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- [00:00]
Danielle Fishel
From Disney.
- [00:01]
Will Friedle
On March 21, a musical movie event.
- [00:04]
Ryder Strong
Of the year arrives in theaters.
- [00:05]
Danielle Fishel
My name is Snow White.
- [00:07]
Will Friedle
Flawless, exquisite. Get tickets now.
- [00:10]
Ryder Strong
Snow White will have you on your feet.
- [00:12]
Danielle Fishel
I think that's a wonderful idea.
- [00:14]
Will Friedle
And cheering for more.
- [00:15]
Danielle Fishel
I was thinking the same thing.
- [00:17]
Will Friedle
Experience the magical story.
- [00:18]
Ryder Strong
Magic mirror on the wall.
- [00:20]
Danielle Fishel
Who's the fairest one of all?
- [00:23]
Will Friedle
Snow White.
- [00:25]
Ryder Strong
Disney.
- [00:25]
Will Friedle
Snow White only in theaters March 21.
- [00:27]
Danielle Fishel
Rated PG.
- [00:28]
Will Friedle
Parental guidance suggested tickets on sale now.
- [00:30]
Danielle Fishel
It's Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and Will.
- [00:33]
Will Friedle
Friedle from Pod Meets World.
- [00:35]
Danielle Fishel
Are you a small business owner launching a company or dreaming of starting one?
- [00:39]
Will Friedle
Then check out season three of Mind the Business. Small Business Success stories from Ruby Studios and Intuit QuickBooks.
- [00:45]
Ryder Strong
Join hosts Austin Hankwitz and Janice Torres as they talk to small business owners about how they've grown and maintained their businesses.
- [00:52]
Danielle Fishel
You don't want to miss these inspiring stories of small business journeys.
- [00:56]
Ryder Strong
Listen to Mind the small business success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [01:03]
Danielle Fishel
This is what you do when you have high standards and fancy all the fancy things like a Dior saddlebag or that diamond tennis bracelet, you go to ebay.
- [01:12]
Ryder Strong
There you'll find new loves that will never disappoint.
- [01:15]
Danielle Fishel
Expertly authenticated. Whether it's that vintage pearl necklace or brand new ruby earrings, a Prada crossbody bag or classic watches like that Rolex Oyster or that Cartier tank on ebay.
- [01:26]
Ryder Strong
There are no limits to your high standards.
- [01:29]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, ebay.
- [01:30]
Ryder Strong
The place for new pre loved vintage and rare fashion.
- [01:34]
Danielle Fishel
Ebay things people love. Please welcome aboard the Johnson Family.
- [01:40]
Will Friedle
The whole fam's here for the Disney Cruise.
- [01:43]
Danielle Fishel
So you know we came to play.
- [01:45]
Will Friedle
And listen, the adults are gonna have a ball.
- [01:48]
Danielle Fishel
First we're chilling in the infinity pool, onto massages at Sense's Spa, then gliding into Star Wars Hyperspace Lounge for a to. We're even going to kick back with.
- [01:59]
Ryder Strong
Mickey on Disney's private island.
- [02:02]
Will Friedle
That's how we get down.
- [02:03]
Ryder Strong
Because Disney Cruise Line is where we came to play.
- [02:07]
Will Friedle
This is an ad for the Active Cash credit card from Wells Fargo. Ooh, that's a mouthful.
- [02:12]
Danielle Fishel
But that's because it packs a lot in. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases with it, big or small.
- [02:19]
Ryder Strong
So whether it's buying tickets to the game with your mom or grabbing a coffee with your dog, earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases made with it.
- [02:27]
Danielle Fishel
Let's say it together. The Active Cash Credit card from Wells Fargo.
- [02:33]
Will Friedle
Learn more@wells fargo.com ActiveCash terms apply.
- [02:57]
Danielle Fishel
Welcome.
- [02:58]
Ryder Strong
To Pod Meets World, where we usually rewatch Boy Meets World episodes and talk about what it was like making the show. But today we're trying something new. We spend a lot of time on here revisiting the past, the 90s, our television show, and our memories of making it. And so a lot of this podcast is about us as hosts and you as listeners, figuring out who. Who we were back then. But what about who we are now? What stories are we engaging with and how are they helping us meet the world? So today we launch Pod Meets World Book Club edition. We're gonna pick a book, read it, come together and talk about it. No scripts, no lessons from Feeny, just real.
- [03:40]
Danielle Fishel
I wrote one. I wrote one.
- [03:41]
Ryder Strong
Oh, okay. Well, then, please.
- [03:43]
Will Friedle
And I didn't read the book. I watched the movie.
- [03:47]
Ryder Strong
No scripts. Some scripts, I guess, maybe. No lessons from Feeny. Just a real conversation about storytelling, literature, and whatever weird tangents we end up on. Welcome to Pod Meets World. I'm Ryder Strong.
- [04:00]
Danielle Fishel
I'm Danielle Fishel.
- [04:02]
Will Friedle
And I'm Will Friedle.
- [04:03]
Danielle Fishel
Wow.
- [04:03]
Will Friedle
Different order. Loving it.
- [04:05]
Ryder Strong
I was wondering who was gonna follow me.
- [04:06]
Will Friedle
Love it.
- [04:07]
Ryder Strong
All right, so how is this going to work? Well, we are not completely sure, but here's what I'm thinking. Since I picked the book today, I will introduce it, give a brief synopsis of its plot, and then explain. Explain why I picked it. And then let's run this book club like we are going back to the classroom. We'll start with roll call, which is our initial overall thoughts of the book. Then we'll move into put it on the board, which is where we can talk about the themes or the big ideas that we found while we were reading it. Then show your work, which is where we'll talk about the writing itself on a sentence by sentence level. Characters, those kinds of things. Then we'll have a pop quiz. We'll get to play a game or ask a fun. And then finally, report card. We'll give our big takeaways, and we will give a rating that is based on awarding the book either Feenies or Turner's, which I'll explain.
- [05:04]
Danielle Fishel
Okay.
- [05:04]
Ryder Strong
Wow. For our first book club pick, we are diving into a love story by Maggie Sue. And before I get into it, I think I should clarify a few things about book selection because, you know, this is a little different, I realize, than other book clubs that are out there like Oprah's or I think Reese Witherspoon has one where they.
- [05:26]
Will Friedle
Well, people listen to those. And so that's a big difference.
- [05:29]
Danielle Fishel
People trust what they say trust what.
- [05:31]
Will Friedle
They say about their books.
- [05:33]
Ryder Strong
Well, the difference is, I think they select a book that they've already read or that they are sort of giving editorial approval to before they have the discussion. So it's usually like, if that book has been selected, it's because they already knew it was going to be good. Whereas, you know, and we can probably move into that if we want to, down the line where each of us could pick a favorite book or something that's, you know, impacted us in some way. But in this case, I really felt like exploring something, you know, trying something that maybe will push us out of our comfort zone. Because I guess, fundamentally, I am a literary omnivore. I tend to read about six books at a time, and I'll read anything that somebody recommends to me, but especially if it sounds different than something that I've read before, you know, I like to just try things out, which doesn't mean that I don't have strong opinions. If anybody's listening to this podcast knows I'm definitely interested in, you know, deciding whether I like or don't like something and sharing those opinions and debating them, changing them. And I think that my goal is that by having those conversations, we make literature better, we make culture better. Right. And that we're not landing on whether the book is ultimately good or bad or that we have the right or the wrong opinion. I just like keeping the conversation going, but I'm gonna probably come down pretty passionately. Okay.
- [06:56]
Danielle Fishel
I don't know what you're talking about.
- [06:58]
Ryder Strong
Well, here's the thing, because I, you know, I think when we're assessing Boy Meets World, it's one thing, right. We're talking about a show that we were part of the creation. I think people give us permission to have our opinions.
