
I am an iPhone with a questionable battery.
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This episode is sponsored by Kohler Smart Toilets.
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Smart toilets, eh?
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Yeah.
B
You know that moment when you notice something beautiful in a place you least expect it? Well, you know, this Kohler toilet really surprised me pleasantly.
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The Kohler Vail Smart toilet, with its sculptural curved silhouette is like nothing you might imagine when picturing a toilet. And that's the point.
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Kohler Smart toilets are the proof of the awesome power of design and its ability to elevate how we live and feel.
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Standout design. Touchscreen controls, customizable cleansing features, elevated cleanliness, comfort and convenience.
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And of course, it's Kohler pushing the boundaries of what a toilet can be. They've been elevating bathroom design and experiences since 1873.
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Experience the difference of Kohler Smart toilets. Find more@kohler.com I identify as an iPhone with low battery.
B
Okay, that's good. That's good sleuthing.
A
You're not going to go walking down the street and get eaten by an alligator. Or are you?
B
It's the most romantic story I've ever heard. Yeah, we get older every day, got more wrinkles. That's okay. Yeah, we're laughing. When we age, life is like a comedy stage. And that's why we got laugh lines.
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Hey, everybody, I'm Kim Holderness.
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And I'm Ben Holderness. Welcome to Laugh Lines.
A
If every time you crack an egg over a frying pan inside your brain, you say, this is your brain. This is your brain on drugs. You're home.
B
Yes.
A
Remember that PSA 100%.
B
And remember the last line?
A
No.
B
Any questions?
A
That's right.
B
Right. It was because they needed to fill a little bit more time. Like, they. They got the point across in about three seconds. And they're. And I'm sure the ad people were like, well, you gotta have 15 seconds.
A
I have a question.
B
Yeah.
A
Where were all the free drugs? I really thought that I was going to be approached on a street corner and offered. See what they told us was gonna happen.
B
Free drugs.
A
First free drug. They get you hooked and they give you Free drugs. And you're just gonna be out and about and they're gonna come up to you and they're gonna give you free drugs, get you hooked, and then you're gonna. Then you're gonna, like, give up your life. You're gonna become a dealer. There was like a whole pyramid scheme. They were really out. And I just never. I never saw any of it.
B
Yeah, I mean, I feel lucky.
A
I feel lucky that I was not exposed to that.
B
I. I lived in Durham.
A
Okay, so did you get a lot of free drugs?
B
I did not get any free drugs, but there were drugs. Our elementary school was an inner city school and we had the best teachers and the best administrators who, like, helped instruct us and get us through it.
A
But you would have had to pay for the drugs.
B
No, the first one's always free.
A
Okay.
C
Okay.
B
I'm sorry.
A
It sounds like this is so bad. Did a friend tell you that?
B
No, I got the same speech you did, but. But it was like, you know, there was the brain on drugs and there was Nancy Reagan.
A
Nancy.
B
And Nancy Reagan hers. She had a three word slogan as well. Do you guys, Sam, Ann Marie, either
A
of you, what is it? Just, just, just say no.
B
That was her. That was her big.
A
All you have to do, guys. Nancy Reagan, easy as that.
B
Nancy Reagan and that fried egg were the majority of the commercials.
A
We could really go down. We can do like a Gen X dateline thing about the impact and the, quote, war on drugs and like, the impact that it still has in terms of, like, the people who are in jail that maybe she, like, shouldn't be. We could go down and be very serious journalists.
B
Yeah.
A
Because of, like, sometimes it was like they were unnecessarily being punished for things.
B
And we are obviously unequipped to be those journalists 100.
A
But we could find a podcast and put it in the link.
B
That's. I think that's the way to go.
A
Okay. That is not how I thought this podcast is going to start.
B
I mean, you started with the frying egg. It was a good, good opportunity.
A
I do have a question, though. Yeah, I have a question.
B
Yeah.
A
When did we as a family and we as a community of people become just so incapable of watching TV without another screen in our hand either. Sometimes you have a computer in your lap. Yeah, I have a cell phone.
B
Yep.
A
I realized we were watching. We've been going through the show hacks because there's an Amazing Race episode we wanted. So we're getting through it. And Penn started. I'm like, oh, I haven't seen this one. He's like, we saw it yesterday. But I'd watched the entire episode with a phone in my hand. But I was doing things. I bought socks. I was getting our son ready for camp. But, like, I can't watch an episode.
B
You know what it is? It's. It's our boy, Michael Easter. It's the comfort creep. Like, you don't even realize it's happening. And then you kind of creep into it, and all of a sudden you just have all of these. These things that are around you that help make you feel comfortable. And maybe now there's something uncomfortable about just staring straight at a screen, which, you know, shouldn't be uncomfortable. There's, like, lights, and they're majestically blinking in front of you. And there's surround sound and there's jokes and there's acting, and it's funny. But, like, that's not enough for us anymore. I'm just as guilty as you are.
A
Do you remember in the 80s and 90s where we had to watch TV? I mean, you just watched it. You just, like, raw dog it.
B
Yeah. And if you wanted to change the channel, you're standing up.
A
You're standing up.
B
You're standing up and walking up there. And every once in a while you got to stand up because the vert gets messed up.
A
So I tried to challenge myself. Last night we watched a documentary with Lola, our girl. Our girl Lola, home from college.
B
We started on this documentary, and she
A
is a documentary watcher. As. As. And if she watches car chases on TikTok, this, she is made differently than the rest of us. So we watched this really freaky documentary
B
to take it back a little bit. Kim and I were like, hey, it's summertime. Are girls here? How about, like, Summer Rental? Wet Hot American Summer. Like, something, like, really fun. Like a cool, fun comedy, Right?
A
Classic summer comedy.
B
Amy Poehler, Bradley Cooper, Paul Rudd, classic.
