Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness
Episode: Best of Laugh Lines 2025
Release Date: December 23, 2025
Hosts: Kim & Penn Holderness
Episode Overview
This special “Best of Laugh Lines 2025” episode celebrates the first full year since the podcast’s rebrand, looking back at the funniest, most touching, and most insightful moments of the past year. Kim and Penn Holderness revisit favorite listener call-ins and expert guest segments, getting updates from beloved contributors, reflecting on lessons about marriage, aging, ADHD, parenting, and, of course, sharing plenty of laughs. The hosts also showcase their signature segments—including “Are We Too Old For…,” generational slang, and even a blind soda taste test—making this a great entry point for new and long-time listeners alike.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Anniversary Reflections & Listener Connections
[03:11]
- Kim and Penn express gratitude for their engaged listener community, who have submitted hundreds of heartfelt, hilarious, and occasionally corrective messages.
- The hosts emphasize how interacting with their audience has been their “favorite part” of the show’s evolution.
2. Marriage Advice from Peggy (Kim’s Mom)
[05:15; 07:06]
- Peggy, Kim’s mom, left the first voicemail of the rebranded Laugh Lines. She surprised Kim (and listeners) with frank advice on marriage:
- “Sex is important. You guys, all week, talk about what your problems are. Work through them more than anything else. Do it.” — Peggy [05:54]
- Peggy calls back with a gentler tip:
- “Be kind to one another. Always be kind... Marriage ought to be a place where smiles happen a lot. People that tell me marriage is work, I go, oh, my gosh, what kind of marriage have you got if all you’re doing is working? Have fun and be kind to one another.” — Peggy [07:32]
- The hosts candidly and humorously reflect on the awkwardness (and wisdom) of getting “spicy” relationship tips from a parent.
3. The “Fart Walk Lady” – Last Frontier of Feminism
[09:22]
- Marilyn Smith, a listener dubbed the “Fart Walk Lady,” recaps why she and her husband made after-dinner “fart walks” a ritual:
- “I started farting outwardly at 50. That was… like the last frontier of feminism. Ladies, let it rip.” — Marilyn [09:41]
- On whether she’ll continue the tradition for the holidays:
- “You bet your colon I am. It’s kind of like self preservation… better out than in.” — Marilyn [10:54]
- Kim and Penn delight in the authenticity and humor, even joking, “You bet your colon—that’s a T-shirt.” [11:22]
4. Celebrating Neurodiversity: Gordon’s ADHD Inventions
[11:55; 12:34]
- 10-year-old Gordon called in to talk about discovering he has ADHD and his plans to become a creative inventor:
- “I think my brain is special because I’m very creative and…I’d like to build, like, robots.” — Gordon [11:55]
- In his update, Gordon invents a new animal species and shares a handmade joke (“because someone was hogging all the covers” [13:30])—showcasing ADHD’s strengths.
- Penn underscores how ADHD brains flourish at creative ideation, saying, “That’s ADHD: freedom of thought and freedom of expression.” [15:06]
5. Correcting Penn—Science Nuggets, Apologies, and Space Talk
[19:04 – 26:32]
- Listener Pam from Massachusetts calls out Penn for mixing up “rotations” vs. “revolutions” (space talk).
- Penn’s self-deprecating apology montage becomes a comedic highlight. Pam responds, suggesting he include “science tidbits and nuggets” in every episode. [21:31]
- Discussion meanders to Penn’s desire to start his own space/ADHD podcast, jokingly titled “Space Cadet.”
- “If we did a Penn Space Corner, it would be 90% me apologizing.” – Penn [22:45]
- The segment also pokes fun at how friends and family interact differently with Penn’s love of esoterica compared to Kim’s more grounded responses.
6. Adventures in Gen Z Slang & Parenting with ADHD
[27:09; 27:29]
- Listener Lisa discusses the joys—and pitfalls—of speaking Gen Z Lingo with her teenage son, including dabbing (to his dismay):
- “We communicate using full-on Gen Z lingo…But no cap, I do not dab in public. I’m not a monster.” — Lisa [28:06]
- Lisa shares a creative ADHD parenting tip: swapping “do your chores now” with lingo (“Bruh, if this trash is still here in 10 minutes, I’m a low key crash out.”)
- The segment ends with son PC giving Lisa props for her “slay” communication style.
7. Empty Nest: College Drop-Offs, Milk Expirations, and Letting Go
[30:01; 31:50]
- Kaya, a listener, shares how her oldest leaving for college triggered a grocery store breakdown upon seeing the milk expiry date past her daughter’s move-out.
- “The milk expires after she will already be leaving for college. And I stood in the aisle of the Kroger and cried…” — Kaya [30:35]
- Kim and Penn open up about the emotional transition and personal “grief” over their daughter Lola leaving.
