise enough to justify needing to rehydrate through gum. Like, I'm not in some extreme training mode. I'm like, dude, if you don't get your electrolytes, you're gonna be in trouble. It's like, well, I gotta have some gum then.
Bridger Weiniger
When is anyone ever in a situation where they just don't have a liquid to drink and they need to be chewed?
Anneliese Nelson
I don't know.
Bridger Weiniger
I need to go to Phelps.
Anneliese Nelson
Like, you're.
Bridger Weiniger
I guess you're swimming so hard training.
Anneliese Nelson
For six hours at a.
Bridger Weiniger
At a stretch, can't have a mouthful of chlorine. So. Yeah, chewing gum while swimming, that sounds dangerous to me.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
Feels like something that not a lot of people do.
Anneliese Nelson
You get a mouthful of chlorine?
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah. No. I love the Gatorade flavored gum, but I wonder if that's even made anymore. And that. I mean, the big problem with that is you're not going to buy that at a grocery store that you have to go to, like, I don't know.
Anneliese Nelson
Sports, chalet, sporting goods, and get like, Gatorade gum. It's probably $6 a pack. Way too expensive.
Bridger Weiniger
Right? Right. Okay, Well, I feel like we should look back at these movies for a moment. Have you seen any good movies recently?
Anneliese Nelson
I watched Night Bitch the other day.
Bridger Weiniger
Oh, how was that?
Anneliese Nelson
Everybody was saying it was so, like. Everybody was saying it was a punchline of a movie. I was just like, it was fine. It was like, I wouldn't recommend it necessarily, but I kept waiting for it to be like. I waited for it to be the point where we started laughing at it.
Bridger Weiniger
Right, right.
Anneliese Nelson
And it kind of didn't show up. And Amy Adams is working so hard in this movie that you kind of just have to give her props for. She's all in on something that's very. Potentially very ridiculous.
Bridger Weiniger
Right, right.
Anneliese Nelson
Having to eat food in a. A. Like a dog.
Bridger Weiniger
Is she a werewolf?
Anneliese Nelson
She turns into a dog.
Bridger Weiniger
She does. I didn't know that.
Anneliese Nelson
Oh, yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
I had no idea.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
I mean, the title kind of tells you, but I just assumed it was, like, a spicy movie.
Anneliese Nelson
No.
Bridger Weiniger
She turns into a dog. Why?
Anneliese Nelson
Because it's hard.
Bridger Weiniger
Your birthday wish.
Anneliese Nelson
No, it's hard being a. A mom with kids.
Bridger Weiniger
Oh. And so that turns her into a dog at night. What sort of dog?
Anneliese Nelson
A wolf. A wolfish dog.
Bridger Weiniger
I need to see this.
Anneliese Nelson
He's not turning into a pug. It's kind of like a dog that runs through the neighborhood. It's kind of like a German shepherdy wolf kind of thing. Yeah. Not a teacup poodle. Not a chiweenie.
Bridger Weiniger
No, that would be. What a turn that would be. Well, maybe you should watch that. I mean, I feel like the title sets you up. It seems like, oh, wow, this is a bold title. The movie will be so fun.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
And then if it's not, then you're like, well, yeah.
Anneliese Nelson
I mean, look, I didn't see the substance yet because I'm not good with, like, body horror.
Bridger Weiniger
Well, that's gonna be a nightmare for you.
Anneliese Nelson
Well, I do have to just do it, though, at some point because I feel like I'm truly outside the circle.
Bridger Weiniger
Right, right.
Anneliese Nelson
But this, like, nightbitch is not campy the way the substance is campy.
Bridger Weiniger
Okay, sure, sure.
Anneliese Nelson
It's a little more grounded, but it's very similar territory thematically.
Bridger Weiniger
Right, right.
Anneliese Nelson
I just have to jump in on the substance and just get ready to be grossed out for an hour and a half.
Bridger Weiniger
No. Over two hours. That was my big complaint. That was. I feel like maybe 30 to 40 minutes could have been goodbye.
Anneliese Nelson
Well, you have some very strict movie viewing rules.
Bridger Weiniger
I do.
Anneliese Nelson
You walk out.
Bridger Weiniger
You've actually listened to the podcast.
Anneliese Nelson
Get Ready for the Brutalist. Did you see the Brutalist?
Bridger Weiniger
I walked out. I mean, God bless that movie. They have an intermission.
Anneliese Nelson
God bless that movie.