- [07:07]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
- [07:07]
Ryder Strong
But we're talking about someone else's work. It might feel a little different. So I just wanted to, you know, clarify. We're just exploring. Okay. So I picked this book Blob because I think it. It just was an excellent hook for a novel. It's something that the second I heard what it was about, I wanted to read it, and I wanted to see where it went. I think a lot of books are written and published and bought because, you know, they fall in line with existing genres, things that you've already read, and you want to read more like that. Right. So that's where you get romance and fantasy and mystery. And so that's the way a lot of books that are out there fall into those categories. And I like A lot of them. But then I like to read books that just mash up genres or try to break from precedent. Blob A love Story is just that, a contemporary romance, maybe coming of age, with a level of realism when it comes to the setting and the characters. And yet we get a magical, mysterious, maybe alien blob plop down in the middle, and that becomes the main engine of its plot. Blah Blah is written by Maggie Sue. She's a writer whose work has appeared in New England Review, Four Way Review, Tri Quarterly Review, and many more. She received her PhD in fiction from the University of Cincinnati and has an MFA from Indiana University. This is her debut novel. It was published in January of this year, 2025, and it quickly got a lot of attention for its unique premise. The Synopsis V. Liu has always felt like an outsider in her Midwestern college town, caught between her Taiwanese father's heritage and her white mother's world. After dropping out of college and still recovering from a recent breakup, she's stuck between her job working at the front desk of a hotel where she greets guests and dodges the relentless cheer of her co worker, Rachel. The story begins when V, in a rare moment of extroversion, decides to join Rachel for a night out. They attend a drag show where, stepping into an alley behind the bar, V stumbles upon a peculiar squishy creature with tiny black eyes. On a whim, equal parts drunk and lonely, she takes the Blob home. But this mysterious blob isn't just a stray pet. It begins to grow, take shape, and even follow V's commands. Seeing an opportunity, she decides to mold it into the perfect companion. Fueled by sugary cereals and a steady diet of pop culture, the Blob transforms into a strikingly attractive white man seemingly designed to love her without question. All right, let's get into roll call. Our initial overall thoughts, guys. Who wants to start? What was your initial reaction to this book?
- [09:47]
Danielle Fishel
You want to go first, Will, or you want me to go first?
- [09:49]
Will Friedle
You go first.
- [09:50]
Danielle Fishel
Okay. So like you, I love a book that has a real realistic setting, but something about it is just fantastical or totally mysterious. I also love a book where, because that you would imagine it's the type of feeling where you put it down because you have to go to sleep or because you have to go do something else. And then you just. You keep thinking about, like, what is going to happen next. It kind of has you on the edge of your seat, like, I can't.
- [10:19]
Ryder Strong
Almost anything could happen.
- [10:21]
Danielle Fishel
Anything could happen. And I Can't really envision where it's going. And I was thinking I was going to feel that way about this book. What I will say, although I. Overall thoughts, I thought there were very interesting elements. There were very funny elements, although in a very dry, kind of understated way. It's not beating you over the head with its humor, but the humor is there. And I loved some of the characters. There's like, several things I really liked about it. I will say about halfway through the book, I put it down because I had to go pick up the kids from school and I didn't get to it later that night. And like, a couple days passed and I thought, I'm not sure if I didn't have to finish this for book club, I would even care whether or not I finished the book. I'm okay not necessarily knowing what ends up happening with the Blob envy. So in that sense, it didn't necessarily hook me the way I wanted it to. I also am a very, like, I envision things when, you know, when. When a writer writes something and they give it in detail. And like, definitely the Blob as a man is something Maggie sue wants you to envision. She gives you reference points, you know, famous Hollywood men. And she's describing this, like, hot dude. And like, all right, I'll picture a hot dude. I had a hard time picturing anything other than the water shape man from the movie Elemental.
- [11:53]
Ryder Strong
Oh, interesting. Because I haven't seen it, but I.
- [11:56]
Danielle Fishel
Could so easily picture the gelatinous blob. I could in no way get my. My imagination to go to a place where that gelatinous blob actually became human skin, gorgeous man and human shape. I thought of him still as kind of a gelatinous man.
- [12:14]
Ryder Strong
Right.
- [12:15]
Danielle Fishel
And so that always kept. I kept bumping up against that, like, wait, he. He's. He's passable at all as a. As a. As a man. So that's. Those are my. I would say those are kind of my overall thoughts.
- [12:29]
Ryder Strong
Yeah. Good. I also was wondering, like, if I was going to make a movie of this, what would it actually look like? And it was hard. It was hard to pin down, which maybe is a strength, you know, I'm not a weakness. But I'm not sure, Will, how. How did it compare with your expectations?
- [12:44]
Will Friedle
I had none. I truly had no expectations going in, you know, the kind of books I love to read. So I. If you're going to have some sort of a magical element, I'm one of those people where I need an explanation of some sort of magical element. The idea of, like, it can be anything. Just use your imagination. I don't want to use my imagination. I want you to use yours and tell me more about what's going on. Interesting. My favorite fantasy novels are novels where the worlds are so built out that the intricacy is. I mean, again, the first series of books that I ever found are called the Belgariad series. And after he wrote these 14 books, he wrote something called the Riven Codex, which was a breakdown of the entire world down to the weights and measures of every country that's involved in this world.
- [13:29]
Danielle Fishel
Wow.
- [13:30]
Will Friedle
So that's the kind of intricacy I like when you're doing anything fantastical. It was an easy read. Very quick. Again, I felt exactly like Danielle, where if I didn't, I'm a completist. So the second I read one word, I have to finish it. But I wasn't excited to finish it. It wasn't like, I can't wait to see what happens next. I had a little trouble connecting with the lead character just because it's, you know, it's an Asian woman who's dealing with depression and alcoholism. So seeing anything from her point of view is obviously something that's a very difficult thing for me to do. But I thought at times she described it well. But I also agree with Danielle, where a lot of the descriptions. And again, I'm very used to 1400 page books where there will be five pages on the rug you're standing on. So it gets to be a lot. But you know exactly what the rug looks like when you. When you turn the page. If you had had a chapter about. Or not even a chapter, even lines of. Every time the blob does do a shift, what does it sound like? What is. What is, you know, what does the skin feel like? What does it look like? What does the transformation taking place feel like? It. I thought she could have gone into more depth with that. I loved the pop culture references. I loved how she used the pop culture references. There's a lot of pop culture references. I'm guessing most readers, including the two of you, probably did not pick up.
- [14:54]
Danielle Fishel
Probably.
- [14:55]
Will Friedle
There are direct lines in here from Seinfeld. Direct lines in here from Friends. She named Carrie. Her best friend's name is Rachel. That's. I'm telling you, with all her pop culture stuff. That is a takeoff of Rachel from Friends. And her building manager is Jerry, and I'm guessing that's Jerry Seinfeld. I mean, she. She loves the Pop culture stuff. So much so I like that stuff. I also love an occasional good cringy moment. And there were a couple in here that were so cringy that you want to like, drop the book. Which again, I dig that. I kind of like that. So, yeah, with no expectations going in, I finished and I was like, okay, I read it.
- [15:30]
Danielle Fishel
You're right, Will. There are definitely references I did not pick up on. But so much of the. The book could very easily fall into a category that would be like pop culture commentary.
- [15:40]
Will Friedle
Yeah.
- [15:41]
Danielle Fishel
So much of it is commenting on who we are because of the media or because of the things we consume.
- [15:48]
Ryder Strong
Yep. Yeah.
- [15:49]
Danielle Fishel
Like what is our output because of what we input.
- [15:52]
Ryder Strong
Right.
- [15:53]
Will Friedle
A lot of it is also. I think a lot of it has to do with Maggie sue, the author, trying to. She. She makes so many references to America and Americana. It's almost like she grew up in her life as a Taiwanese American in the Midwest, having to prove she was an American. So in this book, it's like I wrote down the names that she used for the characters. Rachel, Walter, Luke, Alex, Mary, Bob, Stephanie, Doug, Matt, Paul, Tony. These are all like the easiest American names. She's constantly talking about eating I got my McChicken sandwich at McDonald's. She's like, I'm an American. I'm an American. It almost seemed like they always had to change restaurants. Exactly. It's always had to constantly prove to herself because she was a Taiwanese American, that she was as American as everybody else. And I don't know if that was deliberate or that's bled into her writing because she's like, I want everyone to know I'm an American.