A
10 out of 10.
B
And she's like, let's watch a documentary. This one looks good. And it looked dark, like, from the
A
beginning, from the drop. It was. It was a lot of murder. It was very shocking. So that was the night. Last night was the night. I was like, I'm going to challenge myself. I'm not going to look at my phone while watching. And I was writhing because I was so uncomfortable, but I did it, and it was so hard.
B
That was a tough one to rip the band aid off for because it was incredibly like. First of all, it's really well made. What was it called? Maternal instincts.
A
Maternal instincts.
B
Maternal Instincts. It's on Netflix. Sam is. Sam's punching in.
C
Is this the one where she steals the baby?
A
Yeah, so.
B
But I didn't know any of that. I didn't read any of the previews. I had no knowledge. And they buried the lead deep. It's really well done. And I had terrible dreams last night, and I still am not 100 recovered.
A
Okay, that's.
B
I'm just.
A
Funny story. That's not funny. Haha. More funny ironic. I knew there's no funny in this. It's funny. Yeah, that's weird. More weird. I was a correspondent at Inside Edition, and I was like, the weird crime girl. Like, they sent me all over the country to, like, cover weird crimes. Like, if Pinky and Hot Dog. If you found a pinky in a Wendy's salad, your girl was there. Like, I'm your girl. They sent me. It was like the sentencing of this crime was committed in the early 2000. Same exact thing. The killer found her victim in a different way. They sent me to cover it and interview the victim's sweet family. I was like, six months pregnant with Lola. I know. I'm. I'm thinking back, I'm like, are you freaking kidding me?
B
That is funny.
A
Isn't that hilarious? I have a challenge for you, pen holderness and any listeners or viewers. Okay. I'm going to challenge you to watch an entire episode of something. Something.
B
Yeah.
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A game, a show, without looking at your phone. And I want you to email us, call us, send us a dm, and let us know how long before you were like, we're itching to.
B
Itching to get it to.
A
It's your phone. Yeah.
C
I watched all of the Carolina Hurricanes without my phone. What? For one reason only. The ESPN alerts were coming about 10 seconds before I was seeing it on the TV. So I had been getting spoiled.
A
I like it when I get. I get a sports oiler, but that's just me.
B
Like, soften the blow if it's something bad.
C
Or you can really. You're like, a goal's about to happen.
A
Let me pay attention.
B
Maybe you know why she likes it is because she'll put her phone down, right? And maybe that's how a lot of people like it. It's like, oh, I can pay attention for this and not miss it.
A
Okay.
B
Like, that could be it.
A
Speaking of sports and Stanley cup, we had the opportunity, as a team, Anne Marie's here too, to go see the Stanley Cup. Our team, the Carolina Hurricanes, won the Stanley cup, and we got to see the big, like, the actual cup.
B
And I, I wanna. I wanna just qualify this. It's. It's not like we had any special. No, we didn't have any special treatment. They weren't like, oh, holderness family, come down and see the cup. No, no, it's. So here's what happens when they win the cup. They just take it everywhere they go. And so there's, you know, there's people. And if they see it, they text their friends. And so one of my friends walked by and he goes, the cups at Vivace, which is this Italian restaurant down the street from us. So I walked into the room with you three and we were all working, we had stuff to do.
A
And I was clickety clap, clickety clap.
B
And I was like, hey, guys, the cup is at Vivace. And I was about to open my mouth to say something else and, like, these three scrambled to get in the car.
C
I'm pretty sure I leaped over Sunny.
B
It was like telling a bunch of toddlers that Santa Claus was at the mall. Go, go, go, go, go, Sam. Yeah. Like, Anne Marie ran around the car twice because she couldn't figure out which seat to get into. Like, it was. It was amazing.
A
So did you ladies have any idea that they basically. And by the way, the team was there eating. It was like a lunch. They were just eating. I'm like, I hate to bother them, but they brought it there. I mean, so they bring it around like a flat Stanley. And do they. Is that why they call it flat Stanley? You know what I'm talking about? Yeah, it's a great observation.
B
Wait, wait, wait. They're saying they call flat Stanley flat Stanley because the Stanley cup is treated like a flat Stanley and it's been around longer than flat.
A
Wow. Did you have any idea that they carried it around like a water bottle?
C
No idea. No.
A
Like, they took it. That's already been dented. Our boys, the Carolina Hurricanes players, very fun boys. Very fun. They brought it to a bar. They brought it golfing yesterday. Like, they literally were like carrying it from hole to hole. It got set up at a pizza place. Like, they are giving the community a lot of time to interact with this thing.
B
So I, I knew. I mean, that's. That's probably more of like, if you follow a lot of sports, you know about it because, like, sports center will show, like, for weeks afterwards, like, what's going on with the cup.
A
Yeah.
B
So there have been some crazy things. It's been drop kicked into a canal.
A
Not by us.
B
No, by, like in the. In the hundred, whatever. Many Years that there's. There's been a cup. It's been lost several times. There was, like, in 2008. I can't remember the player. His. His baby pooped in it because he put him in it for a picture. And then they. And then they washed it out and they drank from it.
C
Ew.
B
There is a person who we saw, and you guys know this, whose job it is to babysit the Cup.
C
It was cool to see the players. I was a little starstruck to see the cup.
A
I mean, I was like, oh, my gosh, I'm going to touch it.
C
It was crazy.
A
Yeah. It was so fun.
B
Also, one of you guys were like, who is that guy? Is he on the team? And I was like, that's the mvp. Because they shaved their.
C
Oh, my God.
A
We didn't recognize that.
B
I was like, beards.
C
That looks like Stahl. But as of 24 hours ago, he had a humongous beard on. Right. And they shaved.
B
The team is obviously okay giving back and being very patient because they were trying to have. They're all hungover, right? Extraordinarily hungover.