Bridger Weiniger
This is what I'll say about that movie.
Anneliese Nelson
Smoked that movie.
Bridger Weiniger
This is what I'll say about that movie. I've never walked out of a movie during intermission because you actually have to leave and seen a line out of the men's room. And I think that speaks as to what that movie is.
Anneliese Nelson
You would think you were at like a Weird Al concert. The way there's the line at the men's room. Just like, I saw it over at the theater in Burbank, which I do not like that theater.
Bridger Weiniger
I freak out over there.
Anneliese Nelson
Everything's wrong with a theater. The parking, they embody that. That theater encapsulates everything. Went to a 140 show of the brutalist movie starts a little after two with the previews. The break now. The intermission's coming up at like 4:15. The intermission was very long. I went back to get some snacks, went to the bathroom, get snacks, go back in. I'm still sitting for 10 more minutes before the movie starts back up. And then it's another like two hours of the movie. So now we're talking. It's 6:20.
Bridger Weiniger
You could have traveled across the country.
Anneliese Nelson
Exactly. You could have flown LA to Newark. The same people are going to be watching that movie on planes and not getting to see them and not finishing.
Bridger Weiniger
Right.
Anneliese Nelson
And I was just like sitting there and I'm just like, why is. Like, just, why is this long? Why didn't. Like, nobody told this guy. It's just like, well, you're not gonna be that long. It's like, I'm thinking it'll be coming up on four hours. Like, no.
Bridger Weiniger
And isn't that hard for him? He has to keep watching the movie over and over while they're making it.
Anneliese Nelson
He has to be just like, let's go Back to scene 985. I think we could tighten it up or we could probably expand it a little bit. He's probably like, this scene's moving a little too fast. Don't we have a longer take of this? We can put in so long. And then people mistake things like that for epics.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah, right. Oh, this is just by nature because it's too long.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. All the greatest movies are long.
Bridger Weiniger
I felt very justified in my leaving during intermission because everyone's like, yeah, the second half is not as good as the first.
Anneliese Nelson
That's completely true. Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
So I'm like, okay. So I got a decent hour and a half of a movie. I know basically what's going on.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
And now I can move on with my life. I got to participate as much as I needed to.
Anneliese Nelson
When I first heard you talking about this stuff, I was like, this is madness. Walking out of a movie halfway through. But then as I started to think about it, practically, you're claiming Yourself in this process completely. And it was so bold to think of saying, no, I've had enough. And I was like, no, he's right. You can just say, I'm done. Thanks. Best of luck to you. I'm not asking for my money back.
Bridger Weiniger
You're reclaiming your life.
Anneliese Nelson
You're reclaiming your life.
Bridger Weiniger
Yes. You're taking the shackles off and saying, I'm going to do something else with my time.
Anneliese Nelson
I'm very impressed by that.
Bridger Weiniger
It's the only part of my life where I have a boundary.
Anneliese Nelson
Well.
Bridger Weiniger
And maybe I should take some lesson from this.
Anneliese Nelson
Sure.
Bridger Weiniger
Because it feels incredible. I mean, it might be detrimental in some way where I'm maybe missing some piece of art, but so far it's working out pretty well.
Anneliese Nelson
Just assume you're not.
Bridger Weiniger
I mean, we're missing out on all kinds of things all the time.
Anneliese Nelson
You've seen enough at this point, right? I've seen movies.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah.
Anneliese Nelson
TV shows. You kind of know where it's going. So you were fine on the Brutalist.
Bridger Weiniger
I hope I'm inspiring people to do this.
Anneliese Nelson
I hope you hope. And I hope Hollywood is taking notes.
Bridger Weiniger
Everyone complains constantly about movies being too long.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
I just don't understand why more isn't done about that.
Anneliese Nelson
I don't know. It's a great. I think everybody thinks they're the exception.
Bridger Weiniger
Right.
Anneliese Nelson
Movies are too long. But this needs to be 2 hours and 20 minutes long. Ours does.
Bridger Weiniger
Right.
Anneliese Nelson
It's especially like when these dumb movies are that long. That's like the idea that those Christopher Nolan Batman movies were, like, three hours. Three hours watching a guy run around dressed like a bat.
Bridger Weiniger
There are no layers or anything.
Anneliese Nelson
Chasing a clown. We gotta take. We need three hours to get here.
Bridger Weiniger
Makes no sense.
Anneliese Nelson
Unbelievable.