- [16:50]
Ryder Strong
No, I think that's. That's very much what this book is about. Let's move on to our next section. Let's move on to put it on the board because I think. I think, yeah, like, let's get into the. The big themes or the ideas that we can really pull out from, from this book. And I. Let's start with exactly what you're saying. It seems like a lot of this book is about identity, right? Like how we become who we are. And in V's case, that has to do with race, gender, and job. So do you guys. Could you isolate. Could you say one theme that you think that this book is definitely about?
- [17:24]
Danielle Fishel
It would be hard, but I think if I were to pick one thing, I would think I would say it is about these. Realization that she is capable of self determination. Well, yes. Deciding who she is without needing external validation or External, like a sounding board. She's like, who do you think I am? And then that's. Maybe that will help me define myself. She can define herself without input from an external source. If I had to, if I had to say one sentence, it would be.
- [18:05]
Ryder Strong
That I felt the same way. It's like almost like she finds a blob. And then we get these chapters describing her, like basically memoir chapters going back into her history. And time and time again it seems like, oh, she's the blob. Right. She has let herself be amorphous and let herself be determined by her classmates, her crushes, whatever. And so by the process of making, taking this blob and making it into her perfect boyfriend, she's actually discovering that she has been allowed herself to be molded by her job, by her family.
- [18:38]
Danielle Fishel
By her friends, and also that her perfect boyfriend she thinks is a white man. The same people she's been getting a lot of feedback from her entire life.
- [18:51]
Ryder Strong
Right, right. So where do you think that that lands then, when she doesn't end up with Bob?
- [18:57]
Will Friedle
But that's the thing is I think that that's the. Also a theme of the. It's an idealism. It's the idea that perfection is unattainable, even if you're the one creating it.
- [19:06]
Danielle Fishel
Yes.
- [19:06]
Will Friedle
So it's like, oh, I've got the perfect idea. If I just get this is, this is unfortunately what the American dream is becoming. And when you, you mix that with the mass amounts of anxiety and depression that are going on in our culture right now, the idea of, if I just get this, I'll then be happy.
- [19:23]
Danielle Fishel
Right.
- [19:23]
Will Friedle
And then when you attain that and you're still not happy, you're like, well, then what the hell do I do? So I think in her mind she's building the perfect man. And then when he eventually up and leaves her for her perfect white toothed best friend, it's like, oh, I can't even build my ideal person.
- [19:42]
Danielle Fishel
Right.
- [19:43]
Ryder Strong
Because she doesn't figure it out.
- [19:45]
Will Friedle
She's not her ideal person. Yeah, exactly. I just wish she didn't. I wish the author didn't spell that out. And there is a specific line in there where she's like. And that's when I realized I had become the blob. And it's like, okay, you didn't need to write, like, let us figure that out. You don't need to put that in there. It's like, I got where you were going with that. I didn't need it thrown. Thrown at me.
- [20:04]
Ryder Strong
Well, but I think, I think the bigger thought that I like jotted down, I think we tend to think as a culture and as individuals, we tend to think of our identity as something that is self contained, that is ours. Right. Like I am this type of person, I come from this type of family. And if I'm going to change my identity, I have to change me. I have to work on myself. Right. But it seems to me actually so much of the notion of identity gets broken down, so it's more about how other people perceive you so that when you change your identity, it changes everyone around you. So when she's pretending to be Elliot's girlfriend for a night, right. That destabilizes her and everybody around. It's like whatever choices you make about yourself, they don't just determine who you are, they also determine who everybody else is. Right. Everybody else has to potentially change their pronouns based on your gender. Everybody else is affected. And so it's like this sort of interconnectedness of identity ultimately is more where the book lands, which I thought was pretty cool and kind of revolutionary. Like there's a lot of these sort of coming of age stories that I would put this in. You know, they tend to land where somebody's like, and then I changed who I am and I became the my true self. This book kind of ends with her just saying, I'm going to keep trying, I'm going to. Photography might be my thing, but she's going to look at the people around her and engage with them in a new way.
- [21:31]
Will Friedle
Well, the thing that's also interesting, and they have a couple of the characters literally do this is everybody at one point or another is playing a role, right? So it's like her parents are playing the role of looking like the perfect American family. Her friend is playing the role of being the good friend, but is also actually an actor. Elliot is playing the role of being straight. The blob is trying to play a role of then what is his role. And yes, a human being. And he literally becomes an actor at the end because he's absorbed so much. He's me in a way in that he just sat there absorbing so much TV that now he's got to go be tv. So there's, you know, there. But everybody was playing a role. And I think at the end she realized she was like, I'm just not going to play anymore and I'm just going to kind of try to figure out what the hell my next steps are.
- [22:15]
Danielle Fishel
Right. Well, to combine the things you two said, it's really, she comes to terms with realizing, like, oh, I have played a role in society. I've played a role in my family. And the way they react to me, the way she often describes the way her mom tenses up when she says. Says or does something. And she. She knows, like, they're so used to me being reactionary, or they're so used to me being this way that it affects the way they talk about me. It affects the. Where we go. It affect. And, like, instead of just putting that on them, she goes, I also am contributing to this. We're all feeding off of each other.
- [22:54]
Will Friedle
Yeah.
- [22:55]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
- [22:56]
Ryder Strong
Well, that's part of what I love. When she brings the Blob home for. Or Bob as a man home is when she finally starts noticing things, her family that she's never noticed. Did my mom always cook this? Well, did that always. It's like she's finally able to see her relationships or see other people because she's brought this. Yeah. Through Bob's eyes. And it helps her be like, oh, I've also. I've also been an asshole. Like, that's what is so funny, that the book begins from a kind of defensive place of, like, I'm just a wallflower. Everybody else is such strong opinions. And I just sort of am passive. Like, that's the way she kind of introduces herself. And then throughout the course of the book, you're like, she's a drunk. She's kind of obnoxious. She's mean to people. She's terrible. And, you know, it's like. It's like this slow realization that she is actually affecting everybody around her and that she's kind of made her own bed. Like, she's put herself in this position. I thought that was really effective, you know.
- [23:49]
Will Friedle
Did you also notice that her journey as a character mimicked Bob growing? So. Meaning. Meaning when Bob was just eyes, she started to see everything around. When Bob had a hand, she started to get out and actually physically touch people. She had her doing that. When Bob grew legs, she was going out more. So it was like everything that happened with Bob was almost mirrored in kind of her journey as a person.
- [24:12]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
- [24:13]
Will Friedle
Which I thought was. And then that's. Again, her first reaction when he grew legs was like, okay, do I chain him up? How do I keep him here?
- [24:19]
Danielle Fishel
I know.
- [24:20]
Will Friedle
I mean, it's just. Yeah. It's really kind of amazing. And again, that's one of the first tropes you talked about her parents, them selling the house right out from under her. That's a storyline On Friends, that's what Monica's parents do, is they sell her house out from. So there's a couple things that happen here that are straight from pop culture.
- [24:36]
Ryder Strong
Okay, well, let's move into the next section, which I'm calling Show youw Work and get into the writing itself. Her voice as a character and as a narrator. What did you guys think of it? How would you describe it?
- [24:47]
Danielle Fishel
I would say it is deadpan comedy.
- [24:51]
Ryder Strong
Yes.
- [24:53]
Will Friedle
It's rye.
- [24:54]
Ryder Strong
It's rye.
- [24:56]
Danielle Fishel
It's rye. It's self deprecating. It's also very self impression.
- [25:03]
Ryder Strong
I would say she's like, really?
- [25:04]
Danielle Fishel
You're right. Hard on herself.
- [25:05]
Ryder Strong
Hard on herself constantly.
- [25:08]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah. Incriminating, deprecating and also casual. There's nothing pretentious or formal.
- [25:17]
Ryder Strong
It's a breezy read.
