Ask A Gen Zer (with PC Holderness!)

Summary

Episode Summary: "Ask A Gen Zer (with PC Holderness!)"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness
• Hosts: Kim & Penn Holderness
• Episode: Ask A Gen Zer (with PC Holderness!)
• Release Date: July 22, 2025

---

1. Youth Mental Health and Technology ([00:38] - [01:31])

The episode opens with a heartfelt discussion on the youth mental health crisis, emphasizing the detrimental effects of excessive social media use. Penn Holderness cites the US Surgeon General's warning:

“Kids who spend more than three hours a day online are twice as likely to have depression and anxiety.” ([00:44])

Penn and Kim advocate for balanced technology use, sharing personal strategies such as keeping phones out of bedrooms to promote better sleep and mental well-being. They introduce Gab's "Tech in Steps", a solution offering age-appropriate devices with features that grow alongside children, ensuring safe and controlled social connectivity.

2. Women's Health and MIDI Health ([01:51] - [03:20])

Transitioning to women's health, Penn Holderness highlights the neglect of women's unique health needs in the aging industry:

“These are signals that your body needs attention and you deserve a healthcare partner who truly gets it.” ([02:37])

They introduce MIDI Health's Age Well Visit, a longevity care program tailored for women, providing personalized, evidence-based care plans to address hormonal changes and other aging-related health concerns.

3. Upcoming Projects: Audio Children's Book ([04:00] - [05:29])

Kim and Penn share their excitement about recording an audio version of their upcoming children's book, "All You Can Be with ADHD", co-authored with Vin Vogel. Building on the success of their bestselling book, they discuss the importance of creating age-appropriate resources for children with ADHD, aiming to foster understanding and support from a young age.

4. Main Segment: Ask A Gen Zer with PC Holderness ([05:29] - [38:10])

a. Understanding Generational Differences ([05:29] - [09:03])

PC Holderness, the couple's 15-year-old son, takes the stage as the game show host to bridge the generational gap. The segment focuses on what Gen Z finds "cringe" compared to Gen X. They engage in a fun game of "True or False", recalling Gen X experiences like donkey basketball and dial-up internet, juxtaposed with modern Gen Z phenomena.

b. Listener Voicemails: Decoding Gen Z Lingo ([29:11] - [35:35])

The hosts play listener voicemails seeking explanations for Gen Z slang terms such as "Loki," "lowkey," and "pick me." Notable interactions include:

• Russ from Lancaster, PA asks about "Loki," prompting a discussion on Gen Z's informal language:

  “It just means kind of like low key. I don't know how to...” ([29:55])

• Lisa shares her positive experience with her son appreciating when she learns his slang:

  “My kids actually like it when I learn their lingo. I have a 13-year-old son and he likes it...” ([31:14])

• Christine proposes a strategy for retiring unwanted slang by overusing and misusing the terms:

  “We decided that we could retire their words by being cringe.” ([32:18])

c. Games on Cringe Behaviors ([33:00] - [38:10])

PC leads a lightning round of "Cringe or No," posing scenarios where Kim and Penn reflect on their past behaviors deemed cringy by Gen Z standards. Examples include:

• Prank Calling: Discussing classic prank calls like "Is your refrigerator running?"

• Singing in the Car: PC teases Kim about her karaoke habits:

  “I sing in the car. So no, you don't like it when...” ([36:04])

• Personalized Phone Cases: Kim admits to purchasing a Love Island phone case, which PC labels as "cringe":

  “But I'm living the dream.” ([33:32])

Through these playful exchanges, the hosts highlight the evolving nature of social norms and the mutual understanding between generations.

5. Closing Remarks and Final Thoughts ([38:10] - [40:55])

As the episode wraps up, Kim and Penn reflect on the challenges faced by Gen Z, particularly the impact of COVID-19 on their social development. They express pride in their son’s awareness and hope for future generations:

“I just have so much hope that they're going to do a better job than we did.” ([38:32])

They conclude with acknowledgments and invitations for listeners to engage via voicemail or email, reinforcing the podcast’s community-driven spirit.

---

Notable Quotes:

• Penn Holderness on Mental Health:
  “Kids who spend more than three hours a day online are twice as likely to have depression and anxiety.” ([00:44])

• PC Holderness on Generational Challenges:
  “I think right now, it wins.” ([23:25])

• Kim Holderness on Embracing Cringe:
  “I'm not gonna, like, go out and show it to people.” ([21:48])

---

Conclusion:

In this engaging episode of "Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness," the hosts successfully navigate the delicate balance between humor and meaningful conversation. By involving their son PC as a Gen Z representative, they foster a dynamic dialogue that bridges generational gaps, offering listeners valuable insights into modern youth culture while sharing relatable anecdotes from their own experiences.

Whether discussing mental health, women's healthcare, or decoding Gen Z lingo, Kim and Penn create a warm, inclusive atmosphere that encourages laughter and understanding. This episode serves as a testament to their commitment to aging better together and finding joy in life's evolving chapters.

Transcript

[Kim Holderness]

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[Pen Holderness]

This episode is sponsored by gab.

[PC Holderness]

As we know, the youth mental health crisis is all over the news and we know that social media is a huge driving factor.

[Pen Holderness]

Did you know the US Surgeon General warns that kids who spend more than three hours a day online are twice as likely to have depression and anxiety?

[PC Holderness]

Yeah, we are huge advocates for prioritizing mental health and that includes monitoring the time that we and our kids spend in of devices.

[Pen Holderness]

I personally keep my phone out of the bedroom at night so I don't spend hours mindlessly scrolling rather than getting a good night's sleep.

[PC Holderness]

Here's the good news though. A company called Gab has solved that problem by doing something no one else is doing. Their approach is tech in steps.