- Kaya’s update: She’s transitioned from crying in grocery stores to calculating how much sweet tea to provide during college breaks—and her maternal instincts correctly predicted her daughter’s first college romance. [32:38]
- Kim and Penn also riff on “Diet Pepsi vs Diet Coke” loyalty, performing a blind taste test on air:
- “Nothing hits better than like a crispy Diet Coke from McDonald’s.” — Kim [36:35]
8. Expert Wisdom: Gretchen Rubin on Friendship After Kids Leave
[37:05]
- Clip and voicemail from bestselling author Gretchen Rubin (“Happier”) advocates for parents to focus on forging new friendships after kids move away:
- “Now that you’ve had some experience with your child leaving and returning…aim to make one or two new friends.” [38:51]
- Both hosts acknowledge how expanding their social circles (as awkward as that may be) can help match the “growth” their kids are experiencing in college.
- Kim openly strategizes steps for making new friends as an adult, noting, “For whatever reason, my brain is not chill with this stuff. I need to say, like, yes, I have to make two friends…” [42:47]
9. Penn’s 2025 Nuggets—Three Takeaways from the Year
[46:48]
- As a “nuggets” segment, Penn shares his annual takeaways:
- Aliens are probably here. “There’s just been a lot of drone stuff and UAP stuff going on this year. I think they’re here.” — Penn [47:11]
- We’re going to kick Alzheimer’s ass. Advances in medicine and awareness give real hope.
- The world is more fluent in ADHD. There’s growing awareness and support for neurodiversity, as evidenced by young listeners and classroom stories.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
[05:54] Peggy (Kim’s Mom):
“Sex is important… Work through them [problems] more than anything else. Do it. Love you. Bye.”
(Kim gasps and covers her face in comic embarrassment; Penn jokes about ending every Peggy sentence with ‘in bed’.) -
[09:41] Marilyn Smith (“Fart Walk Lady”):
“I started farting outwardly at 50… The last frontier of feminism, ladies. Let it rip.” -
[10:54] Marilyn Smith (Update):
“You bet your colon I am [fart walking on Christmas]… better out than in.” -
[13:30] Gordon (10):
“The reason why any of the animals in the barn couldn’t sleep is because someone was hogging all the covers. That’s it from me. Gordon out.” -
[21:31] Pam (Science Correction):
“You should include, like, science nuggets and just throw a couple of little factoids out there each time you have a podcast.” -
[28:06] Lisa (Gen Z Mom):
“No cap, I do not dab in public. I’m not a monster. Besides, a well-placed dab loses its effectiveness if you do it too much.” -
[30:35] Kaya:
“I stood in the aisle of the Kroger and cried my eyeballs out.” -
[36:35] Kim (Diet Coke):
“Nothing hits better than like a crispy Diet Coke from McDonald’s.” -
[38:51] Gretchen Rubin:
“Aim to make one or two new friends. Your child has been expanding their social circle. Now it’s time for you to do the same thing for yourself.” -
[47:11] Penn:
“Aliens are probably here...there’s just been a lot of drone stuff and UAP stuff going on this year.” -
[48:56] Kim (ADHD Book Reception):
“[Reading our ADHD book] brought up a lot of conversations from neurotypical kids about their friends with ADHD… If we could all just understand each other a little better, I think life would be a lot better.”
Key Timestamps for Important Segments
- 03:11 – Show intro, reflections on connecting with listeners
- 05:15 – Peggy’s spicy marriage advice (and update)
- 09:22 – Marilyn Smith and the “Fart Walk” feminism
- 11:55 / 12:34 – Gordon and the creativity of ADHD
- 19:04 – Listener Pam’s scientific correction and apology montage
- 27:09 – Lisa (Gen Z lingo mom) & ADHD parenting strategies
- 30:01 – Kaya’s milk breakdown (empty nest feels)
- 32:38 – Kaya’s college update and the sweet tea dilemma
- 34:14 – Penn & Kim blind taste test: Diet Coke vs. Diet Pepsi
- 37:05 – Gretchen Rubin’s friendship challenge for parents
- 46:48 – Penn’s Nuggets: Year-end takeaways on aliens, Alzheimer’s, and ADHD
- 50:13 – Credits and sincere thanks from the hosts to their team and audience
Tone & Atmosphere
Warm, candid, self-deprecating, and playful—Penn and Kim blend honest discussion of aging, parenting, and neurodiversity with the comic timing and relatability that have defined their viral video and podcast careers. They embody the idea that getting older can—and should—be met with curiosity, connection, and plenty of laughter.
Final Thoughts
A deeply relatable, high-spirited look at family, marriage, and life’s transitions, “Best of Laugh Lines 2025” offers both big laughs and actionable wisdom. Whether it’s letting go (of kids or embarrassing taboos), nerding out over science, or learning to make friends as adults, Kim and Penn show that growing older can still mean growing better—especially if you’re willing to laugh along the way.