- [25:19]
Will Friedle
It is very easy. This to me. And, you know, we always do this. We do this all the episodes of Boy Meets World. Here's what I would have done. It's like, oh, yeah. When I write my novel. But this to me seemed like what would have been cool. I would love to have seen this. And again, it's just the way my mind works. If, say, Vi was 14 and it was a YA and she finds the blob. And the first half of the book, she's raising the blob. And the second half of the book, it joins her in high school. Like, that's kind of where the. The tone of this was for me. Which then thrown in kind of it threw me then. Because then you turn the page and she'd be talking about masturbating. And it was like, oh, that came. Okay, that. That's right. It's not a young. Not like, it's. You know what I mean? It's.
- [25:59]
Ryder Strong
Well, I do think that the book, you know, it makes this transition. I would say, what, 50 or 60 pages in, where we get our first sort of flashback sequence. And it does. The book ends up spending a lot of time in her youth. And I found those transitions a little hard. I was. Every time I was like, wait, why are we getting this flashback of this scene? I could have almost done without them entirely. Because when we were in the present tense, when we were with. With V. Are we going with V or vi? Which one?
- [26:30]
Danielle Fishel
I thought it was V. I thought it was V. Will is saying vi.
- [26:32]
Will Friedle
Like, I thought vi. I thought it was short for Violet or something. I was. I would say, oh, you'd say V.
- [26:38]
Danielle Fishel
We're saying V. But you said V. That's right.
- [26:39]
Will Friedle
You say potato. And so does Everyone else in the world. Yeah.
- [26:42]
Ryder Strong
I found those flashbacks, I think that they, they help develop some of the conflicts that, you know, we've already talked about, you know, cultural conflicts and racial and gender identity and all that. But they were not nearly as entertaining. And I'm not sure that they contributed much to the current story. And my experience going back to Danielle's first overall impression was where you put the book down and you were like, do I want to go back? I definitely went on a similar journey. And I think this is why is because I think that middle section of the book, once we get the plot of Bob Blob, anytime that we take a pause, go back to being 11 years old, I'm like, where's this? That doesn't, I don't know if I need that. But then when the book picked back up again with the current plot of Bob getting out, Bob leaving her, her being Elliot's date, and having the whole thing with Elliot, there was so much energy. And then, and then I really tore through the rest of the book because that picked it back up.
- [27:42]
Danielle Fishel
You're exactly right. Yeah, I felt exactly the same way. There was like a midway point before we got into all of that where I was like, I don't know that I would normally finish this, but once I got back into it, I was like, oh, I'm so glad I did.
- [27:55]
Will Friedle
Yeah, no, I literally, I, I, I, I yelled at one point with the whole party scene where, where she, then everyone, she looks over and everyone's watching her kiss the guy. I was like, oh, like, you want to drop the book at that point. So, I mean, there were moments in it that were absolutely. Chef's kiss.
- [28:10]
Ryder Strong
And I think that that's, you know, that's an accomplishment, you know, like, that, that we, we, we did lose. She lost us a little bit. You know, it slowed down a little bit, but the fact that it picks back up and I, I do think that you. Short. We're not talking too long. So even though we're talking about, like, it slowing down, we're really only talking about 20 pages, you know?
- [28:29]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [28:32]
Ryder Strong
So I, I, but I do think that the, the writing, you know, or an editorial, like slicing, it could have been shorter. It could have been a little. Just, just a little bit.
- [28:46]
Danielle Fishel
This is Jenny Garth from I do part two. If you could lose 10.4 pounds in one month, would you try with Future Health? You can. Future Health gives millions access to affordable weight loss meds for less than three bucks a day. Find out if weight loss Meds are right for you in just three minutes at try fh.com try fh.com results vary based on start weight and adherence to diet, exercise and program goals. Data based on independent studies sponsored by Future Health. Future Health is not a healthcare services provider. Meds are prescribed at providers discretion. This is Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and.
- [29:19]
Will Friedle
Will Friedle from Pod Meets World for.
- [29:21]
Danielle Fishel
Many, the American Dream means starting your own business and working for yourself.
- [29:26]
Ryder Strong
If you're a small business owner, launching a company or dreaming of starting one, then you'll not only want to make sure you're using a platform like Intuit QuickBooks, but you'll also want to check out season three of Mind the Small Business Success Stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Intuit QuickBooks.
- [29:43]
Danielle Fishel
In every episode, hosts Austin Henkiewicz and Janice Torres talk to small business owners about how they've grown and maintained their business and tackled the hurdles and challenges that come with being your own boss.
- [29:55]
Will Friedle
From tracking money in and out to.
- [29:57]
Danielle Fishel
Cutting through the complexity with an all encompassing platform like QuickBooks, you don't want to miss these inspiring stories of small business journeys.
- [30:05]
Ryder Strong
Listen to Mind the Business Small Business Success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [30:12]
Will Friedle
It's tax season, and by now I know we're all a bit tired of numbers. But here's an important one you need to hear $16.5 billion. That's how much money in refunds the IRS flagged for possible identity fraud last year. Here's another 20%. That's the overall increase in identity theft related to tax fraud in 2024 alone. But it's not all grim news. Here's a good number. 100 million. That's how many data points Lifelock monitors every second. If your identity is stolen, LifeLock's US based restoration specialists will fix it, backed by another good number, the million dollar protection plan. In fact, restoration is guaranteed or your money back. Don't face identity theft and financial losses alone. There's strength in numbers with Lifelock Identity theft Protection for tax season and beyond. Join now and save up to 40% your first year. Call 1-800-LIFELOCK and use promo code iheart or go to lifelock.com iheart for 40% off. Terms apply.
- [31:14]
Danielle Fishel
Okay, ladies, when I said we came.
- [31:16]
Ryder Strong
To play, didn't I mean it?
- [31:17]
Danielle Fishel
This Disney cruise got me feeling like a queen.
- [31:20]
Ryder Strong
We can get massages at Sense's Spa, have a meet and greet with Black Panther.
- [31:24]
Danielle Fishel
Ooh, I love him and I can't wait to sunbathe on the private island. And the kids will be fine. Girl, they're good.
- [31:31]
Will Friedle
Exactly.
- [31:32]
Danielle Fishel
While they hang in the kids club with Mickey Mouse, we can do our thing and do it once all day. Disney Cruise Line is where we came to play. Watching TV in 2025 is hard. I find myself brainlessly scrolling through a handful of different streaming services, thousands of options, and still nothing to watch. But I've got the help we need. DirecTV is a better way to watch whatever you want to watch. It gives you a more seamless experience, finally ditching the confusion and frustration of searching for something that interests you. Because DirecTV makes it easy and hassle free, you'll have more time to watch and less time wondering if you need to start a brand new baking show. DirecTV takes all your live TV and apps and puts them on one home screen. So say goodbye to entering passwords every time you or your kids need to find their favorite shows. You can search for a title across apps without ever having to leave DirecTV. Imagine how much time that saves. Especially because my passwords are all between 25 and 50 words long with special characters. And DirecTV personalizes content with you in mind. For example, let's say you love 90s sitcoms. I have a feeling you do well. Your favorites and new recommendations will be on the home screen waiting to be discovered and enjoyed. What are you waiting for? Sign up for DirecTV today@directtv.com.
- [32:59]
Ryder Strong
All right, let's pop quiz. This is the. The section where we're gonna ask a question or play.
- [33:06]
Will Friedle
Get a buzzer or there's.
- [33:08]
Ryder Strong
We're not gonna play a game with this one. This is a question that Jensen Karp, our lovely producer, came up with the podcast.
- [33:14]
Danielle Fishel
Oh, God.
- [33:15]
Will Friedle
I think I bet you I know what the question's gonna be.
- [33:17]
Danielle Fishel
Really?
- [33:18]
Will Friedle
Yeah. It's gonna be something like if you had a blob of your own.
- [33:21]
Ryder Strong
If you had to form your own blob.
- [33:24]
Will Friedle
There you go.
- [33:24]
Danielle Fishel
Okay.
- [33:25]
Ryder Strong
Which body part from a Boy Meets World character are you picking first?
- [33:31]
Danielle Fishel
Wait, am I supposed to want to have sex with this blob? Well, it's your.