[Pen Holderness]

Tech in Steps works by providing kids safe phones and watches tailored to every age, offering the right device at the right time.

[PC Holderness]

From GPS tracking enabled watches for young kids to increased features and parent enabled apps on the phones for tweens and teens, each device grows with your child.

[Pen Holderness]

Bottom line, you don't have to give your kids a device that was made for an adult. Get them Gab, which keeps them socially connected safely.

[PC Holderness]

Use our code to get the best deal on something that'll make parenting easier and give you some peace of mind. Visit gab.com holderness and use that code Holderness for a special offer that's G-A.

[Pen Holderness]

B-B.com Holderness this show is sponsored by Midi Health Penn. Did you know that all the research on bird calls has been done on male birds?

[PC Holderness]

You have told me that. And yes, you're very into BIR right now.

[Pen Holderness]

But with the bird thing, okay, and the male, does that sound like anything else you might know? The health industry, especially when it comes to aging, it hasn't really focused on women's unique needs. It's often based around men's biology, leaving many women feeling overlooked or misunderstood.

[PC Holderness]

And I know you know what? That really stinks. Especially with a little Miss Perry menopause around some of the time.

[Pen Holderness]

Some of the time, yes, Perry does Make an appearance. Okay, Seriously. Women are experiencing those shifts that come with aging, whether it's your energy or focus. But these aren't things to just deal with, you know?

[PC Holderness]

No. These are signals that your body needs attention and you deserve a healthcare partner who truly gets it.

[Pen Holderness]

That's where MIDI Health's Age well visit comes in. Longevity Care. Designed by women for women, midi's expert.

[PC Holderness]

Clinicians are deeply attuned to women's bodies, hormones and busy lives.

[Pen Holderness]

They offer personalized evidence based care plans. Whether you're looking to prevent future health issues, stay mentally sharp, or just feel.

[PC Holderness]

More like yourself, you know aging is inevitable. But how you age, that's completely in your hands. Your birding obsession, that's on the other hand. But we'll get back to that later.

[Pen Holderness]

We'll get to that later. Okay? Your health is worth it. Book your virtual [e-mail] that's join M I D I dot com.

[Kim Holderness]

Y' all are acting like Gen Z does not keep egg babies anymore.

[PC Holderness]

They do, Kim. I think our son just put Lola on blast.

[Kim Holderness]

Why'd you say it like that? I'm not saying my life is really difficult. I'm doing great, y'. All.

[PC Holderness]

Yeah, we get older every day.

[Pen Holderness]

Got more wrinkles.

[Kim Holderness]

That's okay.

[Pen Holderness]

Yeah, we're laughing.

[Kim Holderness]

We age.

[Pen Holderness]

Life is like a comedy stage.

[PC Holderness]

And that's why we got laugh lines.

[Pen Holderness]

Hey, everybody, I'm Kim Holderness.

[PC Holderness]

And I'm Pen Holderness. And thank you so much for joining us on Laugh Lines.

[Pen Holderness]

If you've ever been really serious about doing the Macarena, your home, like you.

[PC Holderness]

Really wanted to nail it.

[Pen Holderness]

You really wanted to. Maybe you practice in a mirror.

[PC Holderness]

Maybe you do it in front of your kids. Maybe they're just to see their reaction.

[Pen Holderness]

You are home.

[PC Holderness]

Yeah. Quick housekeeping note. Kim and I are coming off of an audio sesh at a studio where we got to record our audio version of a children's book that's coming out in October. It's called all youl Can Be with adhd. We are particularly excited about this project, especially because after our last book, ADHD is awesome, we got a ton of questions for people wondering if there's ever going to be a kids version. The answer is yes. It rhymes, it's musical.

[Pen Holderness]

It's so great.

[PC Holderness]

It's coming to you soon. It's been brilliantly illustrated by a wonderful man named Vin Vogel, who, like, I can't wait to meet in person. Isn't that crazy how that happens? But anyway, so we're very excited about that.

[Pen Holderness]

And you can pre order, you can go to all. You can be with ADHD and you can pre order.com.com HTTPs://backslash, backslash www.all you can do with adhd.com and pre order. But the pre orders, you've been through this before with us are so important because, you know, it's important to make those lists because then more bookstores order, it gets into more libraries. And that's what we're really hoping that it gets into, school libraries for kids and public libraries. So I am so excited. I really, I'm so excited for my son to have it. So, yeah, very pumped.

[PC Holderness]

Speaking of our son, today is all about understanding the younger generations. Part of getting old is stopping to be cool, stopping being cool and not really understanding everything that's going on and maybe them being okay with that.

[Pen Holderness]

Okay. So our son PC, he's 15 and he's going to be a big chunk of the show. He's going to act as game show host. And we're going to take a deep dive into what Gen Zers are saying. We're going to hear your voicemails because we did go on Instagram and asked, you know, what sort of things do your kids find cringe? Right. And we got this voicemail right away. It was like the first thing that came in.

[Justin]

Hey guys, this is Justin in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Love you guys. When you said to leave a voicemail with your ideas, that that was it. My teenagers cringe when they see me leaving a voicemail or I leave them a voicemail.

[Pen Holderness]

Fair. This is so true. So my daughter communicates with her friends. She does videos via Snapchat or does an audio voice note. Voice, like a voice note?

[PC Holderness]

Yeah. Not us. You got to call a 10 digit.

[Pen Holderness]

Number and you have to like, it's so funny. When I leave, I'll call a doctor's office, I'll leave my phone number. I'm like, okay, give me a call back at 555-123-4555-1234. Like I repeat it as if my number didn't populate on there. Like they can't. Asking people for voicemails is cringy.

[PC Holderness]

I mean, it is a really good point. Everyone's using voice notes now, so it's sort of gone full circle.

[Pen Holderness]

Yeah.

[PC Holderness]

So it's basically the same as a, as a voicemail. Right.