Bridger Weiniger
Like, you're not even developing characters.
Anneliese Nelson
Then everybody likes it, so they keep going.
Bridger Weiniger
Yes, of course. Of course.
Anneliese Nelson
I think you need to be the face of a movement.
Bridger Weiniger
I think I am.
Anneliese Nelson
We've had enough. The 120 Club movie shouldn't be two hours. That's it.
Bridger Weiniger
I mean, I think that everyone secretly agrees with that, and I do. The more people that do it, the more Hollywood will pay attention.
Anneliese Nelson
But you need to put a face on it because they're not noticing.
Bridger Weiniger
Right. Who's gonna end with me just being blacklisted?
Anneliese Nelson
Absolutely. You're gonna be run out of the industry. David Zaslav is gonna hear this and be like, do not put your face. It'll be like a shoplifter at a store. Your picture will be behind the counter.
Bridger Weiniger
Do you know, I mean, speaking of that same thing, I almost feel the same way about a full 30 minute sitcom.
Anneliese Nelson
When sitcoms took the liberty of saying, like, no, we're gonna tell you how long this is. They never go the other way. Where it's like, hey, that one was only 17 minutes. They never. If they were going both ways, hey, this episode, we need 32 minutes to tell the story.
Bridger Weiniger
We need it.
Anneliese Nelson
This one, 17 minutes. We got it done. They never do less than that 23 minute thing. When those Arrested Development episodes started rolling in and they were getting into past the 30 minute mark, you get to.
Bridger Weiniger
35 minutes, I was like, tired. It's exhausting.
Anneliese Nelson
I was actually tired. Even like the supersized Friends episodes, when that was a thing like, Friends is supersized five minutes more.
Bridger Weiniger
Too much.
Anneliese Nelson
Too much. I didn't need this much. Friends.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah, 22 to 24 minutes is plenty.
Anneliese Nelson
It's actually more than enough. Cause you could get rid of the C story and we could be.
Bridger Weiniger
You could probably get rid of all three stories.
Anneliese Nelson
Probably just like, let's just hang out with them. Yes, Friends. Just like, what if we're just in the coffee shop for just saying a few things for 10 minutes and we're good.
Bridger Weiniger
You get the Rembrandts playing The theme song, 10 minutes of the Friends catching.
Anneliese Nelson
Up and we're head on out.
Bridger Weiniger
Sitcom storyline justifies beyond 22 minutes.
Anneliese Nelson
No, absolutely not.
Bridger Weiniger
I do not care. I guess the one exception I'll make is Enlightened. You seen Enlightened, but it's a different thing.
Anneliese Nelson
Enlightened was its own.
Bridger Weiniger
Yes. It's not a sitcom. It's a comedy thing. It's incredible.
Anneliese Nelson
Enlightened was amazing.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah, but otherwise, forget it. Oh, okay. Well, now I've got a lovely evening of watching Amelia Perez and Anora twice.
Anneliese Nelson
Don't play the same disc two times.
Bridger Weiniger
No, I'll get off.
Anneliese Nelson
You need to alternate between discs.
Bridger Weiniger
Yes.
Anneliese Nelson
See, it's like True Differences on Broadway. It's like you need to go back and forth.
Bridger Weiniger
Of course, of course. I'm very excited about my evening ahead of me. I think it's time to play a game.
Anneliese Nelson
Okay.
Bridger Weiniger
I think we'll play Gift or a Curse. I need a number between 1 and 10 from you.
Anneliese Nelson
8.
Bridger Weiniger
Okay. I have to do some light calculating to get our opening back up to Mark Wahlberg. Balding is startling.
Anneliese Nelson
Yes.
Bridger Weiniger
You can do some promoting, recommending, or whatever you want. I'll be right back.
Anneliese Nelson
Okay. Well, my name's Tom. I do a show called the Best show it's on Tuesdays, and it's fun. And this is actually the 25th anniversary of the best show. We've been doing it that long. And so it happens. We do it live every Tuesday night from 3 to 6pm Pacific. And then it's a podcast for everybody to listen to whenever they want after that. And I do a show called Double Threat with Julie Klausner that comes out every Monday, so check em out.
Bridger Weiniger
Beautiful. 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 then I'll tell you if you're right or wrong.
Anneliese Nelson
Okay.
Bridger Weiniger
You can lose the game, Tom.
Anneliese Nelson
Sure. Okay.