- [33:35]
Ryder Strong
Your ultimate.
- [33:36]
Danielle Fishel
My ultimate.
- [33:37]
Ryder Strong
Oh, okay. Or your ultimate partner?
- [33:41]
Danielle Fishel
Oh, gosh, that's tough.
- [33:43]
Will Friedle
This is like Mary F. Kill. My God.
- [33:46]
Danielle Fishel
No.
- [33:47]
Will Friedle
This is tough.
- [33:48]
Danielle Fishel
Let's see.
- [33:48]
Ryder Strong
Do you. Do you give. Do you give it Feeny's brain? Do you give it Rider Strong's hair? Do you give it.
- [33:56]
Will Friedle
I don't want to bang any Daniel Fishel. I gotta be honest. Okay, not to sound creepy, but Daniel Fischer lips is not a bad place to start, but I don't know if.
- [34:08]
Danielle Fishel
I want to start with the lips. I might go Ben Savage, Washboard apps.
- [34:17]
Will Friedle
I might go Amy Matthews, Compassion.
- [34:20]
Danielle Fishel
Oh, well, you're so sweet.
- [34:23]
Ryder Strong
But it's true.
- [34:24]
Will Friedle
I mean, if you start there.
- [34:26]
Ryder Strong
Right.
- [34:26]
Danielle Fishel
You do love a mommy.
- [34:28]
Will Friedle
Yeah. Oh, that's so creepy. That is so creepy. No, I would go the girl I tushy danced with. No.
- [34:36]
Danielle Fishel
Oh, right, right, right.
- [34:38]
Will Friedle
I don't know. What about you, Ryder? Do you have one?
- [34:40]
Ryder Strong
I don't, actually. Yeah. I'm trying to think. There was. We had such. We had such good hair in general on Boy Material World. It's kind of hard to avoid, but.
- [34:48]
Will Friedle
That we also don't have. We only have, like two real girls our own age to pick from, so it's like, I want Danielle. Like, that's not gonna. That doesn't work.
- [34:55]
Ryder Strong
Right, right. You can't do that. I watched the first thing that came out of me, which I hadn't even thought about was Feeny's brain. Right.
- [35:01]
Will Friedle
Like, Feeny's brain's a good one.
- [35:03]
Ryder Strong
I would go with like a really? If you can. Yeah. I don't know how I would get the blob to form that way. I couldn't explain episodes of Boy Meets World.
- [35:10]
Will Friedle
Can I switch up the question, please? If each of us could pick one body part for another person. Like Ryder, if you had to build the perfect partner for Danielle, what's the first body part from a Boy Meets World cast member you would put on Danielle's partner?
- [35:26]
Ryder Strong
Just Matt Lawrence. We talked about him coming to the set. She was like, wow, we had some good looking guys on the show, but now we have Lawrence.
- [35:39]
Danielle Fishel
I thought you guys were good looking.
- [35:40]
Will Friedle
Before, but you got your blob. Matt Lawrence.
- [35:45]
Danielle Fishel
Great.
- [35:45]
Ryder Strong
We became blobs. Matt Lawrence took over. Yeah, that's pretty.
- [35:51]
Danielle Fishel
That's pretty funny. I just would like to point out that you two picked compassion and brains, and I picked washboard house. Nice.
- [36:03]
Ryder Strong
So you're more like Vee. We take it. Nice.
- [36:05]
Will Friedle
Nice. Very sweet.
- [36:08]
Ryder Strong
All right, report card.
- [36:10]
Danielle Fishel
Okay.
- [36:10]
Ryder Strong
Any of the sort of. Or any other coming of age or maybe redemption story books? Is there another book that you would compare this to?
- [36:19]
Danielle Fishel
You know?
- [36:19]
Will Friedle
Yeah, go ahead.
- [36:20]
Danielle Fishel
For me, I have a very hard time relating to this modern. A modern coming of age.
- [36:30]
Ryder Strong
Me too. I found it. That's. For me, that was pop cultural references.
- [36:35]
Danielle Fishel
Is that.
- [36:35]
Ryder Strong
I was like, I am so old. This is a moment.
- [36:38]
Will Friedle
You are pop culture. No, you're pop culture illiterate. Because the references that she's using are references from when we were. She did a ton of 90s stuff. I mean, it was Friends and Seinfeld.
- [36:49]
Danielle Fishel
And I will say it didn't make me feel old. I didn't feel old reading it. What I felt was coming of age for millennials or Gen X, there's a lot more commitment to work ethic. Rat race, like six, like classic success in the sense of like, I'm, I had to go to college. My school is very important to my family. I don't want to let them down. I finished school. I have to get a job. And then finding yourself going, oh, my gosh, I'm exhausted. And how did I get here? And I don't know that this is the life I would have chosen for myself, but look at what I've built. It seems like a lot of modern coming of age is like, I don't want to get out of bed today. I'm just going to show up late to my job.
- [37:43]
Will Friedle
I drank too much on a Tuesday.
- [37:45]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah. I get drunk every night. I'm like. And I was just like, I don't. This is giving me adjudice. I've never heard of anybody be worse at their job. Job.
- [37:59]
Ryder Strong
Yeah, I know.
- [38:00]
Danielle Fishel
I'm. This is, I know that this is what Gen Z.
- [38:02]
Ryder Strong
Right.
- [38:03]
Danielle Fishel
Experiences.
- [38:04]
Ryder Strong
Yeah.
- [38:04]
Danielle Fishel
And I just have, you know, like, Will saying he's not Asian, and so he, he doesn't pretend to be able to know what it feels like. Similarly, I don't. I cannot relate to that feeling. And so I, I, I just know it's not for me. It doesn't mean it's bad. It's just, I'm not the demo. I'm not the, I'm not the person who's supposed to go, got it. Relate. You're speaking my language.
- [38:29]
Will Friedle
Right. So if she's was gonna do flashbacks flashing back to right before the breakup.
- [38:37]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
- [38:37]
Will Friedle
Even more than we did because we, we see what she's like. I mean, we're coming up on this. This woman mid depression where she cannot get over this break. Even though it's this breakup. Even though it happened, I think she said eight months ago.
- [38:50]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
- [38:50]
Will Friedle
It's been very rough on her. If we saw a couple of flashbacks from before that where she was actually very good at her job. She was attentive. She was not maybe not climbing the ladder, but was cleaning up her apartment, was doing, you know, and it's the breakup that made her like this. I think I would have had more compassion for the character than I do where it's just kind of like, oh, you are the blob. Which I get was kind of what it was supposed to be. But it's like, you don't care about your job. You're rude to your friends a lot of the times, if you even have any. You're very selfish at times. You're a raging alcoholic. I mean, it's like, did all of that happen because of the breakup? Because then that's one character, and I would think about the character a certain way. Or was she like that and just. It's been exacerbated by the breakup?
- [39:33]
Ryder Strong
I think she was like that. I think so, too.
- [39:35]
Will Friedle
I think so, too.
- [39:36]
Ryder Strong
That's the takeaway. And so I think you guys are both kind of saying the same thing differently, which is that this is really a specifically millennial ennui. This sort of, like, we have all the opportunities. Right? Like, we have all the avenues open to us. I could be a doctor like my brother. I could be, you know, married at this age, like my parents were. I could be. Everybody else seems to have, like, content with their paths, and yet she just shuts down and has never been able. And I think that is specifically, you know, like, at this age for me. Like, I was just so driven in too many directions. Right. If anything, it was like I didn't take enough time to just relax and enjoy. And I think that that speaks to something that the younger generation, the younger generation for whom I think this book is written, you know, I think this book is clearly aimed at people 35 and under or maybe 40 and under, and we're just on the other side of that.
- [40:30]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
- [40:30]
Ryder Strong
I think part of the problem, generationally, is that they do have so much comfort. They can just sit at home and get everything on their screen. They can't have an entirely developed social life without leaving their computer. You know, that is. That's new. That's not something we had to get out of the house. We had to have jobs just to have a life. That's not true anymore. And so why work? Why. Why go to college? Why do any. You know, just so you can get more money, you know, like to sit at home and flip through Instagram. Anyway, so I think that that's a very big problem.