[Pen Holderness]

Apparently just me asking for cringe things was cringe. Tina said, when I use the word cringe, both my kids want to die. Debbie said, just saying cringe would get Me chastised. I refer to the proper term, cringy or cringing because I watch my P's and Q's. I had no idea that I was just so cringe. But you know what, Pen? I don't really care. I think that that is the benefit of being the age we are is that I don't care that my kids think I'm cringing.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah.

[PC Holderness]

The filter. The filter and the. And the shame and any of that just kind of disappears. Right.

[Pen Holderness]

I think also there's this realization that nobody cares. Like, yeah, I mean, probably tmi, but I had to do an emergency room visit with one of my kids and everything is totally fine. But they had to, you know, there was like a test they needed to go do, but there was none of these. Anyway, this child of mine would need to go like ask a doctor for help. And I was like, oh, he's right there. Just go ask him. And no, just talking. No, just don't do it. So. But nobody cares. Nobody cares. Just do it. Right.

[PC Holderness]

Is there just maybe for the. The younger set, for the younger generation just being used to texting and emailing to set everything up? Is there like just this? There's a fear of the unknown, almost talking to people in person because they haven't had the practice for it.

[Pen Holderness]

I do think in a lot of ways they do have it harder. We got away with so much because there were no cell phones there. We only had access. I mean, only rich people had cameras and film. We looked terrible, but there was no proof of it. Right. Like we had our awkward stages and again, there's just no proof of it. So we talked about this and a recent 90s episode that, you know, there was just no evidence. And Pen ended up doing a whole song based on it. Should we play that?

[Justin]

Sure.

[PC Holderness]

And then. I can't wait. Let's play the song and then let's bring out PC.

[Pen Holderness]

Let's do it.

[PC Holderness]

Let's do it. Yeah.

[Pen Holderness]

Yeah. Growing up Gen X, Billy was the best. We did what we wanted because there was no evidence. Weren't a lot of cameras to document it all. But we'll show you what we mean by using our kids. Our parents went to bed and we got really good at sneaking out and doing shady stuff in our neighborhood. We only got away with this ridiculousness cuz there were no ring cameras. There was no evidence. We would prank call adults that we would never see. They couldn't catch us. No caller id. How were we not arrested? Our only defense, if you were Gen X, there was no evidence. Give me 24 pizzas no eminence delivered to my best friend. Is your best refrigerator running?

[Kim Holderness]

No evidence.

[Pen Holderness]

You better go catch it.

[Kim Holderness]

No evidence.

[Pen Holderness]

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[PC Holderness]

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[Pen Holderness]

They come with a 30 night worry free guarantee and they are ethically crafted by expert artisans that earn fair wages.

[PC Holderness]

We are the proud owners of those sheets. We can feel the quality immediately. They are noticeably softer each wash and.

[Pen Holderness]

If you don't like them after a month, send them back. But we're pretty confident you'll love what you get.

[PC Holderness]

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[Pen Holderness]

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[Kim Holderness]

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[PC Holderness]

I'm just helping us catch people's attention. This is a great deal.

[Pen Holderness]

Exactly.

[Kim Holderness]

So it doesn't need all that.

[Pen Holderness]

Fine.

[Kim Holderness]

Head to your nearest Boost mobile store right now.

Visit your nearest Boost mobile store for full offer details.

[PC Holderness]

Apple Intelligence requires iOS 18.1 or later.

[Kim Holderness]

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[PC Holderness]

As promised. We are now joined by someone who has no idea what Orange Julius Is, sadly, it's our son, PC Holderness. Before we get going, are we just gonna pretend like we're not noticing the fact that my son's wearing a cowboy hat?

[Pen Holderness]

Oh, yeah, that's. That's pretty normal.

[PC Holderness]

We're just gonna gloss over it.

[Kim Holderness]

They told me that I'm hosting a segment on today's podcast, so I. I had to dress at least half decent, and that involves having a cowboy hat on, obviously. Obviously. The first segment slash game we have here is, you did what? True or false? I'm gonna say a statement, and I'm gonna guess if they did that or not as a child at some point. At some point. Okay. First went to a school where they played donkey basketball at a pep rally. Okay.

[PC Holderness]

So.

[Kim Holderness]

So my thought process here is that it just seems so false. It jumps off the paper as just, no. Which means I'm going to guess true.

[PC Holderness]

They never played donkey basketball at my school.

[Pen Holderness]

They did not play donkey basketball at my school. But donkey basketball, we have learned, was very popular in the 80s and 90s. They literally brought in donkeys. People rode them and played basketball.

[Kim Holderness]

It seems like there's going to be at least one or two injuries, especially for the donkeys.

[PC Holderness]

Like, are they meant to walk on that slick?

[Pen Holderness]

I know. Do they put little donkey shoes on?

[Kim Holderness]

Also, how do you get that many donkeys to a pepper alley and then.

[Pen Holderness]

Do they poop all over the place?

[PC Holderness]

Absolutely.

[Kim Holderness]

I don't see the winning scenario that donkey basketball brings. Okay, next up. Did you guys decide whether to talk on the phone or use the Internet? Because you couldn't do both. I'm gonna say that's true.

[Pen Holderness]

True. Yeah.

[Kim Holderness]

I've heard you guys complain about that a lot.

[PC Holderness]

Do you know. Did you know what dial up Internet is? Have you heard of that before?

[Kim Holderness]

I have heard of that.

[PC Holderness]

Yeah. So you. You take your phone and you put it on this little machine and it goes.

[Pen Holderness]

Okay.

[PC Holderness]

And that's how it dials up to get the information.

[Kim Holderness]

Back when you guys were making your, like, back in the 80s videos, I remember you guys saying something about that.