Bridger Weiniger
All right. This first one is from a listener named Emily. Gift or a curse. And Emily, they're called croissant witches. But she said croissant. It's nearly impossible to say croissant witch.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah, yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
Croissant witches. No one's ever said that, Emily.
Anneliese Nelson
You know, when you're judging how somebody pronounces something, they're really wrong.
Bridger Weiniger
Has anyone ever said croissandwich?
Anneliese Nelson
No, I've never heard that.
Bridger Weiniger
I think Burger King got in there and fixed things for everybody.
Anneliese Nelson
They tightened it up.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah. Gift or a cursed croissant.
Anneliese Nelson
Which is, I would say, because it's a lighter option in the scheme of things, I would consider that a gift.
Bridger Weiniger
Okay. Wrong. I think this is a curse. And this is exactly why I think a croissant is a delicious thing that everybody loves.
Anneliese Nelson
Sure.
Bridger Weiniger
But the reason you eat a croissant is because of the layers and it's a flaky pastry. And when it turns into a sandwich, you have to squeeze a sandwich to eat it and it becomes. You basically ruin the croissant or you're getting flakes everywhere.
Anneliese Nelson
That's true.
Bridger Weiniger
Because the croissant, you kind of have to pull apart.
Anneliese Nelson
You're right. You're right.
Bridger Weiniger
And third, I don't know if I've named two things or however.
Anneliese Nelson
Keep going. Keep going.
Bridger Weiniger
400. Usually it's a badly made croissant anyway. It's like.
Anneliese Nelson
Oh, that's very true.
Bridger Weiniger
Second thought, croissant. Because you're buying it maybe from Burger King.
Anneliese Nelson
No, I can't argue with any of that.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah, I think it's a bad thing. And I would rather have a biscuit or a toast for my breakfast sandwich.
Anneliese Nelson
I would agree with both of that. I would agree with all of it. I think I might have lower standards than you where I would just be like, ah, Sandwich. Let's do it.
Bridger Weiniger
Okay. One wrong so far. Big deal. Number two, this is from a listener named Jessica. Gift or a curse? Suggestive billboards for family friendly businesses.
Anneliese Nelson
Suggestive billboards. What would constitute a suggestive billboard?
Bridger Weiniger
I think like some double entendre, you know, Like, I can't think of one.
Anneliese Nelson
Well, I'm gonna say that's a curse. I still feel like I see some of these billboards. Like, there's a Have you seen the Drake the lawyer billboards out here?
Bridger Weiniger
I don't think I have the lawyer.
Anneliese Nelson
His name's like, Greg Drake or whatever. Calls himself Drake the lawyer. And the billboard has, like, Kendrick Lamar jokes on them where, like, in. In law. Not like, we're not like us.
Bridger Weiniger
Oh, God, what a loser.
Anneliese Nelson
If that's informing this, I'm going to say that's a curse.
Bridger Weiniger
Oh, that's so irritating. Yeah, Kendrick must be furious.
Anneliese Nelson
And it's also just like, maybe my lawyer shouldn't be trying to be funny.
Bridger Weiniger
Yes. That's the last thing I want, my good at law.
Anneliese Nelson
Like, you're just laughing in the courtroom as you lose the case.
Bridger Weiniger
But the thing is, you're not laughing because he's not actually funny.
Anneliese Nelson
Terrible. And it's not even funny.
Bridger Weiniger
Yes, it's nothing.
Anneliese Nelson
It's like comedy adjacent.
Bridger Weiniger
Everything now has to be comedy adjacent.
Anneliese Nelson
It's exhausting.
Bridger Weiniger
You're right. It's a total curse. I mean, I will say, just at this point in history, we are beyond suggestive. What are we even suggesting? We all know what the President of the United States has destroyed any pretense of suggesting. Like, we're keeping things from each other.
Anneliese Nelson
There is no reason for anybody to not say whatever they want.
Bridger Weiniger
That's the most absolutely disgusting thing you want.
Anneliese Nelson
You're valid because.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah, so, yeah, fuck you. Come to our laser tag.
Anneliese Nelson
You know, it's whatever the amount of cursing that has. And look, I like cursing a lot. I love cursing, but I don't always want to hear it.
Bridger Weiniger
Right.
Anneliese Nelson
Or it's just like. Like, sometimes you hear. Just like I was watching, like a basketball game, and then like the between things, just like, let's get this shit turned up. It's just like, we need to curse right now. What are we doing? And like, they bleep out.