- [41:05]
Danielle Fishel
Anyone else's life as being so good. Like, it's not like she looked at her brother. Her brother was also super stressed and always. And her parents didn't seem like they were thrilled with their lives either. So she kind of was looking around, like, all these paths lead To Meh.
- [41:19]
Will Friedle
The only one, I think, who was truly happy in the entire book was her boss, Walter, who was like, I'm.
- [41:26]
Ryder Strong
Pathetic in her eyes.
- [41:27]
Will Friedle
Exactly.
- [41:28]
Ryder Strong
Assaults her when she points that out to him. No. And I think that that's what we're meant to feel, that everybody's kind of a sucker if they pick a path, right? Like no matter what path you choose, you're kind of either you're falling for somebody else's narrative, that's not gonna make you happy.
- [41:45]
Will Friedle
So it's Ethan Hawke again in Reality Bites. It's the kind of you pick a. You're a sellout or what?
- [41:51]
Danielle Fishel
It's not even sellout just to say sell out.
- [41:53]
Ryder Strong
No, because I think, I think this book is smarter than that. I think it's describing the problem. And also, you know, it's not. It's certainly not celebrating V. Like it's, you know, it's not saying that she's doing the right things by succumbing to this perfect man. She builds. Leaves her. Exactly.
- [42:08]
Will Friedle
So I mean. Yeah, that's the whole point is that she is. This is, you know, she's not supposed to be.
- [42:13]
Ryder Strong
What do you think about the end then? What does the ending give you? Is there hope? Is this a. Is this a ultimately a hope filled novel about she does find a path or does it. What do you guys think? Where do you think it landed?
- [42:26]
Danielle Fishel
I thought it ended very hopefully. I thought it landed in a place that I really did think there was enough of a realization, enough of a self awareness that came to her throughout the course of this experience and many all the experiences that this experience brought into her life that did actually make her decide that she needed to be an active participant in her life and that decisions needed to be made and that she couldn't just keep like letting life pass her by. So whether or not she's gonna get it all right, there's no real right. I didn't feel like she's now gonna have a great life, but I felt hopeful that there was gonna be a change, a positive change that she was at least gonna start enacting. And so I felt very hopeful at the end.
- [43:11]
Ryder Strong
Yeah, me too, Will.
- [43:12]
Will Friedle
I felt kind of the same way. I felt her life was.
- [43:15]
Ryder Strong
It's weird.
- [43:15]
Will Friedle
I had a strange combination. I felt her life was definitely on the upswing and there is certainly hope. And I don't need to check back on her to make sure her life is doing okay.
- [43:23]
Ryder Strong
It's interesting because I think story wise, plot wise, there's this potential Boyfriend, the new guy that she ends up with. And there's the photography and going back to school. But it didn't feel like either one of those things is the definite solution. It just felt like those were sort of the engines to. For her to realize I get to pick my own path, and I no longer need to succumb to somebody else's pressure of who I should be, nor just sit around and think, it's gonna happen. I'm going to have to just do it. And whatever I do, I should be happy with. Which is kind of a weird, paradoxical, Zen, maybe nonsensical, but it's true. Right. By just making a decision, she's going to feel better, and then that decision is going to give her meaning and a sense of purpose.
- [44:11]
Danielle Fishel
It reminds me of a friend of mine who once said, all right, I. I've decided I am gonna join online dating. And I was like, wow, really? You're gonna do it? And he was like, yeah, but only because I realized girls don't just knock on your apartment door and want to go out with you. Yeah, right.
- [44:32]
Will Friedle
You have.
- [44:32]
Danielle Fishel
You've realized that if a relationship is something you want, you gotta work at it. You cannot sit on your couch every single day and wait for that.
- [44:41]
Ryder Strong
But you can't tell somebody that. They gotta kind of discover it themselves. Right? Like, we all have to live through it. Yeah.
- [44:46]
Will Friedle
And I love how she was standing right next to Rachel behind this counter. Because essentially you have two people in exactly the same place in their life. Literally exactly in the same place in your life. You have one who can fake it when she needs to and one who can't. And sometimes you need to fake happiness until you can actually find happiness. And it's the people that don't know how to fake it ever, who are like, Vi. You know, when you had Rachel, who was. You could tell, was also depressed and upset, and her life is exactly where Vyse is.
- [45:15]
Ryder Strong
But at times, she could just fake it. And where Rachel ends up is way sadder than where Vy ends up. Right. Because Rachel and the Blob are. They're so. They're making their dreams come true. But it feels way worse.
- [45:27]
Will Friedle
It's fake and vapid, and it is two big, toothy smiles out in Hollywood.
- [45:32]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah. Yeah.
- [45:33]
Ryder Strong
Okay, let's rate this book by giving it Feenies or Turner's. Now a Turner, one through five. One through five of each. Turner, as we all remember, is the hip, cool teacher who makes reading fun, makes it a fun, easy read. And you maybe are absorbing A lot. But that's not the point. The point is to enjoy the process.
- [46:00]
Will Friedle
Until you're killed in a motorcycle accident.
- [46:02]
Ryder Strong
Feeny. Feeny was stodgy, old fashioned, hard to understand. Ultimately, good for you. He taught you the life lesson, gave you the value. So the amount of Feenies 1 through 5 is, how much is this book good for you? How much did it teach you? Did you take away as the actual. I'm going to carry this forward in my life.
- [46:25]
Danielle Fishel
Five being the most educational, one being the.
- [46:29]
Ryder Strong
Okay, right, who wants to go first?
- [46:32]
Will Friedle
I'll go first. Should we do Turner's and then Feeneys.
- [46:34]
Ryder Strong
Or should we do Turner and Feeney, however.
- [46:36]
Will Friedle
Well, then starting with Turner, if you're talking about hip, easy to read, then it'll score high on the Turner scale for me. You know, I would say between. Are we allowed points? Can I do like a 3.5?
- [46:49]
Ryder Strong
Yeah.
- [46:49]
Danielle Fishel
Like a GPA?
- [46:50]
Will Friedle
Yeah.
- [46:51]
Ryder Strong
I would give Turner in half.
- [46:52]
Will Friedle
I would give this a 3.5 turners in that, you know, again, it is a fast read. The prose is good. You know, it's well written. So yeah, I would as it's got great pop culture references. There's, you know, they're throwing in. She's being texted and you've got. Which again, is gonna be a whole new part of literature, how texting comes into play and when you text and why you text, There's a whole culture behind that. So, you know, in that sense, I think it will score higher on the Turner scale for me. And I'm 3.5 holding your helmet. Turner's.
- [47:26]
Danielle Fishel
Okay.
- [47:26]
Will Friedle
My phoenix of what I learned. Again, exactly like what Danielle was saying. I think I just missed my window for a lot of what this book means because I'm from a different generation. So while it might resonate with somebody 30 who dealt with just lying on their couch and drinking on a Tuesday night and not really having any motivation and not cleaning up after themselves and being a dick to their boss and not being good at their job. In that sense, I didn't learn much other than I'm glad I'm not part of that generation, if that's what that generation is like. And again, that's a huge generalization, of course, but for the most part, I would say I didn't learn a whole lot. So I would say 2.5 feenies. So 2.5 feenies and 3.5 turners. I would say for this book. No, no, I'm gonna take that back. I'm gonna say 3 Feeneys and 3.5 Turners is what I would say for this book.
- [48:19]
Danielle Fishel
Wow. You raised your. Raised.
- [48:20]
Will Friedle
I did. I raised it. I think I was being a little harsh. Yeah. I'll do 3.5 turners and 3 FE for the turners.
- [48:27]
Danielle Fishel
I, I think I would give this a. A three out of five Turners. I think right. Right around three is. It feels good for me. Definitely a lot of cool references. Like Will said, lots of things I liked. I love, I love some deadpan humor. Yeah. And as far as the Feeneys go, I think for a younger generation, I'll say For someone under 30, I think this struggle and this realization about the active role you have to play in your own life and the active role, the people you have in your life, how they affect you and how you affect them. If you, if you are just now starting to. Your brain starting to turn on and recognize those things and, and see that, I could see this book being very helpful and very enlightening. So I think if you are under 30, I could see how this could be a three or a four out of five feenies for you. For me, I would say it was about a one and a half Feeneys. So my.
