Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness

Episode: Advice for Gen Z From Your "Golden Girls"
Date: October 28, 2025
Hosts: Kim & Penn Holderness

Overview

In this lively episode, Kim and Penn Holderness embrace their identities as the "Golden Girls" for Gen Z, delivering heartfelt advice and nostalgic reflections on aging, growing up, and what they wish they knew in their teens, twenties, and thirties. Drawing on their signature humor and candid storytelling, the couple combines funny anecdotes with poignant life lessons, aiming to help younger listeners (and their own peers) age boldly, joyfully, and with a sense of community. The episode also features listener call-ins, a modern spin on QVC ("As Seen on TikTok"), and plenty of candid insights into relationships, self-acceptance, and the enduring importance of friendship.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. "Golden Girls" for Gen Z (01:46 – 06:00)

• Kim & Penn realize they have a surprising number of young listeners:
  • Kim recounts meeting a tween at a book signing whose Holderness Family Podcast knowledge now informs her parents’ arguments.
    • "So basically, like, we are the Golden Girls for these kids." (05:31 – Kim)
• Reflecting on their own ages vs. the Golden Girls of the 1980s:
  • Kim shares that the original actresses were in their early-to-mid 50s—making Kim herself nearly a "Golden Girl" intern at 49.
• Modern "Golden Girls":
  • Discussion of women planning to cohabitate in later years, and how attitudes have shifted since the '80s.
    • Kim: "If God forbid, our partner were to predecease us... I only intend on living in a house with other women." (06:18)
• Fun segment visualizes 1980s vs. modern aging:
  • Penn is amused at seeing himself "Golden Girl-ified," and they laugh about how perceptions of aging have shifted.

2. Gender & Aging: Cohabitation, Remarriage, and Friendship (14:12 – 19:20)

• Longstanding female friendships after 50:
  • Kim shares a heartfelt (and humorous) view: "You are the last man I will ever live with." (16:44)
  • Penn unpacks how men and women face aging differently, especially in terms of loneliness and the urge to remarry.
• Male vs. female perspectives on later-life living:
  • Men, Penn suggests, are more likely to remarry, while women often seek community or independence.
  • The couple jokes about future living arrangements, with Kim favoring a "tiny house compound" of girlfriends.
    • Kim: "There's something beautiful about, like, female friendships." (17:03)
    • Penn: "I don't think men can handle being alone...the loneliness kind of sneaks up and gets you." (17:35)

3. Imparting Wisdom: Advice to Their Younger Selves

(21:00 – 44:00)

High School

• Kim's advice:
  • "Do not lose sleep over the boy who’s peaking in high school. You do not want to be the person who's peaking in high school." (21:58)
• Penn on bullies and personal growth:
  • "Bullies aren't going to grow up to be the people you think they're going to grow up to be." (23:05)
  • Describes meeting former bullies who’d changed: "They were both so kind when I saw them...I just never thought the bullies were going to grow up to be just like me." (24:47)
• On awkwardness and appearance:
  • Kim embraces her bad 90s perm (“It's going to build some character...” 25:55).
• Penn to his teenage self:
  • "Don't be afraid to talk to girls, teenage Pen. Don't be afraid. They're lovely." (27:08)

Early Adulthood (20s)

• Money struggles and perspective:
  • Kim: "Most of my 20s, I only had, like, $17 in the bank...” (31:06)
  • Penn: "Keep doing what you're doing. You may be broke, but you're happy." (31:31)
• Social comparison & self-perception:
  • Kim: "You look great. I know you feel a little fat right now...just enjoy it." (29:03)
  • Penn: Reminisces about being taunted for being skinny, highlighting how every era has its own impossible standards (30:29).
• Facing the challenges of your 20s:
  • Kim recalls: "Being in your twenties is so hard. It's so confusing...You're questioning everything." (32:22)

30s

• Mental health and parenting:
  • Kim: "Take the medicine. I had babies in my 30s, man. Postpartum was so hard...I wasted so much time." (37:10)
  • She also urges new moms not to beat themselves up over breastfeeding struggles.
• Prioritizing old passions:
  • Penn advises: “Start writing music again. You love it. Just do it...it's the happiest that I am." (39:09)
• No one really knows what they’re doing:
  • Kim: “No one—this actually stands for right now, too—nobody actually knows what they're doing...just take the next right step.” (40:37)
• Penn’s relationship tip:
  • "My job is not to be her hero. My job is to be witness to her story and to be her hype man." (41:40)
  • Kim notes how hard it is to not jump to solutions but just listen—especially as a parent to an adult child.