Bridger Weiniger
They bleep out.
Anneliese Nelson
Why are we courting this?
Bridger Weiniger
Yes. We don't need that there. Let's save that for more fun situations. Absolutely screaming at other drivers when it counts.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah, exactly.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah, it's bad curse. I just don't like cheeky. I Don't like winking. You know, I think it's annoying.
Anneliese Nelson
I'm with you completely.
Bridger Weiniger
Okay. Number three, this is a listener named Mark. He suggested gift or a curse? Limited edition items.
Anneliese Nelson
I would say a limited edition item. They can't see this if it's limited because there's a limited demand on something. You're not over producing something that would be a gift. When you're working people up into a frenzy that they're not gonna be able to get something that they will be able to get, but they're getting upset about when you're creating a false need, preying on the weakness of somebody who has the extreme collecting mentality. That's a curse. So I'm gonna say ultimately curse.
Bridger Weiniger
Correct.
Anneliese Nelson
Okay.
Bridger Weiniger
It's a curse. I agree with you completely. I feel like because it is so often artificial demand.
Anneliese Nelson
Yes.
Bridger Weiniger
You're not going to hold these things back. The only time a thing should be limited edition, I think, is if it's literally made by hand by one person.
Anneliese Nelson
Absolutely.
Bridger Weiniger
If it's made in a factory, there's no reason not to make as many. Keep stamping them out when you're trying to create lines. I will never stand in a line for an item.
Anneliese Nelson
No.
Bridger Weiniger
So I will just never own a limited edition thing unless I find it at Goodwill.
Anneliese Nelson
And have you ever been to Comic Con?
Bridger Weiniger
I haven't, and I don't have any plans.
Anneliese Nelson
Don't do it. No.
Bridger Weiniger
God bless.
Anneliese Nelson
You're right. And this is exactly the right. They'll do these things. These toy companies will be there and be like, oh, we have an Incredible Hulk figure. Comic Con exclusive. It's like, he has, like, blue shorts on on this one. And there is a line of people in a panic, of course, to not get that thing. It's just like, this is just cruel what we're doing here. And it's just like it's ending Earth, basically.
Bridger Weiniger
It really is.
Anneliese Nelson
It's like we're accelerating the end of Earth. The idea that adults are waiting in line to buy a thing for very expensive also. So that they can buy plastic that has just a different color on it.
Bridger Weiniger
Yes.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. It's a curse.
Bridger Weiniger
I feel like limited edition collabs were kind of the last step in everything falling apart.
Anneliese Nelson
Sure. Yeah, Exactly. When suddenly it's like, oh, well, Rihanna's teaming up with Tom. Sharply with me. Well, that one might be fun.
Bridger Weiniger
I want to see that now.
Anneliese Nelson
Rihanna, reach out.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah, I want that one.
Anneliese Nelson
That's a gift now. Okay. Okay.
Bridger Weiniger
Rihanna, you have the only. You have the power Rihanna. So be an adult and collab with Tom.
Anneliese Nelson
I have no pull in this one.
Bridger Weiniger
I do.
Anneliese Nelson
Well, please.
Bridger Weiniger
She's got to be a listener.
Anneliese Nelson
Take whatever you can get me.
Bridger Weiniger
I think she's our secret billionaire listener that I'm occasionally teasing. Yeah, Rihanna, reach out. Well, you got two out of three. Yeah, not too bad. Not incredible, but whatever. Whatever. This is the final segment of the podcast. I said no emails. Oh, my God.
Tom Sharpling
Right there.
Bridger Weiniger
Annaliese, I nearly blew past your segment.
Tom Sharpling
How dare you.
Bridger Weiniger
Annaliese has one gift or a curse for both of us.
Anneliese Nelson
Okay.
Bridger Weiniger
And only they have the correct answer. Okay, what is it, Annaliese? You're butting in and just controlling the podcast.
Anneliese Nelson
All right?
Tom Sharpling
Gift or a curse? Squirting ketchup on top of fries.
Bridger Weiniger
Do you want to go or should I go?
Anneliese Nelson
You go first.
Bridger Weiniger
I think squirting ketchup on top of fries is disgusting. I think it's completely unnecessary. I don't understand the point of that in any way. Actually. It's not saving you any time. The only thing it's doing is making the French fries soggy while you're eating the rest of your meal. When someone does that. They've just now ruined the French fries for me. It's not gravy.