[PC Holderness]

So you were paying attention.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah, I was paying attention. Nice. Was because mom was walking around with a perm for, like, a few weeks.

[Pen Holderness]

I crimped my hair and it stayed.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah, it stayed. Number three. Went to school with a smoking section. That has to be false, right? Don't know.

[PC Holderness]

Not in Durham, North Carolina, it wasn't false. We had a smoking section.

[Pen Holderness]

I'm pretty sure there was a smoking section at my high school.

[Kim Holderness]

Was smoking even legal for people under 18. It was.

[PC Holderness]

What I remember was there was a spot during lunch where people could go and smoke. And it was you. No, and I. Yeah. And I think the smoking age was 16 back then. But if it was 18, there were 18 year olders who went to high school. So there was definitely. There was a smoking section. It was legal. It was something you could do. Definitely. If you ever went into the teacher's lounge, that place smelled like cigarettes.

[Pen Holderness]

Okay. I would. Yeah, yeah.

[Kim Holderness]

Next number four got a perm from the JCPenny hair salon. Definitely true.

[Pen Holderness]

Definitely true. It lasted three whole days because my super fine hair and finally got excited.

[Kim Holderness]

About a new CD tower.

[Pen Holderness]

Do you know what a CD tower is?

[Kim Holderness]

Is it just a tower of CDs?

[PC Holderness]

Ostensibly, yes.

[Kim Holderness]

So it's not the point. If it's. There is a CD tower. I think in this it's implied there is. It's just if you got excited about it, right?

[Pen Holderness]

So I'm gonna say, yeah, true, 100%.

[PC Holderness]

You go to Circuit City, they're like, son, we've got it. We got a 20 CD tower and we've got a four sided, 300 CD tower that rotates.

[Pen Holderness]

You can.

[PC Holderness]

We got pumped about that.

[Pen Holderness]

Oh yeah, you dive a whole new system because you can do at that point, alphabetical by genre.

[Kim Holderness]

Okay, moving on to game two. Everybody who has it harder. Gen Z versus Gen X.

[Pen Holderness]

Okay, this is a fun game, but overall, do you think it's harder to be a teenager, a kid now, or when we in the 90s were teenagers?

[Kim Holderness]

I believe unbiasedly that just because of COVID and like all that's going on right now, I feel like probably now just because of like the world problems that's been going on.

[PC Holderness]

I mean, I've been using this argument my whole life that you never had it like me. We did not have those Covid years where we were stuck in our room for two years. It's a pretty good argument.

[Pen Holderness]

Well, let's see. Let's ask the questions.

[PC Holderness]

Gen X us, we had to wait two weeks for photos to get developed. And when we did, most of the photos were of our thumb because we didn't have a little preview thing when we were taking our pictures or Gen Z, they had friends posting a lot of unflattering pictures of them on Instagram. What's worse?

[Pen Holderness]

What's worse?

[PC Holderness]

What's worse?

[Kim Holderness]

I guess Gen X here. But it's like, yeah, sure, I'll save my debut for later.

[PC Holderness]

Your debut?

[Kim Holderness]

My rebuttal.

[PC Holderness]

There you have. I don't know what do in the bottle. I don't know what that is, but okay.

[Pen Holderness]

You know, I think they're both awful. And I think if it were your sister, she would say it's worse to have an unflattering picture posted. But they're both pretty terrible. So that a wash. That's a wash. That's a wash. That's a tie. PC. Which was harder? Keeping an egg baby. That was us alive or maintaining a snap streak?

[Kim Holderness]

You're acting like Gen Z does not keep egg babies anymore.

[PC Holderness]

They do.

[Kim Holderness]

I never had to, but I've known people who definitely have.

[PC Holderness]

Oh, they have egg babies in class still.

[Kim Holderness]

Yes.

[PC Holderness]

So you know what an egg baby is?

[Kim Holderness]

Yes.

[PC Holderness]

Okay.

[Kim Holderness]

It's like you can't break it or else it's like you get like a. You fail the like class. The assignment.

[PC Holderness]

Yeah. And when it does break, you have this shame inside you that says I'm never going to be a good parent.

[Pen Holderness]

Right, Right.

[PC Holderness]

Because that's. It's supposed to be your actual.

[Pen Holderness]

So which harder.

[Kim Holderness]

It depends on what you are as a person. If you're that person who's like with an egg baby, taking them everywhere and not just putting them in a little bed and just keeping them there, then it's the snapstreak.

[PC Holderness]

I think the fact that you have both. The advantage goes to Gen Z. Gen Z, yeah.

[Pen Holderness]

Yeah. I think because you have to do both. We never had to maintain a snap streak.

[PC Holderness]

I didn't. I had not heard about people doing egg babies in a while.

[Kim Holderness]

Lola like has it like 2000 day snapshot with someone and then I snap her once in the morning and she doesn't snap you back like you have 24 hours. Just snap me once. If you one person 2000 days in a row, you can save a minute for your brother.

[Pen Holderness]

Family beef alert.

[PC Holderness]

Kim, I think our son just put Lola on blast.

[Kim Holderness]

Why'd you say it like that?

[Pen Holderness]

Are we not to say it like that?

[PC Holderness]

I did I get it right?

[Kim Holderness]

No, it's. It would have been fine. It's, you know, it was the good correction. It was the correct way to say it, guys. It was that you said it and then looked around to make sure everyone heard that you said it.

[PC Holderness]

You guys, you guys. I think Lola may have just caught a stray.

[Kim Holderness]

Again. It's fine to use it, but don't go caught astray and then look anyone.

[Pen Holderness]

I don't normally wait for applause when you're here.

[PC Holderness]

When you're a little over here, I feel like I need validation.

[Pen Holderness]

Like, give me credit.

[Kim Holderness]

That's good. Guys. Right. That's good.