- [49:35]
Will Friedle
Low on the Feeney scale.
- [49:36]
Danielle Fishel
Low on the Feeney scale for me. But I could see how for I'm. Like I said, I am not trying to pretend that I'm who this book is written for. I still enjoyed it. I still, it was like you said, so easy. It's not like I looked back on it and I think, oh, I wish I didn't read that. I'm happy that I read. It isn't going to change my life. But I do think for a younger generation it could be, it could be very helpful.
- [49:58]
Ryder Strong
Yeah, I'm right with you, Danielle. Same. Same exact thinking. I give it higher marks on the Turner scale. I'm actually gonna give this like a 4.5. Oh, wow. Because I really, I just like, I. I think we're kind of taking for granted just the idea, just the concept of like, if you think about, if you think about this, the, this book in the tradition of stories about romance, like, especially for younger generation romance with a monster like the Twilight books or, or Shape of Water as a movie. Did you. Oh, I mean even going back to like Beauty and the Beast, there is a tradition of like, oh, there was a movie called Warm Bodies about falling in love with the zombie. I think this book is really a clever like to do the blob or a blob as like the, the. The monster that you fall in love with. That's super cool. And I think she does a really good job of taking that metaphor or surreal element and, and pulling a lot out of it actually. Um, so it's super fun. I think it's an easy, easy read for anybody. And like, this would be a good gift book because I feel like you hand this to somebody and they're gonna be like, what? And that just that question of like what? And then it's not a slog. Like you get through it so fast. Yeah, she nailed it. So to me it's, it's short enough and fun enough to read, especially for younger people. It's, it's really an accomplishment to pull that off. So. 4.5 turners feenies exactly like you, Danielle. If I'm thinking about, for me, two at most. But if I think about the way that young people think about the world, I mean, even just looking at my son Indy and how he communicates with his friends, I think this book could really get under their skin in a way that Feeny could and teach them a lot. So I'm gonna give it three Feenys ultimately. Yeah.
- [51:54]
Danielle Fishel
This is Jenny Garth from I do part two. You could have lost 10 pounds already if you started one month ago. So are you ready to start today? Find out if weight loss meds are right for you in just 3 minutes at tryfh.com try fh.com results vary based on start weight and adherence to diet, exercise and program goals. Data based on independent study sponsored by Future Health. Future Health is not a health care services provider. Meds are prescribed at providers discretion. This is Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and.
- [52:27]
Will Friedle
Will Friedle from Pod Meets World.
- [52:29]
Danielle Fishel
For many, the American dream means starting your own business and working for yourself.
- [52:34]
Ryder Strong
If you're a small business owner, launching a company or dreaming of starting one, then you'll not only want to make sure you're using a platform like Intuit QuickBooks, but you'll also want to check out season three of Mind the Business small business success stories from iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Intuit QuickBooks.
- [52:52]
Danielle Fishel
In every episode, hosts Austin Henkiewicz and Janice Torres talk to small business owners about how they've grown and maintained their business and tackled the hurdles and challenges that come with being your own boss.
- [53:03]
Will Friedle
From tracking money in and out to.
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Danielle Fishel
Cutting through the complexity with an all encompassing platform like QuickBooks, you don't want to miss these inspiring stories of small business journeys.
- [53:13]
Ryder Strong
Listen to Mind the Business Small Business Success Stories on the Iheart Apple Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [53:22]
Danielle Fishel
Okay ladies, when I said we came.
- [53:24]
Ryder Strong
To play, didn't I mean it?
- [53:25]
Danielle Fishel
This Disney cruise got me feeling like a queen.
- [53:28]
Ryder Strong
We can get massages at Sense's Spa, have a meet and greet with Black Panther.
- [53:32]
Danielle Fishel
Oh, I love him. And I can't wait to sunbathe on the private island. And the kids will be fine. Girl, they're good.
- [53:39]
Will Friedle
Exactly.
- [53:39]
Danielle Fishel
While they hang in the kids club with Mickey Mouse, we can do our thing and do it well all day. Disney Cruise Line is where we came to play. Watching TV in 2025 is hard. I find myself brainlessly scrolling through a handful of different streaming services, thousands of options, and still nothing to watch. But I've got the help we need. DirecTV is a better way to watch whatever you want to watch. It gives you a more seamless experience, finally ditching the confusion and frustration of searching for something that interests you. Because DirecTV makes it easy and hassle free, you'll have more time to watch and less time wondering if you need to start a brand new baking show. DirecTV takes all your live TV and apps and puts them on one home screen. So say goodbye to entering passwords every time you or your kids need to find their favorite shows. You can search for a title across apps without ever having to leave DirecTV. Imagine how much time that saves. Especially because my passwords are all between 25 and 50 words long with special characters, and DirecTV personalizes content with you in mind. For example, let's say you love 90s sitcoms. I have a feeling you do well. Your favorites and new recommendations will be on the home screen waiting to be discovered and enjoyed. What are you waiting for? Sign up for DIRECTV today@directv.com this is what you do when you have high standards and fancy all the fancy things like an iconic Dior saddlebag or that diamond tennis bracelet. You go to ebay.
- [55:11]
Ryder Strong
There you'll find new loves that will never disappoint, Expertly authenticated in everything.
- [55:16]
Danielle Fishel
Whether it's that vintage pearl necklace or brand new ruby earrings, a Prada crossbody bag to be besties with, your other handbag, even an eternally classic watch like that Rolex Oyster or that Cartier tank. You know the one.
- [55:29]
Ryder Strong
And when you find it, eBay has their expert's eyes to make sure you're getting the real deal. That way you can be confident that the designer finds you came for the luxury wardrobe you've always wanted. It's all real. In fact, it's verified authentic.
- [55:44]
Danielle Fishel
So bring your High standards and never limit what you can find.
- [55:47]
Ryder Strong
Yeah, eBay.
- [55:49]
Danielle Fishel
The place for new pre loved vintage and rare fashion.
- [55:53]
Ryder Strong
EBay, things people love.
- [56:03]
Danielle Fishel
Oh, wait, can I. I want. I have one other question. I have one other question that I. That I. Because I. That. And I wonder if Will thought of it at all or if it's just because I'm a parent. Did it bump any of you? Or did at any point it. You wonder why she didn't think of the Blob more as a child than as a. As a partner?
- [56:19]
Ryder Strong
That's exactly what I was. Yeah, I forgot that the title was actually Blob A Love Story. So at a certain point I started thinking, right early on, I started thinking, oh, this is going to be about.
- [56:29]
Danielle Fishel
She's gonna raise.
- [56:29]
Ryder Strong
And she makes references to. This is how my mom must have felt when she's taking care of the Blob.
- [56:33]
Danielle Fishel
Y.
- [56:34]
Ryder Strong
And I thought that that was going to. And I think maybe even Maggie sue as a writer started it and didn't know. Like, I think it kind of evolved the same way that Bob evolves. When I first heard about this book, I actually thought it was going to be more surreal and more. Actually my brain went darker, I guess, because I thought of like the Blob as a monster, as a horror thing or an alien. Like, some of my favorite authors in this wheelhouse of like, surreal touches is this woman, Amy Bender, and then this other woman, Carmen Maria Machada. And they both write short stories, which I think is important to note. Like, they do similar things, but they keep it very short. And like, Amy Bender has this incredible short story about. I think it's called the Potato People, and it's about her, this woman, carving people out of potatoes. And then they start to come to life and then she has to take care of them and they keep multiplying. You know, this book had to like, stay in the real world, have actual consequences. It was pop. Culturally connected. So it's very different tones. But yeah, I thought it was going to go the motherhood route. I was convinced that that was going to be the point of this. This also is a kind of a generational thing, right?
- [57:42]
Will Friedle
Yes.