A
Okay.
C
Yeah. The beers were more of hair of a dog, I think. What was going on.
B
Yeah, that's what it felt like. But, you know, and there were people waiting in line to take pictures 10ft away from them. No complaints, no problems.
A
Yeah. The line was pretty long.
C
A few people asked me that, like, when I told them I saw them, and it's like, oh, they were trying to eat. And I was like, I think that they're pretty happy.
A
I don't think they brought a branded tablecloth. I think they're fine.
B
It also says something to. To not just the Carolina Hurricanes, but just what I've noticed in general from hockey players who, like, I think that sometimes professional athletes get a bad rap for having, like, enormous egos. And I've. I don't detect that from hockey players from any state, city, or team, which is really nice.
A
Okay. Because sports legitimately does not stop. Like, I was usually in the summer. I'm like, oh, look great. We can just chill. And there won't be sports on the tv. Apparently, there's a World cup being played in our country.
B
There's, like. There's, like, three teams in our area.
C
I know.
A
But, you know, it is. What's being served to me in my algorithm has been so cool because the visiting countries are coming in to America, and they are. It's like American summer camp for them.
B
Yeah.
A
And they are seeing. I think America gets a bad rap on the television and probably globally. And some of it very deserved. But I think Americans are really good, fun, welcoming, lovely people. And I think everybody is so proud of their community. They're so proud to have a team, like a visiting team there. It is like tears in my eyes watching these visiting countries like be welcomed here. And it's been, you know, like the Scottish teams in Boston and apparently there's like a beer shortage now. And I'm like, see, these are my people.
B
They drank all of the beer on the flight over and they had to switch to wine. This is the whole like, I'm gonna give. These are the Scottish fans, right? Yeah, they. Oh my gosh, the pictures have been amazing. They took over this giant yacht in Boston harbor, which was really funny because there's the whole like throwing tea into the harbor with the British and all that stuff. But they were there and I guess they don't get along with the British. So it was fun for them to be in Boston Harbor. They. There were like Instagram photos of so many different people, like waking up at 6:30 in the morning still drunk with their bagpipes, like playing outside of the verbos. I'm here for all of it.
A
I want to play this. It's a TikTok of a woman. She's doing an dramatic interpretation of a Japanese man's tweet. Like he tweeted about his restaurant experience. Hold on, I have to find it.
C
Usa, a Mexican restaurant. We had not yet ordered anything and the food was already arriving. Chips, salsa, unrequested, free. I stopped the waiter. We have not yet earned these. They just come with the table, man. They just come with the table. In my land, hospitality is. Is a debt. Every gift creates an obligation. Weight. Carefully returning the property, Season and interest of feeling. Here, the gift arrives before you've even proven you can pay for it. This is not an appetizer. This is a declaration. We trust you. Eat.
A
I was laughing and then I was like, oh my God, we are so generous.
B
I love that. And I do love like the cross section of cultures, the all of the welcoming. I'm here for a ton of it. I do want to show you my favorite picture from the World cup and I don't want you to read any of the comments and I want you to tell me the first thing you think. First of all, it's the dopest outfit I've ever seen. But the Congolese team showed up in the airport and they took a bunch of pictures when they got there. It's gonna gorgeous, right?
A
Stunning. It reminds me of coming to America.
B
That is the only thing the comments are talking. But I. First of all, it's beautiful. Look at that. Look at that bag. Every. Every girl in America wants that bag.
A
They are incredibly handsome. As I'm allowed to say this, and I. Yeah, this is how you represent your country.
B
It was their first time ever to come, I think, to the World cup or the first time in a long time. And they had an amazing game where I think they tied.
A
So I need to describe this for our listeners. The. The team arrived and wearing a leopard print, sort of looks like sashes and bags and. And sort of decorate and leopard pins. And so it just represented their country. Well.
B
Yes, they did. And then, like, so it was either. I love the bag. Oh, my gosh, you guys look amazing. And then. That's beautiful. What is that velvet was the other. That a lot of people had.
A
Sam and Emery don't know you're coming to Americ references. You do. Okay. You're. You can still keep your job. You. Okay. You know, we need to do is just take a day and just get Sam caught up with some, like, Gen X pop culture.
B
No phones.
A
No phones. Coming to America. Anchorman. Have you seen that? Oh, my gosh.
C
Okay. I will say that my mom did feed me a diet of John Hughes movies.
B
Okay, so you're good there.
C
She personally is not a Will for Pharrell fan.
A
Feral fan.
C
I don't even know how to say it like she does. She doesn't think he's funny. Okay. I don't want. I don't want, like any Susan hate. She just.
A
We love Susan, but we called him Will Pharrell.
B
The anchorman is. Is up on the list. And. And now coming to America is on the list.
C
Okay.
A
Okay.
B
What's next, babe?
A
From time to time, we get a lot of questions from you, and that's why we are on the laugh line. So should we go to the laugh line?
B
Let's do it.
A
More on this after these words.
B
Is the part of the show where everyone will find Laugh Line. Call us up and you tell us what's on your mind.
A
Hi, Kim. Hi, Penn. This is Marissa from New Jersey. I'm the best friend you had that you didn't know since 2014. One quick question. I know you guys have done a ton of live speaking engagements to huge audience. What's your best tip for preparing for them? Thanks so much.
B
We might have different answers to that.
A
Oh, so your best tip? Preparing to give a speech. This is interesting, Marissa, because Penn and I speak together typically, and we have very different ways of repairing, and it's hard because they conflict.
B
I don't think it's hard.
A
I like to have it laid out and choreographed. I want to know where he's gonna stand, where I'm gonna stand. Like, I just think it looks a little more professional that way. So I wanna go through it 97 times. Penn has a near photographic memory, so he goes through it once and he's like, I'm kind of good, so. But I need to know it more. So my best tip is to. We record it. Yeah, we record it. Either a voice note or hear.