[PC Holderness]

Okay. Number three, who had it harder? Gen X. When calling your crush, there was a chance you'd have to speak to his or her parents because there was one landline.

[Kim Holderness]

That'd be so bad.

[PC Holderness]

Or having your crush's parents see you in videos from the time you were five because your parents are idiots and dance in their pajamas on the Internet. I think I know what's gonna win this one.

[Kim Holderness]

I don't even want to talk about this. The second one, it's. It's Gen Z.

[PC Holderness]

It is.

[Kim Holderness]

Well, here's the thing. I'm good with talking to parents. You guys have seen me very good. I'm good at that. I can't talk to them when my dad's butt is wiggling behind me in a video and I'm in pajamas when I'm 5 years old looking like.

[Pen Holderness]

Is it harder to have grown up on the Internet having everybody seen you when you were a baby?

[Kim Holderness]

To be fair, that's not something everyone has. Also, it's not very hard that my parents have a successful Internet life, and it's not what everyone does. So I am going to give this one to Gen X just because it's not the norm for everyone to have that.

[PC Holderness]

I think you just gave us some flowers.

[Kim Holderness]

Don't do it. Don't. Don't look around. Don't be like, sam, it was good, right? Yeah.

[PC Holderness]

Did I get that right? I heard Simone Biles say it in the Olympics.

[Pen Holderness]

Who had it harder? Gen Z vs. Gen X. Gen X. We actually had to go to the library and look in a drawer made of wood for a book about a topic in order to find information about anything versus Gen Z. Having to convince a teacher you didn't use AI for a paper.

[Kim Holderness]

I've not really experienced that. But probably having to go library and looking at the wood drawer. Oh, my God, I'm gonna get splinters. I would say Gen X.

[Pen Holderness]

Okay. You're giving us some good credit. I think it would also. I. I am not. I think right now what your school is doing is you're writing most of the stuff in class so they know you're not using AI. But there's going to come a point where they're going to accuse you of using AI for stuff.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah.

[PC Holderness]

Finally. Who has it harder, Gen Z or Gen X? Gen X had no way of documenting most of the cool things that happen in our life. Right. Or Gen Z never being able to have an embarrassing moment because everyone has a phone.

[Kim Holderness]

You guys decide this one because I. I've Definitely had some embarrassing things caught on camera.

[PC Holderness]

Yeah.

[Pen Holderness]

And that's probably pretty hard.

[Kim Holderness]

Pictures, videos, all that stuff. But, I mean, I'm not gonna, like, go out and show it to people. Like, it's not like, I don't have to show it. But I will say it is good to have things documented. But did you guys have, like, those little camera thingies?

[PC Holderness]

Yeah, but you have to, like, get them out and, you know, you didn't.

[Pen Holderness]

Like, carry them around your camera.

[PC Holderness]

If you brought your camera with you, you were made fun of because you had, like, a strap with it. Like, if you're a dad and you had your.

[Kim Holderness]

Like, you had to get it out and crank it a few times.

[PC Holderness]

Yep. I PC. I think Gen Z had it harder for this.

[Pen Holderness]

Yeah.

[Kim Holderness]

I mean, if you say so.

[PC Holderness]

Yeah.

[Pen Holderness]

Well. And just, you can't make a mistake right now. If you posted some. If you post something like. I don't know, if you. If you do something embarrassing on the Internet right now, it kind of lives forever. For example.

[Kim Holderness]

No.

[Pen Holderness]

All the videos we post.

[Kim Holderness]

All. All of them.

[Pen Holderness]

All of them.

[PC Holderness]

Okay, so, guys, it's a tie.

[Kim Holderness]

So my argument that it. This should not be a tie is that you guys were using these little minute details of life, which is like, oh, I'd keep an egg baby around for a few weeks. Oh, no. I'm sorry.

[Pen Holderness]

So is it just generally harder to be a Gen Z right now?

[Kim Holderness]

I'm saying it's. It's okay. It's okay. The thing that's like, technology is so advanced. We have all this advanced things in life. It's like, that's definitely easier, but also the main. For, like, the forming part of my social life was spent indoors in a zoom call.

[Pen Holderness]

Yeah.

[PC Holderness]

Yeah. The tiebreaker should be Covid. Covid or everything else combined that we had and happening. I think right now, it wins.

[Pen Holderness]

Yeah. I think Gen Z has it harder, 100%. I think the millennials have it harder than Gen X. Also, just growing up online, not even just having a family with a YouTube channel, I think so much harder. There's so much more pressure. And the fact that you went through middle school and Covid, you have it so much harder. You win.

[Kim Holderness]

I'm not saying my life is really difficult. I'm doing great, y'.

[Pen Holderness]

All. I'm glad you acknowledged that.

[Kim Holderness]

Okay, here we go. Next up, our next game on Laugh Lines. How would you react? Okay, to summarize it, how would you react if I did the things you did? By the way, by your own admission, you did all of these Things at least once.

[Pen Holderness]

Yes.

[PC Holderness]

Correct.

[Kim Holderness]

What would you do if you caught me driving down the highway in the back of a friend's pickup truck without a seatbelt?

[Pen Holderness]

You are in the back of a friend's pickup truck with several other friends driving down the highway around a neighborhood.

[Kim Holderness]

I've done that before. Just like to North Hills. I've driven North Hills in the bag of pickup truck.

[Pen Holderness]

Whose pickup truck?

[PC Holderness]

Guys, we're about to find out exactly how she'd react. This isn't even hypothetical anymore.

[Kim Holderness]

My answer is real bad.

[PC Holderness]

It would be real bad. And both of us are guilty of doing this when we were growing up.

[Pen Holderness]

Yes. You right now have that permit, like the learning permit. I would put that on pause. I'd probably take a cell phone. I would probably. Yeah, you would sit at home for a while. Yeah. Yeah.