Anneliese Nelson
No, it's not gravy. These are not disco fries. You're declaring. This is how we're eating.
Bridger Weiniger
You're declaring.
Anneliese Nelson
This is how everyone's eating fries. They're gonna have to kind of root through the ketchup to hold a. You have ketchup on your fingers.
Bridger Weiniger
Yes. The ketchup should be on the end.
Anneliese Nelson
Of the French fries, but on the side. Then everybody's in control of how they want to eat French fries. Oh, I want to dip mine. Oh, I don't want to dip mine. Not just this decision. Like, it's like, somebody. I've never been in this situation. I don't even know what I would do if somebody's like, I'll order for the table.
Bridger Weiniger
Oh, sure.
Anneliese Nelson
Oh, I would shoot myself.
Bridger Weiniger
Oh, my God. The absolute worst feeling in the world.
Anneliese Nelson
I'll order it for the taste table.
Bridger Weiniger
I'm leaving.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah, I'll say that sometimes as a joke to people, be like, I'll order for the table. I'll go like, six. Six Salisbury steaks and six hot coffees.
Bridger Weiniger
And one glass of water.
Anneliese Nelson
Like, a hot coffee with anything is like, that's the only thing you're allowed to drink is hot coffee. And everybody laughs. But somebody actually doing that, and that's what this French fry thing is.
Bridger Weiniger
Yes.
Anneliese Nelson
So I would say absolutely. It's a curse.
Bridger Weiniger
Yeah. Occasionally, I want eat just the fry without the ketchup even.
Anneliese Nelson
Absolutely.
Bridger Weiniger
I'm mixing it up during my meal.
Anneliese Nelson
You go, you have a few fries without ketchup. Then you're like, okay, let's liven it up a little bit.
Bridger Weiniger
And for some people, this is a way of life. Some people, Anneliese, I hope that. What is the answer, you guys?
Tom Sharpling
It's a gift. And here's my reason. Here is my reason. When I'm ordering fries, I'm not ordering it for the table. I'm ordering it for me.
Bridger Weiniger
I don't care.
Tom Sharpling
What message am I sending when I'm putting the ketchup on top of the fries is, you're not gonna stick your grubby hands into my ketchup and my fries.
Bridger Weiniger
Okay, Anna, lazy.
Tom Sharpling
I'm keeping it far, far away from you. I am essentially marking my territory with the aforementioned ketchup.
Bridger Weiniger
The message you're sending is you don't know how to eat french fries. And everyone at the table is wondering what's happening over there. Maybe we should take Annalise's side. Fired.
Anneliese Nelson
I feel like you need to bump up the class of person you're hanging out with. If you need to mark your food like that. Clearly this is a comment on your friends, not French fries and ketchup.
Bridger Weiniger
Don't blame them. Stay away from my food, Annalise. Wrong. Wrong. Okay, this is. I said no emails. People write into. I said no giftsmail.com begging for answers. Will you help me answer a question?
Anneliese Nelson
Of course.
Bridger Weiniger
Okay, this is. Hello, Bridger and guest. Firstly, thanks for your podcast and all your gift advice so far. Far. Don't mention it. I have started to make little things out of clay. It started with egg cups, and then when I realized they were really flipping hard, I moved on to bowls. So far, the bowls I have made have turned out pretty cute. Perfect for the hipster in your life. But I live alone, so I have. So I have no one to give that listener this email. The syntax is tough. Okay, I'm having a hard time reading what you've written me. Perfect for the hipster in your life. But I live alone, so I have no one to give me that love look that says, oh, bless your heart. These are horrific. Please stop. We could have used some periods rather than commas, but we're moving on. My question for you is, is it ever okay to give homemade things as gifts? Let me know what you think. Big love, Caroline. In Scotland. Okay, well, maybe Caroline, My apologies. Maybe this is how a Scottish email is written, and that's okay. But I. You know, this could have used a little light editing. The big question, though, is, well, also, congratulations on your new hobby, this clay thing. Can you give people homemade gifts?
Anneliese Nelson
I would say if there's a modicum of thought behind the homemade thing. You're not just looking around your house and saying you have an inventory, like a stock room, of things you made, and you're just grabbing a thing for anybody. You're not. It should have some meaning for the person you're giving it to or something that shows you thought about them.
Bridger Weiniger
You thought during wowmaking they were on. You couldn't stop thinking about it as.
Anneliese Nelson
If you made it for them.
Bridger Weiniger
Right, right. I would go one step further and say it needs to be good.