C
And.
A
And I just. I listen to it over and over again to get it. So I'm very confident about that.
B
That's good.
A
Yeah.
B
Yeah. I remember things well. I don't think I've ever been unprepared when I've gone into one of these things. But it's also from a lot of practice. And the practice goes back to when I was just getting out of college, when I was a reporter for a TV station, where I learned very early on that I needed to practice in front of a mirror so that I saw what my face looked like when I was talking. And I don't have to do that anymore because I've just done it so much. But. So my. My best piece of advice would be, I love. I love recording or getting off book in some way, but once you're done with that, you should read it to yourself in front of a mirror, because what that does is it makes you more comfortable that you look good, that you look great. And if you do that a couple of times, once you practice in front of those people, you'll have that baseline and you'll have some muscle memory of kind of what your face looked like when you did it.
A
I would do mirror, and then I would do video. You could set your cell phone up
B
and then record and watch it. Yeah, you could do that, too.
A
Yeah.
B
Yeah. So. But, yeah, we prepare a little bit differently, but anytime you ask me to. To go through it, I'll go through it with you.
A
Yeah. But he's like, oh, wait, again. Yeah. Okay. And we got some really good questions on Instagram, and we're going to try to answer a few today. A few of them for Lola that will answer at a separate podcast.
C
That's right.
A
And some of these are going to require their own podcast. But Oliver asked, should a spouse try to help their introverted partner be more social? Okay, baseline. I am more introverted and require to Rest. I just need some silence and I need to be by myself to recharge. Penn recharges when he's around people.
B
Yes. So good. That. That's. That's sort of what I was going to say. But I also want to clarify. This is important for everyone to know when they talk about introverts and being social. You can be the life of the party and be an introvert.
A
Yes.
B
My wife is the life of the party. She. She is a ton of fun when she is at parties. So you can be social as an introvert. There's just less battery. Battery life. Being social as an introvert, because as you just said, their battery runs out and they need to recharge. Right. Conversely, my battery goes up when I'm social and I. And. And I get energy from it. So I think, like, the first. Oliver. The first thing I would do is try to. Like, if you. You may already understand this, but if you don't get in a mind space where if she is out being social, there's going to be an energy drain.
A
Oliver, do this. You know those really old iPhones that die really quickly? Bring that out with you. And as soon as that gives you a 10% alert, know that your spouse, partner is about to wrap it up.
B
Yeah.
A
And that's when it's time to go.
B
Oh, that's really funny idea because, I
A
mean, honestly, I identify as an iPhone with low battery.
B
Yeah.
A
Often. So that is. That is. That is the. What is I would use to describe myself. An iPhone with a really busted battery.
B
And when it gets under 10%, do you go to, like, Power Saver mode?
A
I go to. Oh, I go to Power Saver. And you've seen me do it. I will just ghost. I will just. I will leave you at parties.
B
I've seen it.
A
And I will just grab. You'll get an alert. I've called an Uber and. And we're done. But I would say, as the introverted person, I would say Penn does a really good job of. He has his own sort of social life. He does a lot of sports and stuff. He will always invite me. I. I always get invited places because as an introvert, I want to be invited, but I never want to go. Sometimes you want to go, but sometimes I do want to go, but he always invites me, but I don't. If he said, babe, you're. You gotta go out, I would. I would start.
B
I've learned how to strategically invite you to social things that you're more likely to go to, like, just seeing. Because, like, Your. Your ideal social. Social situation is not a big loud bar with a bunch of people and they're all coming up to talk to you. It would be like with a friend of yours in a window, in a place not too crowded, good wine, freedom to. And. And not too loud so that you can have conversations. So, like, no music blaring in the background.
A
I sound like a peach.
B
No, no. I'm actually getting to be more like you as well. Because the way that my hearing is. I can't be in a loud restaurant anymore. Like, I'll ask to go sit back outside because I know you think that I have hearing loss. That's possible. But I also am. I'm dealing with a loss of executive audio function, which is what my ENT told me. So. So I do. When I invite you to places, I now I'm more likely to invite you to the ones that. That don't involve all those things. Yeah, you are a peach. You're a peach. And you're really fun when you're out.
A
That's the thing. And we. There's somebody who leaves a comment on a lot of our videos and it's always like, but, Kim, you're an introvert. Like, when they see me actually, like, speaking or talking. Introverts can be a lot of fun. We just need to. We just need to meet more. We introverts are iPhones with really crusty batteries.
B
That is the best metaphor I've ever heard.
A
When fully charged. We are a lot of fun.
B
Yeah.
A
Yeah. We'll FaceTime.
B
When you get under 10%. You gotta close all those apps.
A
Close all the apps. Go to low power mode, get in bed.
B
That's right.
A
I just love. I love a quick midday 30 minute. Like, get under the covers, be alone. Because you'll come in, you'll be like, what are you doing? I'm like, I don't even have words. I'm like, not you. Gabriella. What is a small fear you have that maybe the other doesn't know about?
B
Did you think about this beforehand? I haven't seen this. Can you. Can you give me some time? Do you guys have any that Sam. Sam and Amory are with us? Do you guys have a few guys have weird fears?
A
I don't talk about this publicly a lot.
C
I have a fear of aliens.
A
We talk about it so much, but now publicly.
C
But in this group, you're. You can openly speak about it.
A
I feel free to speak. Okay, what is it about?
C
But it's. It's not the. You're scared of the actual being or the concept of it.
A
I think I like, caught like a 2020 where like a whole family got
C
abducted in the 90s, which is like only something that would happen in the 90s.
A
And I think it scarred me for life. I think I was like 8 or 9.
B
When you say 2020, you're referring to
C
the ABC show, I'm sorry, 2020 with Barbara Walters.