[PC Holderness]

We're hypocrites.

[Pen Holderness]

Yeah, totally.

[Kim Holderness]

Okay. Number two, stay at a party overnight by telling your parents you were staying at a friend and she told her parents she was staying with you.

[Pen Holderness]

What happened was I wanted to stay at this party, so I said I was going to go to my friend Michelle's house. She told her friend, her parents, that she was staying at my house.

[Kim Holderness]

Definitely not a great walk home because you guys would definitely know about it. You probably do a lot of the same things you just said.

[PC Holderness]

I would react more sternly to this than number one, because it is an untruth. Like, to me, I think lying is on the list of things that you can get in trouble for. Like, not being honest with your parents is number one. So not that I'm threatening you or letting you know, like, kind of how I feel, but I'm basically threatening you and letting you know how I feel.

[Pen Holderness]

Yeah. So there would be, like a reduction of privileges.

[Kim Holderness]

What would you do if I prank call people?

[Pen Holderness]

So we used to be able to call people and say, like, is your refrigerator running better? Go catch it.

[Kim Holderness]

You'd be like, don't do that. But the punishment probably not be as fear as the last two.

[Pen Holderness]

Yeah.

[PC Holderness]

I don't think I would punish you at all for prank calling someone.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah, I think that's part of childhood.

[PC Holderness]

Yeah.

[Pen Holderness]

More on this after these words. You guys know I'm on a protein journey and I finally found the best protein powder out there. Clean Simple Eats.

[PC Holderness]

Yeah, we love Clean Simple Eats because their protein powder is always grass fed with no seed oils or artificial ingredients. Third Party tested non GMO and gluten free, and each serving has 20 grams of protein.

[Pen Holderness]

This protein powder is incredibly creamy and smooth. I love to use it in a smoothie or bake it into a yummy recipe.

[PC Holderness]

And they have so many different flavors to choose from. You know. My personal favorite is the chocolate peanut butter. Seriously it is delish. They even have a protein powder variety pack so you can try individual servings of Martin multiple flavors.

[Pen Holderness]

As you all know, getting enough protein has become a part time job for me. Finding a brand I can trust that tastes good and has none of the yucky artificial stuff has been huge.

[PC Holderness]

Plus Clean Simple Eats also has clear protein powder. The pink burst flavor is life changing, literally tastes like a melted pink starburst. They can't keep it in stock because it's so popular and delicious. You just mix the clear protein powder with water and get a super refreshing and light drink again with 20 grams of protein.

[Pen Holderness]

Visit cleansimpleats.com and use code LAUGH20 at checkout for 20 off your first order.

[PC Holderness]

That's cleansimpleats.com code LAUGH20 for 20 off your first order.

[Pen Holderness]

From Fitness routines to mental resilience, navigating personal goals to tackling burnout, we all need a little help being human.

[PC Holderness]

That's what the Life Kit podcast from NPR is here to do. If you're looking to move with more intention or just need thoughtful guidance on living better, Life Kit delivers strategies to help you make meaningful, sustainable change.

[Pen Holderness]

Life doesn't come with a manual, but every day you're making choices, some big, some small, that shape the direction of your life.

[PC Holderness]

Life Kit offers real stories, relevant insights and clear takeaways to help you meet those decision making moments with confidence and clarity.

[Pen Holderness]

I personally love the topics that run the gamut from budget friendly things to do this summer to tips for online privacy. There's always something to learn with most episodes under 20 minutes.

[PC Holderness]

I listen to Life Kit because I get to hear thoughtful conversations that unpack the emotional and practical side of personal wellness. Actionable guidance I can actually use. No fluff, no judgment, just trusted voices and expert advice to help take me to the next step, however big or small that is.

[Pen Holderness]

Get help tackling common issues like relationships, finances, parenting and your career. Then walk away with a game plan you can implement right away.

[PC Holderness]

Life Kit isn't just another podcast about self improvement. It's about understanding how to live a little better. Starting now.

[Pen Holderness]

Listen now to the Life Kit Podcast from NPR.

[Kim Holderness]

And for our next game Ask a Gen Z er, we are going to the Laugh Line to get some calls and messages that you'll get my thoughts about.

[Justin]

Hey Kim and friend. My name is Russ Lebraska I am in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. So here's my question. I am Gen X, just like you guys, was born in 1970. So I am 100 gentlemen. I have two teenage boys. I have no idea what Loki means. I would love to know what Loki means. I think of Loki as the dude on the Marvel comics, but I'm pretty sure that's not what Loki actually means.

[PC Holderness]

Can we give Russ props for knowing who Loki is?

[Pen Holderness]

First of all, Russ, thanks for being vulnerable and saying you don't like. When you say you don't know something, you ask for help. Very vulnerable. Thank you, Russ. What does low key mean?

[Kim Holderness]

It just means kind of like low key. I don't know how to.

[PC Holderness]

I've been working with PC on this. When someone asks you the definition of something, you don't maybe don't repeat the word as the definition.

[Kim Holderness]

That was the first thing that popped in my mind. Just like on the low, I guess.

[Pen Holderness]

It'S like kind of.

[Kim Holderness]

It's a little bit like on the low. Like this is, you know, you still.

[PC Holderness]

Haven'T used any real words except for low key.

[Pen Holderness]

A little bit.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah.

[Pen Holderness]

You use it in a sentence, maybe.

[PC Holderness]

Does it mean like not overt, not?

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah, it's like not out there, but it's still like chill.

[Pen Holderness]

Yeah, but I've heard it used like, I lowkey really want some ice cream.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah.

[Pen Holderness]

Like, and it's just like a filler.

[Kim Holderness]

You're not, it's like you're not like saying like, oh, I want ice cream right now. Which is like, I could use some ice cream.