Anneliese Nelson
Oh, yeah. I would agree with that.
Bridger Weiniger
I'm someone who cannot give a homemade, like, anything. Any homemade gift would just be a burden for who? It would be garbage. But it now has guilt tied to it because they really can't throw it away. So I've given them a useless item that will just stay in their home forever.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
And it seems like Caroline is making junk. According to her, even it's trash. So I feel like Caroline keep those at home.
Anneliese Nelson
I don't know if she used the word trash in there.
Bridger Weiniger
She said so much as trash.
Anneliese Nelson
Well, the word hipster.
Bridger Weiniger
I read between the lines.
Anneliese Nelson
Yes, fair enough. Fair enough.
Bridger Weiniger
Slop. Caroline, some people can give homemade things as gifts. You specifically cannot go and buy. Spend, spend, spend. Buy people things that are expensive. And that's the only way you can win anyone's love in your life. Otherwise, you're going to be driving people away.
Anneliese Nelson
Yes. I see your line of reasoning with this. Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
Have you ever given someone a homemade gift?
Anneliese Nelson
Once in a while, me and my. My wife will say, like, hey, let's just. We'll add some homemade components to, like, Christmas. Or it'd be like, oh, I made you this. Like. Like, I like, oh, I made a calendar of our dogs.
Bridger Weiniger
Oh, sure. Yes.
Anneliese Nelson
That's a very sweet Something fun that's like. But it's very specific.
Bridger Weiniger
Right.
Anneliese Nelson
For us and for her. So it's not just like, I knitted this thing and I'm not good at it, but I'm just gonna give you the thing I made. They're very specific.
Bridger Weiniger
Right. That makes sense.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah.
Bridger Weiniger
I don't think I've ever given. I mean, after elementary school, I think it kind of ended. As far as homemade gifts, Goes, yeah.
Anneliese Nelson
Somebody'S gonna be over at Michael's stockpiling getting your craft supplies ready.
Bridger Weiniger
I was in Joann Fabric the other day, and that place is the end of the world. They are let go.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah, yeah, Michael's. If you go in Michael's crafts, everything is 50% off. Like, you're just like, well, why are we pricing? Like, let's make the adjustments, just make the price.
Bridger Weiniger
You're not fooling anybody.
Anneliese Nelson
It's like a dumb game they're playing where it's just like, this is $30, but it's 15 for you.
Bridger Weiniger
If it's always 50% off, it's never 50% off.
Anneliese Nelson
It's like when Bed, Bath and Beyond used to have those coupons.
Bridger Weiniger
Just lower everything.
Anneliese Nelson
Exactly. Just lower everything. 10%.
Bridger Weiniger
Look where it led them. They went out of business.
Anneliese Nelson
Yeah. All making those coupons.
Bridger Weiniger
Making those coupons. And it feels like that's what's happening to Joanne because it was a bleak situation. They need a manager or something in there mopping. Well, Caroline, don't write back in. Tom. We answered the question perfectly. I now have these delicious cookies. I can't believe the Girl Scouts were able to make a modern good cookie. We love the Girl Scouts and everyone should buy them, but let's be honest, be selective about which product you're buying from them. You have to send them a message. You vote with your dollar with the Girl Scouts.
Anneliese Nelson
Absolutely you do.
Bridger Weiniger
And I've got all of these films.
Anneliese Nelson
Which I will watch all of them in order.
Bridger Weiniger
I've had a lovely time with you.
Anneliese Nelson
Oh, this was the best.
Bridger Weiniger
Thank you for being here.
Anneliese Nelson
Thank you for having me, listener.
Bridger Weiniger
The podcast is slowly running out of juice. You've been begging for it to be over for the last 45 minutes. You walked out halfway through and that's fine. It's over. I love you. Goodbye. I said no. Gifts is an exactly right production. Our senior producer is Anneliese 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 isaidnogifts. 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 gifts?
Unknown
Thought I made myself perfectly clear. When you're a guest in my home, it's got to come to me empty handed. I said no. Guess your presence is present enough. And I already had too much stuff. So how do you dare disobey me?
Foreign.
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 point. Look for in store tags to earn on eligible cleaning items from ALL and Cotton L and dinner essentials from Daisy, Skippy, Hellman's and Barilla, plus many more 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.