A
Whole family got abducted.
C
I didn't know that.
A
Adults lied at the time.
C
Like, adults don't lie.
A
This is obviously true. This happened.
C
Okay.
A
What. What do you got, Sam?
C
Snakes.
A
Yes.
C
Like a deep, deep. Like even just a photo of it. Just really.
B
I'm with you.
A
Yeah. Same.
B
I threw a friend of mine in front of me without realizing when we saw a tiny little snake at their lake house.
C
My heart's actually racing just talking about it. Yeah.
B
Sorry.
A
Yeah, Yeah.
C
I don't know. I just. And I want to get rid of it.
A
You know what is. Yes. Because we live in an area where snakes are. We went on a walk the other day, you and I, and there was a snake on the sidewalk. And he and I both, we were like out trying to outrun each other. And the thing that fascinates me is people can see that snake on a sidewalk and go like, oh, that's a mouse eating garden snake. And that's good for. That's good to have around. I'm like, how do you even know. A, know that and B, like, process that information in a calm way after seeing a snake. I'm with you. I also hate snakes.
B
For me, like, I. I'm afraid of a lot of things, but I think, you know, all of them. I'm gonna run through them just to make sure. Snakes.
A
Yeah.
B
Widths, widths.
A
He's afraid of not. Not heights. He's afraid of widths. I don't like narrow passageways.
C
Yeah.
B
I don't like. I'm afraid of width railings at the mall.
A
Yeah. If the railing is too low, he does not.
B
Like, it's always too low.
A
Yeah.
B
For me, I'm just very top heavy.
A
So his. He has a very high, long torso. So his center, he just feels like he's top heavy and he's going to fall over if it's. If the railing is too low. So he will always walk as close to the stores as possible.
B
I'm like, terrified of being like. I have a lot of dreams about being naked in public.
A
I have a lot of dreams about being barefoot in public.
B
Yeah.
A
Oh.
B
Do you know that I'm terrified, like, anytime my Stomach hurts. That there's something gestating inside of me.
A
Did not know that.
B
Okay.
A
Knew all the other things.
B
I know exactly where that came from.
A
Tell me.
B
Ridley Scott, Alien. Like, ever, Ever since I saw, like, do you guys. Sam. Sam hasn't seen it.
A
Oh, my gosh. Add it to the list.
B
So no, ever since then, anytime if, like when I fart, like a part of me is like, that's not gonna jump out my stomach and I could
A
jump out your butthole.
B
Yeah. Like, I. So that happened not too, like, different from the first time. I watched Jaws and I was like, oh, sharks, whatever. Like, if I get bit by that, that's fine. The thing jumping out of the stomach, no good.
A
So growing up in Florida, being in, you know, I was in the Gulf of Mexico. So like, there weren't as. There's not like great whites or there weren't at childhood, but we saw enough like sand sharks and things like that and fins. Not super afraid of sharks. I'm not going to mess. I'm not going to go to like a pier in California and go surfing there because everybody's fishing and there's great whites around there. Not going to be an idiot. Okay. I am, as a Florida girl, freaked the mess out by alligators. And I don't think you guys understand to be a reporter in the 2000s in Florida and if it were like a slow news day or like, oh, go like daily someone is attacked by somebody or their dog. Their dog. And what happens is like, people are walking their dogs by these lakes and then the dog gets taken and then the owner goes in after them. Because I would too. I would chase an alligator if they had sunny. But I have just covered such devastating stories of these. It's usually kids and usually throwing something and they're. Sometime there's a kid in Disney World and it's been 10. I still get freaked out by that. So there are places now because of climate change, it's warmer in North Carolina. So there are alligators in North Carolina now in lakes. So you are not going to find Kim Holderness in a lake at all.
B
Funny story, when we were first dating, I impressed Kim by borrowing a friend's ski boat. Because I'm a good skier and I can drive a ski boat. I'm capable of taking a group out on the lake and ski. And so we went out there and we went wakeboarding because wakeboarding was the new hotness in. In Florida. And I went wakeboarding and then my buddy went wakeboarding and I was like, Kim, you're gonna go wakeboarding. And. And everyone was like, well, she's never gone. It's gonna take a couple of times for her to get up or whatever. She got up on the first time, first try. And. And then we were like, you know, just do this when you want to stop. And she was, nope. So she went for like 15, 20 minutes.
A
And I was. And I was like, you're going to get me off towards the beach.
B
So she basic. So she basically, like, let go by the dock where we started and then practically leapt onto the pier. And afterwards, I was like, you were amazing. She was like, I could not be in that lake for one more second.
A
Well, I. And you knew that I was trying to impress you that I got in. Because now that, like, now that it's like signed seal delivered, like, you can't get away from me. There's no for never again way I would get in. But I was like, I'm going to try to be cool. I'm going to be cool. And had never wakeboarded before.
B
Yeah.
A
I just. I was like, gotta do it.
B
But when we asked how you got up the first time, you said it was because if I didn't get up, I was going to get eaten. Like, that was. That was your. Your words that you said. I was like, wow.
A
I don't think because alligators, they can run like 30 miles an hour. They can climb trees.
B
Like, they can definitely swim faster than us.
A
Yeah. You are like, you versus they're territorial. So, I mean, if you're in their space, I mean, you're not going to go walking down the street and get eaten by an alligator. Or are you?
B
You know what? It's the most romantic story I've ever heard.
C
You jumped into a lake is a strong motivator.
A
Fear is a strong. But that being said, shark, I don't know why I feel like it's probably not the way I'm going to go plane crash. Like, I'll probably lose consciousness and be okay. Like, aliens, come take me, alligators. Hell no.
B
You were on such a. Aliens, come take me kick. It's really funny.