4. The "As Seen on TikTok" Segment (48:22 – 51:47)

• Modern Shopping Nostalgia:
  • Kim draws a parallel between her QVC obsession as a kid and the TikTok Shop trend:
    • "If you open up TikTok right now, it's like QVC. All it is is like...people trying to sell you things.” (45:34)
• Kim’s latest TikTok-inspired purchase:
  • Demonstrates a vibrating exercise plate that’s all over TikTok. Honest review:
    • "If you're gonna buy this to, like, lose 10 pounds in two weeks...those people are lying. That is not what happens." (51:19-51:43)
• They reflect on online shopping temptations and product gimmicks.

5. Listener Laugh Line Call-Ins (52:47 – End)

(A) ADHD, Books & Impact

• Hilary from Ohio shares how Kim & Penn's children’s book on ADHD helped her son:
  • "I thought I was the only one who felt this stuff. It explains so much. It explains why I get angry. It explains why I interrupt people." (53:05 – Hilary)
  • Penn: "That's the bravest thing you've ever done or said." (54:12)

(B) Tech Talk: The Clapper & Alexa

• Pam suggests swapping the 1980s Clapper for smart bulbs with Alexa.
  • Penn and Kim laugh about their suspicion toward "fandangled" smart home gadgets and technology’s generational divide.

(C) Musical Challenge

• Michelle calls in with a whistled “Name That Tune”:
  • Penn immediately recognizes and sings: "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (57:56)
    • “Michelle’s a good whistler.” (58:00)

6. Reflective Close

• Kim and Penn express their deep appreciation for their audience and the emotional connections forged through their content.
• The episode closes playfully—Kim ribbing Penn about modern technology, gender roles, and the joys (and absurdities) of growing older together.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kim: "You are the last man I will ever live with. I intended it to be sweet." (16:44, 16:52)
• Penn: "The loneliness kind of sneaks up and gets you." (17:35)
• Kim: "Do not lose sleep over the boy who’s peaking in high school." (21:58)
• Penn: "Bullies aren't going to grow up to be the people you think they're going to grow up to be." (23:05)
• Kim: "Take the medicine. I had babies in my 30s, man. Postpartum was so hard." (37:10)
• Penn: "My job is not to be her hero. My job is to be witness to her story and to be her hype man." (41:40)
• Kim (on TikTok gadgets): “If you're gonna buy this to, like, lose 10 pounds in two weeks...those people are lying. That is not what happens.” (51:41)
• Hilary (caller): "This book is amazing. I didn't know I was...the only one who felt this stuff." (53:05)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:46 – "We're the Golden Girls for Gen Z!"
• 06:18 – Women envisioning later-life communities together
• 14:12 – Gender differences in aging, loneliness, and companionship
• 21:00 – Beginning of “Advice to My Younger Self”
• 23:05 – Penn on meeting his bullies again
• 31:06 – 20s financial struggles
• 37:10 – Kim on postpartum and the importance of medication/self-care
• 41:40 – Penn on being a supportive partner, not a hero
• 45:34 – Nostalgia and social media shopping (“QVC” to TikTok Shop)
• 48:22 – “As Seen on TikTok” segment (exercise gadget)
• 52:47 – Listener call-in on ADHD and book feedback
• 54:46 – Tech: from Clapper to Alexa
• 57:42 – Musical whistling challenge: "Don't You (Forget About Me)"

Tone & Style

• Warm, irreverent, self-deprecating, and generous—balancing heartwarming vulnerability with playful banter.
• Kim and Penn shift easily between serious advice and lighthearted ribbing, making their insights feel both approachable and deeply relatable.

For Listeners

• This episode is a multi-generational treat: both a celebration of aging and a sincere effort to guide young people through life's confusing stages.
• Whether you’re a member of Gen Z, a new parent, or a fellow “Golden Girl” in training, Kim & Penn offer laughter, solidarity, and encouragement to age boldly and connect deeply—with ourselves and each other.