- [57:42]
Ryder Strong
I think for our generation, finding purpose in life for a lot of people, for better or worse, became, well, I'll have kids and that'll fix all my problems. I don't think that even occurs to people under 35 these days. I think their first thought is, if I just found the perfect partner, that would fix all my problems. Both are, you know, probably bad ideas.
- [57:59]
Will Friedle
Yeah.
- [58:00]
Ryder Strong
And this book explored the one that I think concerns their generation more.
- [58:03]
Danielle Fishel
I do too.
- [58:03]
Will Friedle
But I don't think Vi knows either. And I think that's. That's what Maggie sue did. That's very interesting. Is at the end. Because of the Blob, because of Bob, she has a better relationship with both her parents and a potential mate.
- [58:15]
Danielle Fishel
Yeah.
- [58:15]
Will Friedle
So it worked on both levels. Where she did see him at times like, wow, maybe my mom felt like this and their relationship got better. Well, what? My ex boyfriend. What? Alex wasn't Alex. Her ex boyfriend was Luke. What Luke thought about the. And maybe she used some of that. And so she's maybe starting to date a new guy. So it kind of taught her a little bit about both.
- [58:33]
Danielle Fishel
Both.
- [58:34]
Will Friedle
But, yeah, she didn't seem particularly maternal.
- [58:40]
Danielle Fishel
Do we have a book that we're gonna pick next? Will, do you wanna pick the next one?
- [58:43]
Will Friedle
I would love to, if we can.
- [58:44]
Danielle Fishel
Okay, let's do it. Do you have one?
- [58:46]
Will Friedle
I do. I was gonna pick one, but now I'm gonna switch it up. So hang on.
- [58:49]
Danielle Fishel
Okay. Okay, cool. Oh, wow. We're gonna get it right now. This is exciting.
- [58:52]
Will Friedle
So I was gonna start with the first book that ever got me into fantasy, which is a much younger book called the Pawn of Prophecy. We will do that eventually. It's wonderful and amazing, but I want to keep with more of the. I want to get Rider. I can kind of figure out how to get there. I think if with Danielle and fantasy, if I go something that smacks a.
- [59:12]
Ryder Strong
Little bit of Harry Potter without it.
- [59:15]
Will Friedle
Being Harry Potter, that if I hit on some of those tropes, I think I might be able to hook Danielle into the world of fantasy. So we are going with an absolutely phenomenal author. Her name is Naomi Novik. And she just came out with a trilogy that's called A Deadly Education. It's lesson one of the Schoolomants books.
- [59:34]
Danielle Fishel
Great.
- [59:35]
Ryder Strong
And have you already read this book?
- [59:36]
Will Friedle
I have read this book. I have read this book, yes. And I will be reading it again.
- [59:40]
Ryder Strong
Different mode to slightly different book club called Deadly.
- [59:44]
Will Friedle
No. Well, this is Deadly Education is the first book.
- [59:47]
Danielle Fishel
Okay. Deadly Education.
- [59:48]
Will Friedle
It's lesson one of the School of Mats. So this is an absolutely wonderful, dark kind of take. It is. I mean, should we read the. No. I'm not even gonna let you guys figure everything out. Let everybody go check it out.
- [60:01]
Danielle Fishel
Naomi Novak, Deadly Education.
- [60:04]
Will Friedle
Naomi Novak sounds good. She's absolutely wonderful. An incredible writer. It's a great. A great fantasy series. It really is. So this is. And it's relatively new. This is, this is, I think the first one came out in like 2018, 2019. Yeah, you're gonna like this one. I think anybody who likes the idea of a magical school or a school where there's murder and death coupled with magic, this is absolutely gonna be your jam. You're gonna dig it.
- [60:32]
Danielle Fishel
All right, awesome. So you have about one month to read it.
- [60:36]
Ryder Strong
Thanks for joining us for this episode of podmeets World Book Club Edition. As always, you can follow us on Instagram podmeatsworldshow. You can send us your emails. Podmeetsworldshowmail.com and we've got merch.
- [60:50]
Will Friedle
But what does the merch mean if you really dissect it?
- [60:54]
Ryder Strong
Podmeatsworldshow.com Danielle send us out.
- [60:58]
Danielle Fishel
We love you all. Pod Dismissed. Pod Meets World is an iHeart podcast produced and hosted by Danielle Fischl, Will Friedle and Ryder Strong, executive producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman, executive in charge of production Danielle Romo, producer, editor and editor Tara Sudbaksh, producer Matty Moore, engineer and Boy Meets World superfan Easton Allen. Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon. Follow us on Instagram odmeatsworld show or email us at podmeatsworldshowmail.com will I'm excited to announce I am on a seafood diet.
- [61:32]
Will Friedle
Oh, I remember this joke. You used to always tell it when we were kids, whatever food you see, you eat.
- [61:38]
Danielle Fishel
No, this time I mean it. Thanks to Gorton Seafood. I absolutely love their fresh tasting fish sticks and so do my 3 and 5 year old. We made the butterfly shrimp into tacos one night and it was so easy to prep and it was the perfect excuse to break out the air fryer.
- [61:54]
Will Friedle
I love the quality of Gorton's. It's a brand you can trust. Susan and I made a butterfly shrimp bowl for lunch and it was seriously restaurant quality, but in the comfort of your own home and for a fraction of the cost. I'm going to join you on that seafood diet. As long as it's Gorton's.
- [62:08]
Danielle Fishel
With over 175 years of experience, Gorton's is committed to spreading the goodness of the sea by making quality seafood accessible to everyone while responsibly sustaining its future.
- [62:18]
Will Friedle
Visit gortons.com to learn more, find a store and get a recipe inspiration.
- [62:23]
Danielle Fishel
For the past 10 years, a lot has come and gone in my life, but one thing that stayed consistent, a Samsung phone. You couldn't get me to change even if you tried. And trust me many have. And now with my newest phone, the Galaxy S25 Ultra from Samsung, I have a true AI companion making life easier and more efficient. And for years people have asked how my photos look so good and I can't yell it loud enough. It's because I have a Samsung and with the new 50 megapixel ultra wide lens it's even better for beautiful scenic views and a little extra room for a few more family members to fit in the frame. You're welcome Uncle Pete. Are you ready to let this mind blowing new phone do more for you so you can do you Then trust me and get your Galaxy S25 Ultra now@samsung.com this podcast is supported by BetterHelp offering licensed therapists you can connect with via video phone or chat. Here's BetterHelp head of clinical Operations Hes Yu Jo discussing who can benefit from.
- [63:24]
Will Friedle
Therapy I think a lot of people think that you're supposed to be going to therapy once you're like having panic attacks every day. But before you get to that point, I think once you start even noticing that you feel a little bit off and you can't maintain this harmony that you once had in relationships, that could be a sign that maybe you want to go talk to somebody. There's always a benefit in talking to someone because we can all benefit from improved insight about ourselves and who we are and how we behave with other people. So if you're human, that's like a good indicator that you could benefit from talking to somebody.
- [63:59]
Danielle Fishel
Find out if therapy is right for you. Visit betterhelp.com today. That's betterhelp.com with the best all inclusive vacation deals to Mexico and the Caribbean. Booking your getaway with cheap Caribbean vacations means you have more freedom to do your deal. Whether you want to enjoy snorkeling, endless margaritas and more, or simply soak up the sun and sand in a tropical paradise. Cheap Caribbean Vacations has your deal for that plan and book the exact getaway you want at exactly the right price for you by using our exclusive budget Beach Finder. Or find a featured all inclusive package to Ryu Negrill and do your deal@cheapcaribbean.com.
- [64:37]
Will Friedle
The Unshakables podcast is kicking off season two with an episode you won't want to miss. Join host Ben Walter, CEO of Chase for Business, as he welcomes a very special guest, Chairman and CEO of JP Morgan Chase, Jamie Dimon. Hear about the challenges facing small business businesses and some of the uhoh moments Jamie has overcome. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Chase Mobile app is available for select mobile devices. Message and data rates may apply. JPMorgan Chase Bank NA Member FDIC Copyright 2025 JPMorgan Chase & Company.