A
It's not a kick. This is my life. This is not a kick. This is not temporary. I do believe. I do believe that there are other beings in our world. I believe they have come here and looked at us and said, nah, we're good. Like, they. They're leaving us alone because we're such idiots.
B
That should make Anne Marie feel better.
A
I know. I think we're too. We're idiots. Anne Marie Okay. I think you're safe.
B
We're too stupid.
A
We're still too stupid.
B
Bailey, Bailey, Bailey. Advice for young adults who don't want a 9 to 5 job and dream of pursuing a creative career.
A
LOL.
B
So you don't want a 9 to
A
5 job, Bailey, I feel like this is. Welcome to my TED Talk. Are you ready, Bailey?
B
Yep.
A
Okay. I do feel as if the world is moving to a more freelance economy where people can specialize. I think there's gonna be fewer people that are being employed by one company. I do believe that. I do think you have to work your 9 to 5 while you figure out what your other thing is. But what I tell. When we go to speak at Duke or UNC or NC State, I tell the people, and my kids refuse to listen to this. Whatever you want to do, if it's an artistic like, just do it publicly. There are so many free ways to get. What if you're. Say you want to be a quilter, you want to make a living as a quilter, then you need to start posting on substack, Instagram, YouTube, whatever about quilts you like different stitches, different fabrics, where you get. You need to do it publicly, and that will allow you to. It will get you an audience, and then that gets you the gig.
B
I think so.
A
Not to be an influencer, but just to be, like, to have the resume
B
and know the platform. Right. Like, if you're a quilter, that may be a different platform than if you're a violin player or if you're like, whatever it is that you want to do. I would imagine Etsy in places like that would be Right.
A
But if you have a. If you have a platform, then you can sell on Etsy easier.
B
Yes. And you'll get jobs easier. And building that platform means something to anyone who wants to be either a partner with you or hire you because it shows that you've built and develop something on your own.
A
What jobs or careers would it be bad to have a platform?
B
Well, she said creative career. You mean jobs anywhere.
A
I was gonna say, like the CIA.
B
Yeah. If you were a thief, would that be a bad.
C
Is that creative career?
B
Look where I'm going tonight.
A
Hashtag get ready with me as I go rob the Louvre.
C
Hashtag B and E. I would consider my job a creative career, and I would also consider it a nine to five.
B
Yeah. Well, here's. Yeah. So here's what I was gonna say. We're in creative careers, and we don't have a 9 to 5 job. We have a 24, 7, job with breaks at some point or another, because we've got to come up with the goods. We gotta deliver the goods.
A
Deliver the goods.
B
Often, creativity does not follow a 9 to 5 pattern. Amari's nodding her head. I think we're. We're in the same boat here. But it also means if something comes up, you know, at 9 o' clock on a Sunday night, you need to act on that, like, and you need to always be looking for those creative ideas. So if you're. I guess what I'm saying is if you want to pursue a creative career, you have to be open to ideas and open to working with them pretty much all the time.
A
Yeah, I would agree with that. I mean, think about other careers, like nursing, when they're off their shift, they're off the clock. Right.
C
So creative is very fun, but you
A
are on the clock almost all the time. It's.
C
Sometimes it's hard to shut it off.
A
Yeah.
C
I also, like, want to clarify what nine to five means to them. You know what I mean? Because. Yes. So we don't work regular gig. We don't sit in a cubicle. But, like, it's a steady paycheck. We have health insurance. And so, like, I want to highlight that, like, creative jobs exist and that you can, like, have a paycheck from and not.
A
You're Right.
C
But if it's like, oh, I don't want to be stuck in a cubicle, or, you know.
A
Yeah, that's different.
C
And like you said, if you want to be a quilter and you want to own your own business, just know it's going to be way more than 40 hours a week.
A
Yes. And it's a. And what I really. I admire anyone who tries to start a business. And I don't even know if this is what Bailey was asking for, but it is a slog to start a business.
B
Yes. There's going to be a ton of failure. There will be. There'll be so many failures that the successes will feel so incredible, though. Like. Right. Like when something hits or something works. In this world, in this world of creativity, there's no feeling like it. Right. You've just got to be open to a boundaryless life of, Of. Of letting those ideas come to you and doing the most with them that you can.
A
I feel like maybe there's an entire podcast. I've. I think because my daughter's in college and my son is in high school about to choose a college. They are. I mean, even if you go to a college that has a lot of opportunities you are really pigeonholed. They're like, oh, you don't pick a major until your end of your sophomore year. But those prerequisites, what you're taking your freshman year really does matter. I mean, so every time I see a really successful, put together young person, I am, I have no shame. I walk up like, did you go to school? Where'd you go to school? What'd you major in? How'd you get this job? Just asking what the path is.
B
And yeah, you're doing your own, like independent study about this, right?
A
And I think there's obviously a lot of different paths, but the way our kids will earn money is going to look totally different than the way we earn money now, you know?
B
Anyway, guys, it's time for a new segment.
A
More on this after these words.
B
This podcast is sponsored by Little Giraffe.
A
Little Giraffe delivers the perfect baby shower gifts that are built to last a lifetime.
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And we are talking heirloom quality that gets perfect passed down, not thrown out.
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A
Besides lush and buttery soft blankets, they also offer plush toys, comfy towels, and the cutest nursery mobiles.
B
Oh, don't forget the Dream Sacks, the coziest newborn sleeper gown I've ever seen. Actually, do they offer those in adult sizes?
A
Skip yeah, honestly, I would buy one. My personal favorite is the gift set so you can gift that mom to be the cutest bundle for her bundle of joy.
B
Little Giraffe that place to find the perfect baby shower gift they didn't even know they needed.
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One to ease you into rest. One to anchor you in presence. One to clear your mind and refresh your energy.
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Breathe in Reset. Discover the Sense of Calm Collection atpura.com. calm. I'm here on the job site with Dale, who's a framing contractor.