[Pen Holderness]

Yeah. It's sort of this neutral sort of term that's put in in front of sort of, kind of. It kind of takes the role of that.

[Kim Holderness]

I'm low key craving Subway right now. Like, I would eat something else instead of Subway, but if that wasn't presented to me, sure, give me a sandwich. I gobble it down right now.

[PC Holderness]

Like, this is what's going on inside, deep inside me that I'm gonna share with you.

[Pen Holderness]

Our next call on Ask a Gen Z is from Lisa, who is very pro lingo.

[Justin]

My kids actually like it when I learn their lingo. I have a 13 year old son and he likes it when I know what he's talking about. Because when he's trying to describe a party or something his friends did or something that happened at school, he appreciates that I know what he's talking about. And he doesn't have to dumb down his language, in his opinion. But one thing I do that makes him just collapse to the floor and almost helpless Cringe is I still dabble.

[Pen Holderness]

Lisa, I love.

[Kim Holderness]

Your son is great.

[Pen Holderness]

Your son is great. Oh, my gosh. I love that your son sounds like he uses communication skills and he talks to you. So I feel like you're winning at that.

[Kim Holderness]

First of all, Lisa, your son is great. You've raised a good son. If they want to actually, like, share their lingo and that's like, not something that children actually want to do.

[PC Holderness]

But.

[Kim Holderness]

But if your name is not Cam Newton, I do not want to see someone dabbing in public.

[PC Holderness]

So Cam still got a free pass to dab.

[Kim Holderness]

Of course you want. He made a Super bowl with as one mvp.

[PC Holderness]

I'm okay.

[Pen Holderness]

Okay. Next we got a call from Christine, who has a strategy for teen slang.

[Justin]

My brother and I kind of made a, I guess a pact. We got tired of some of the words that our, our kids were saying, and so we decided that we could retire their words by being cringe. And so we decided to overuse and misuse some of their words.

[Pen Holderness]

What do you think about that strategy?

[Kim Holderness]

It's a very smart strategy because it works 100% of the time. There's no fail rate like the word like on blast. I never really used it, but I'm not anymore. It's over for me.

[PC Holderness]

PC, are you ready for the lightning round?

[Kim Holderness]

I'm ready.

[PC Holderness]

Cringe or no. Megan said I used to be a shy one. Now I can talk to anyone anywhere. And when I do talk to someone in line or comment positively on their clothes or anything, interacting with a stranger, my daughter is horrified. Mom, stop. You don't know them. So talking to strangers cringe or no?

[Kim Holderness]

No. Megan's daughter, I have a special message for you. You're probably a great person out there, but, I mean, Megan is just trying her best to get out there and make friends and be nice in the world. So just, you know, just be low key about it, you know, Laura says.

[PC Holderness]

I saw all the ads for the new Love island personalized phone cases, so I ordered my daughter one. Then they offered me a deal for two, so I got myself one too. Apparently it's very cringe for a 50 year old mom to carry her own personalized Love island cased phone. But I'm living the dream. PC. Our Love island phone cases for parents Cringe.

[Kim Holderness]

No, I do not watch Love island, but I've seen Lola's rage over it.

[PC Holderness]

Oh yeah.

[Kim Holderness]

Just because TJ or Taylor. Taylor didn't get voted off and like TJ did, she's very upset. I got a Video of her crashing out for five minutes about it. But if. If you like Love island and you're living the dream, it's not cringe.

[PC Holderness]

Even great PCs, like I think for a teenager is being very accepting writings. Love that name. My 17 year old says that I am so pick me. Meaning that I want him to pick me. I do. To spend time together. Have you ever heard of the term pick me?

[Pen Holderness]

I have.

[PC Holderness]

Oh, that's new for me.

[Pen Holderness]

What is that?

[Kim Holderness]

It's just like, pick me, pick me. No, it's not. Sam, I'm gonna need your help with this one. Yeah, please look it up. It's hard to explain.

[Pen Holderness]

I. I've heard pick me energy. Like, I've heard it's giving pick me energy.

[Kim Holderness]

It's like you're kind of trying to get like sympathy from somebody. So the origins. Yeah, it's the pick me girl, which.

[PC Holderness]

Is a woman who's trying to get.

[Kim Holderness]

Men'S attention by getting sympathy. Well, like sympathy, but also like putting down other women.

[Pen Holderness]

It's not ideal.

[Kim Holderness]

No, no. It's not a compliment.

[Pen Holderness]

So pick me sounds like they are trying to get attention and they're doing it. They're being a little manipulative in it.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah, that's basically it.

[Pen Holderness]

Either putting down other people or trying to gain pity.

[Kim Holderness]

Your 17 year old's cringe for. For calling you a pick me. And you are not cringe. Trying to spend time with them.

[PC Holderness]

He's on like the parents team.

[Kim Holderness]

I'm doing great right now.

[Pen Holderness]

Yeah, he knows the audience.

[PC Holderness]

You do know the audience.

[Kim Holderness]

I really do. And you're welcome, Terry.

[PC Holderness]

My kids told me not to put my hands over my head when dancing. PC Hands over your head. Dancing Is that cringe?

[Kim Holderness]

Like, oh, okay. So I was gonna say no, I was like locked down saying like, oh, there's no problem raising the roof. Just like do whatever dance you want to. And then this hooligan started doing it.

[PC Holderness]

I'm a hooligan.

[Kim Holderness]

Terry, you're doing great. Keep dancing. You know the dance floor is all yours. You own the dance floor.

[PC Holderness]

Terry, finally, PC from Trace, she wants to know is singing in the car. Cringe.

[Kim Holderness]

I sing in the car.

[PC Holderness]

Yes, you do.

[Pen Holderness]

You and I have some good karaoke sessions.

[Kim Holderness]

I sing in the car. So no, you don't like it when.