Tom Sharpling
Tired of restless nights at Lisa? They know good sleep is essential for mental, physical and emotional health. From memory foam mattresses to hybrids that keep you cool all night long, Lisa's mattresses offer exceptional comfort and support with free delivery and 100 nights to try out your mattress in the comfort of your home. Go to leesa.com today and get 20% off all mattresses. That's le.com and use code iheart for an extra $50 off your purchase. Remember, no matter who you are, there's a Lisa just for you.
Unknown
During tax season, your sensitive info does a lot of traveling to places you can't control, stopping off at payroll, your accountant or tax preparer, and countless other data centers on its way to the irs. Any of them can expose you to identity theft because they all have the info on your W2. Just the ticket for criminals to steal your identity. No wonder the IRS reported tax fraud due to identity theft went up 20% last year. You need Lifelock. They monitor millions of data points per second and alert you to threats you could miss. If your identity is stolen, LifeLock's US based restoration specialists will fix it, backed by the million dollar protection package and restoration is guaranteed or your money back. Don't let identity thieves take you for a ride. Get Lifelock protection for tax season and beyond. Join now and save up to 40% your first year. Call 1-800-LIFELOCK and use promo code iheart or go to lifelock.com iheart for 40% off terms apply.
Podcast Summary: Tom Scharpling Disobeys Bridger
I Said No Gifts! A Comedy Interview Podcast with Bridger Winegar
Episode: Tom Scharpling Disobeys Bridger
Release Date: March 6, 2025
The episode titled "Tom Scharpling Disobeys Bridger" begins with Bridger Weiniger welcoming listeners back to his backyard for another engaging and humorous conversation. Maintaining the show's central theme, Bridger reiterates his one rule: "No gifts!" However, as usual, guests find ways to defy this request, leading to entertaining exchanges throughout the episode.
Bridger and his co-host Anneliese Nelson dive into a relatable discussion about the notorious driving habits in Los Angeles. They express mutual frustrations with the misuse of the fast lane, where varying speeds create hazardous driving conditions.
They debate whether the influx of transplants contributes to the chaotic driving scene and lament the high incidence of road rage among drivers.
The conversation shifts to the struggles with parking meters, particularly around Fred 62. Anneliese shares her frustrations with malfunctioning machines that lead to long lines and uncertainties about obtaining tickets.
Bridger humorously suggests unconventional solutions, like keeping disposable post-it notes in the car to indicate payment issues, highlighting the city's lack of maintenance for public utilities.
Bridger introduces a personal anecdote about receiving movie screeners, leading to a broader discussion on the quality and reception of recent films. Anneliese recounts her experience watching "Conclave" and expresses skepticism about the film industry's current trajectory.
They critique overly long movie runtimes and the lack of meaningful content, with Bridger advocating for shorter, more impactful storytelling.
A significant portion of the episode revolves around Girl Scout cookies, tying back to the podcast's theme of "No gifts!" Bridger breaks the rule when the guest, Tom Scharpling, arrives holding two beautifully wrapped gifts. This sparks a playful yet critical examination of various cookie flavors and the ethics of gift-giving.
They debate the merits of different flavors, ultimately agreeing that while some cookies like Thin Mints remain timeless, others have seen a decline in quality.
Tom Scharpling, a notable guest, adheres to the "I said no gifts!" rule initially but surprises Bridger by presenting gifts despite the podcast's clear request. This act sets the stage for their ensuing interactions and adds humor to the episode.
In a lively segment, Bridger and Anneliese engage Tom in a game of "Gift or a Curse," where they evaluate listener-submitted items to determine their value as gifts or burdens.
Croissant Witches
Suggestive Billboards for Family-Friendly Businesses
Limited Edition Items
Tom adds his perspective by categorizing "Squirting ketchup on top of fries" as a gift, defending it as a way to assert personal boundaries.
Bridger challenges this view, ultimately siding with Anneliese's consensus that such practices are more of a curse than a gift.
Bridger wraps up the episode by reflecting on the discussions and the playful defiance of the no-gift rule by Tom. He encourages listeners to follow the show on Instagram and hints at future episodes while humorously acknowledging the episode's winding down.
The episode concludes with a blend of humor, critical insights, and the camaraderie between the hosts and their guest, encapsulating the essence of I Said No Gifts!.
Notable Quotes:
This episode offers a blend of everyday frustrations, humorous debates, and interactive segments, all while maintaining the show's comedic and conversational tone. Listeners are treated to relatable topics, witty exchanges, and engaging guest interactions, making it a memorable addition to the I Said No Gifts! series.