B
Hey, good morning. Dale traded up to Geico Commercial Auto
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Insurance for all his business vehicles. We're here where he needs us most.
B
Yep, they sure are.
A
We make it easy for him to
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save on all his insurance needs, all
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in one place with coverage that fits his business and bottom line. Oh, I shouldn't have looked down.
B
It's all right. We're so far up here. Look at me. Take a deep breath.
A
I'm good.
B
So good. Get a commercial auto insurance quote today@geico.com and see how much you could save. It feels good. To Geico. Guys, it's time for a new segment.
A
And Sam loves a new segment, which
B
means it's time for a new open that I haven't written, but I'll here. And then after that open, there's going to be a fake like Detective Fedora and trench coat on me. Because this is called Gen X Cold
C
case, we fix it in free and put you in the fedora in real life so I don't have to animate it.
B
Let's do that. Hang on.
C
Just asking.
A
Just.
B
No, I like that. That's a good idea.
A
Pen is back. Pen is sitting down.
B
1, 2, 3.
A
You look like you're going on vacation.
B
Tracy, I'm the resort police. This is the closest I have to. Is this not a fedora?
A
It isn't a woman. It's a cartoon villain from a tropical climate. You are. You are a tropical villain.
B
All the rum and coke bars in the world, she had to walk into this one.
A
Okay, so do your cold case.
B
All right, so here's Detective Holderness here. Do I keep this on or do I just take it off?
C
It's so funny.
B
Whatever happened to. And I know the answer here.
A
I do not know what you think
B
or if you know the answer. Don't. Don't spoil it. Whatever happened to the treats inside a box of Cracker Jacks?
A
Do they not give treats anymore?
B
That's the cold case. What do you. What's your guess?
A
Well, I'm guessing no because you're bringing it up.
B
Okay, that's good. That's good sleuthing.
A
I know good detective work.
B
But do you want to. Now do you want to try to take a guess? That's how this works. Try to solve the cold case.
A
First of all, hot take. I wasn't a huge Cracker Jack, Sam.
B
Fair enough.
A
What are Cracker Jacks?
B
Sam just asked what Cracker Jacks are.
A
They are a Popcorn treat that came in a box. I think it's like caramel popcorn with peanuts. I liked the peanuts, but I felt like it just wasn't caramelly not enough. They're kind of like a candy coated caramel treat that came in a box.
B
And the peanuts. Some people liked a lot of peanuts, some people didn't like a lot of peanuts. So they would change the. They changed the recipe with how the world was blowing as wind.
A
And famously there was a prize in that.
B
Some people didn't even care about the Cracker Jacks because you could open it up and it was like a ring or if you're really lucky, a stick on or tattoo. A tattoo. Like that was to me, if I got a tattoo in my. Then I was tatted up.
A
Yeah.
B
For at least like a day.
A
A day.
B
Thanks to Cracker Jack.
A
Yeah. I think that. Well, let's extend this to cereal. Are there prizes in cereals anymore? I don't think so. I think that my theories are this. They're we either full of lead and
B
we were putting lead tattoos directly on her skin.
A
Directly on her skin or it just the way of the world Shrinkflation. They just stopped caring about their customers and putting toys in.
B
That's a great guess. Okay, tell us in 2012.
A
Okay.
B
Cracker Jack started experimenting instead of putting toys in it with putting a piece of paper in it that had a QR code that got you to go to their app EW to play a free game.
A
EW. How'd that work?
B
As at 2016 they discontinued all toys and now only have a QR code in there that takes you to their app.
A
By the way, I think building an app is more expensive than doing some lead paint toys.
B
I think you again in 2016 maybe now you just say Chad GPT make me an app for Cracker Jacks. And it happens in the three seconds. But. But yes, that's what they.
A
And so they still to this day have a Cracker Jack.
B
There are no more toys in Cracker Jack. There's a piece of paper with a QR code that sends you to an app.
A
I will say it is wild that that the prizes they would put in things knowing now everything's a choking hazard and everything like they're so like you accidentally eat it.
B
Well, the Cracker Jack thing was always in a inside of wrapping like a piece.
A
I know. No, they all were. But now how litigious everybody is. It is weird to think about I were given like BB guns with like like bullets as free prizes.
B
My guess Would have either been keeping cost down or. And then number two would have been somebody choked on a something or ate a tattoo or something. Yeah. I don't know. But yeah. So it's just. It's gone. Sadly, it's gone the way of. Of the world now that it's become an app, which is, to me, very sad, because that feeling that you had when you were eating a Cracker Jack and it was, like, slid off to the side of it, and you could pull it out, and there it is.
A
I just feel like, the excitement also of, like, a McDonald's toy. I mean, that was just a little bit of Christmas morning. A little bit of magic.
B
You mean inside the Happy Meal?
A
Inside the Happy Meal, by the way, I was a hungry girl. We would get. We would get a Happy Meal, and I would eat it before, like, my. The rest of my family had the order in their lap. I outgrew the Happy Meal. Yeah. Very early. I. I mean, I'm talking kindergarten because I was like, mama, can I get two? Like, that was. That's for tiny girls. Like, I could not.
B
Well, you're not alone there in Happy Meals, I will say that sometimes when it's dinner time and you and I are together, I will come downstairs and you'll say, I've already eaten mine.
A
I get hungry. I get hungry.
B
While cooking.
A
I will also say, speaking of being hungry, my favorite thing was to. You could. Like, if you read a book, you feel like you'd get, like, a Pizza Hut personal pan pizza. Like, if you. If you did your library log. Right. Those personal pan pizzas, first of all, delicious. Love a Pizza Hut pizza. They are so small. And everybody in my class would be like, mm, I'm full. Your girl needed two. Those are just, like, not big enough for a normal human.
B
You were also a competitive dancer, and you were burning hella calories every day.