[PC Holderness]

I sing in the car. But I don't get the words right.

[Kim Holderness]

No, no, no. You sing so early.

[PC Holderness]

Oh, yeah. Because I want people to know that I know the words.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah, like it'll be. It'll still be going on in the, like, the. Like the guitar solo or whatever before the song starts, and you'll already be, like, singing the entire song, and then you'll also solo. You'll also get half of the words wrong.

[PC Holderness]

That's true.

[Pen Holderness]

Can you give us an example?

[PC Holderness]

All right. Well, probably the best example is if we're playing. If we're playing Living on a Prayer. So, like, even during the. I start going. Or, like, songs with good intros, like, newer songs don't have very long intros, but, like, anything from Steely dan or Michael McDonald, I am definitely jumping in early so people can HEAR My Michael McDonald impression.

[Pen Holderness]

PC thank you for joining us on Laugh Lines. Did you have fun?

[Kim Holderness]

I had a blast. It was. It was great, y'. All. I. I love the energy on the podcast and I'd love to come back.

[Pen Holderness]

Oh, okay. We would love to have you. Where can people find you if they want to follow along in your journey?

[Kim Holderness]

I have a substack, PC Holderness. I write about mostly right now, entirely about football.

[PC Holderness]

He is the most optimistic Carolina Panthers fan on the planet, and I absolutely love it. He has drawn me into it. Now I have hope. Yeah, it's irrational.

[Pen Holderness]

Okay. Love you, buddy.

[Kim Holderness]

Love you, too.

[PC Holderness]

It's gonna do a walk off. You're singing We Are the Champions.

[Pen Holderness]

And we're back. He. I think he had fun.

[PC Holderness]

Yeah, he was playing to the moms. Did anybody else catch that? Like, he could have been repping his generation, but I think he knows who watches this. So I'm kind of, like, impressed, I guess, by that. Also, I want to teach him some new vocabulary, because when we ask him what something means, he says the thing back. I remember doing that when I was younger.

[Pen Holderness]

He can't be perfect, but he's pretty great. I also, I do strongly believe that teenagers now have it much harder than we have it. And so I am very proud that he. He knows that Covid was hard. That happened. I mean, first of all, it was hard for everybody. I don't know, an age 0 to 100 in which it was ideal. But I think that specific, like, hitting in middle school when you're supposed to be getting out of your comfort zone and finding your tribe of people like, it hit at a very strange time. But he knows that and he acknowledges it. And I don't know, I think there's. I see our kids. I see the kids out there and their friends, and I just have so much appreciation. Well, I just have, like, a lot of hope that they're going to do a better job than we did.

[PC Holderness]

That'd be great if they did a better job than we did.

[Pen Holderness]

And we are not going to stop being cringe. Am I right?

[PC Holderness]

No, can't stop, won't stop.

[Pen Holderness]

That was a really good point out. Every time you say it, you look around for credit. Okay, credits.

[PC Holderness]

Speaking of credit, Laugh Lines is written and produced by Pen Holderness, Kim Holderness and Anne Marie Tapke with original music by Pen Holderness. And it's filmed, edited and live produced by the one and only Sam Allen and hosted by acast. As always, we'd love to hear from you. Please write to us at podcasttheholdernessfamily.com or.

[Pen Holderness]

Leave a voicemail at 323-364-3929 and we'll talk to you soon.

[PC Holderness]

Oh, you're supposed to repeat it.

[Pen Holderness]

Oh, that's right, 323-364-3929. You look really confused, Sam. You didn't. So before when you had to leave voicemail, you said it twice. Your phone number didn't pop up.

[PC Holderness]

Yes.

[Pen Holderness]

So you. You really. Because the person would be writing down your so you had to repeat it twice. Did you not know that? No, she didn't know that. Okay, we'll talk to you soon on the laugh line.

[PC Holderness]

Very smooth credits. Quince believes that quality products shouldn't be a luxury. Whether It's a breathable 100% European linen.

[Kim Holderness]

Shirt or effortless stretch cotton pants, all.

[PC Holderness]

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[Kim Holderness]

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[Russ Lebraska]

As a parent, I obsess over the details. What my baby eats, how they sleep, what touches their skin. But what about the water they bathe in? The truth is, according to ChemTech International, 98% of US household water is treated with chlorine. Data from the US Geological Survey shows that 85% of US households have hard water. Many pediatricians warn of the risks of unfiltered water, especially chlorine, which can decrease hydration in the skin's outermost layer. If your little one is dealing with skin redness, irritation or discomfort, Canopy's Bathtub Filter might be the answer. Its Trimedia filter reduces chlorine and irritants for gentler, safer baths. It's made from FDA approved BPA free silicone and fits virtually any spout, so installation is a breeze. But wait, that's not everything. It doubles as a spout cover and temperature indicator, helping protect little ones from accidental burns, bumps and bruises. Like all Canopy products, the Bathtub Filter is hassle free and high impact. It installs in under five minutes. Filter changes are super simple and yes, you can even toss it in the dishwasher to clean. You heard that right. The dishwasher visit GetCanopy Co and save $10 with their hassle free Filter subscription. Even better, my listeners can use my code canopyPod at checkout for an extra 10% off your order. Hurry. Better bath time for baby is just a couple of clicks away.

[Kim Holderness]

If you're an experienced pet owner, you already know that having a pet is 25% belly rubs, 25% yelling drop it. And 50% groaning at the bill from every vet visit. Which is why Lemonade Pet Insurance is tailor made for your pet. Can save you up to 90% on vet bills. It can help cover checkups, emergencies, diagnostics, basically all the stuff that makes your bank account nervous. Claims are filed super easily through the Lemonade app and half get settled instantly. Get a'@lemonade.com pet and they'll help cover the vet bill for whatever your pet swallowed after you yelled drop it.