A
I mean, before I got mono, I was a little chubby.
B
You did not just use mono as a.
A
Well, I was. I was a little. I have to say, like, I. I was just a normal person. And then I. And I probably was on the bigger side. And then I got mono in high school.
B
Did you get it the way that most people traditionally. No.
A
I didn't have a boyfriend.
C
No.
A
And there was no kissing, which I know, shucks. Like, that would have been a cool thing to have in high school and to share with someone and to share with somebody. No, but I had it really bad. And I lost, like, £30 and.
B
Congratulations.
A
No, I know, but it was actually. I had to gain weight.
C
Yeah, okay.
A
Yeah, okay.
C
Okay. The Pizza Hut book it program still exists and all the Cracker Jacks. It is now an app, but if you complete it through the app, you can go in and get your free personal pan pizza pizza.
A
Do they do it for 50 year olds? Because I've done a lot of reading this year. I've read a lot of books this year.
C
I guess you could lie about your age.
A
No, I won't do that.
B
And do you have to go to the store for it or does it deliver? Because Pizza Hut. Have you been to a Pizza Hut recently?
A
No. They're gonna redo. They're gonna redo one like an old school one somewhere.
B
Will they. Will it have the tabletop? Ms. Pac man? Will it have the. Will the soda come out in a pitcher?
A
A red pitcher? I think think there was. There was news that they're going to be doing kind of a retro air quote.
B
Oh, my God.
A
Pizza Hut location. Should we travel there?
C
Yes, you actually can go now.
A
I mean, we'll. We'll fact check this, but near Charlotte, there's a couple of retro Pizza Huts.
B
Okay, we're going.
A
I feel like. Should we laughlines community do a podcast
B
from a retro Pizza Hut? 100%. I mean, that's our. That's our demo.
A
That's our demo. Oh, my God. You know, I don't even need like a stuffed cheese crunch crust. I mean, you're like getting a little fancy there. Emery just put it up here. She found a Pizza Hut. Like one of those lamps. Yeah, that. I'm the checkered.
B
Yeah. Should we redesign our set with just like Pizza Hut lamps and like super retro stuff?
A
We should.
C
Oh, that's fun.
B
We've got that. We've got the jukebox already or the jam box.
C
Let's just make this look like a. A Gen X basement.
A
That is such a good idea.
C
Yes. We'd finally have a place for that old computer to go.
A
Oh, my God, it's.
B
We've got it.
A
Such a good idea. Okay, okay. If you're listening and you know of things we should. What should we have? Trapper Keeper.
B
We have stained glass Pizza Hut lamp.
A
We just obviously need a stained glass Pizza Hut lamp. We're going to talk about a mini
C
game within where we add it or replace an item every episode and you first one to notice gets a personal pan pizza.
A
But I'll send you four because those are too small. But normally the girls are like, I'm 12. Do you want my last piece? I was like, I'll take it. Kim is hungry.
B
Is that what your stomach sounds like?
A
Kim is hungry.
B
I feel like we should rap now because I'm getting a. I'm getting a note that Kim is getting a little snacky. Guys, thanks so much for joining. Laugh Lines is written and produced by Kim Holderness, Penn Holderness and Ann Marie Tapke with original music by Ol Vacation Johnson. Here Pen Holderness is filmed, edited and live produced by Sam Allen and hosted by acast. As always, we love to hear from you. Please send us an email@podcastheholdernessfamily.com or leave
A
us a voicemail at the 323-364-3929 and
B
we will talk to you soon on Laugh Lines.
A
Bye bye.
B
This podcast is sponsored by Little Giraffe.
A
Little Giraffe delivers the perfect baby shower gifts that are built to last a lifetime.
B
And we are talking heirloom quality that gets passed down, not thrown out.
A
Little Giraffe is best known for making luxury baby blankets for 20 plus years.
B
They've been seen on celebs children over the years. Angelina Jolie Sorry. And they are the perfect little luxury to gift for baby showers.
A
Besides lush and buttery soft blankets, they also offer plush toys, comfy towels and the cutest nursery mobiles.
B
Oh don't forget the Dream Sacks, the coziest newborn sleeper gown I've ever seen. Actually, do they offer those in adult sizes?
A
Skip yeah, honestly I would buy one. My personal favorite is the gift set so you can gift that mom to be the cutest bundle for for her bundle of joy.
B
Little Giraffe that place to find the perfect baby shower gift they didn't even know they needed.
A
Head to little giraffe.com and use code LL30 for 30% off your first order.
Episode: Career Advice & Gen X Cold Case
Date: June 30, 2026
This lively episode of Laugh Lines centers on the Holdernesses’ signature blend of nostalgia, humor, and candid life advice. Kim and Penn reflect on the quirks of Gen X childhood, digital multitasking, modern sports fandom, creative career paths, and cultural shifts (like what happened to cereal box toys and Cracker Jack surprises). The episode features listener call-ins for career and relationship advice, with insightful—and funny—takes on generational habits, fears, and evolving work-life norms. For long-time fans and new listeners, it’s a relatable, affectionate look at aging better together, never taking oneself too seriously, and always finding something to laugh about.
[02:03 – 04:13]
[04:19 – 07:03]
[09:22 – 13:11]
[13:30 – 18:02]
[17:50 – 18:38]
[19:03 – 39:02]
[41:31 – 47:06]
The episode is playful, heartfelt, and deeply relatable, marked by quick banter, nostalgic asides, and bursts of laughter. The hosts’ chemistry shines in their honest sharing of flaws and generational quirks. Their advice remains earnest, though always laced with wit and self-deprecation, making for an engaging listen (or recap) for anyone navigating midlife and change.
This summary captures the episode’s flow, key lessons, and memorable laughs—offering nostalgia, life hacks, and creative encouragement in one irrepressibly fun package.