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Nava Kavilan
Lemonade.
Sophie Ansari
Hello, Crushies. It is your two very favorite hosts of podcrushed. Penn is on paternity leave right now. He's with his cutie, cutie little twins. Actually. We don't know if they're cute because he hasn't shown us a picture or anything.
Nava Kavilan
Yeah, just secret. It's all veiled in mystery. But we've kept the name of his older son a secret all these five years, so I think there's proof that we're trustworthy.
Sophie Ansari
Yeah. Pen, if you're listening to this, please.
Nava Kavilan
Send us a picture of your twins right now. We need to see these little sweet babies. So, as you know, the three of us co wrote a book called Crushmore. It's a collection of essays about love, loss, and coming of age. It'll be out October 14th. We do tell some of our cringiest stories, some of our most luminous stories, and we wanted to invite you to tell your stories, your best, worst date stories to be exact, for us to read live on the pod today. Sophie and I have actually not seen these yet, so we're really excited. We will be discovering these live with you.
Sophie Ansari
Yes. David compiled this list for us from the submissions that you sent in, and he wrote, good lord, you're in for a ride. So let's see what we have.
Nava Kavilan
We're very excited. Very excited. Does anyone else ever get that nagging feeling that their dog might be bored? And do you also feel, like, scared, super guilty about it? Well, one way that I combat that feeling is I'm making meal time. Everything it can be for my little boy, Louie. Nom Nom does this with food that actually engages your pup senses with a mix of tantalizing smells, textures, and ingredients. Nom Nom offers six recipes bursting with premium proteins, vibrant veggies, and tempting textures designed to add excitement to your dog's day. Pork Potluck, Chicken Cuisine, Turkey Fare, Beef Mash, Lamb Pilaf, and Turkey and Chicken Cookout. I mean, are you kidding me? I want to eat these recipes. Each recipe is cooked gently in small batches to seal in vital nutrients and maximize digestibility. And their recipes are crafted by vet nutritionists, so I feel good knowing it's designed with Louie's health and happiness in mind. Serve Nom Nom as a complete and balanced meal or as a tasty and healthy addition to your dog's current diet. My dogs are like my children, literally, which is why I'm committed to giving them only the best. Hold on. Let me start again, because I've only been talking about Louie. Louie is my baby Louie. You might have heard him growl just now. Louie is my little baby and I'm committed to only giving him the best. I love that Nom Nom's recipes contain wholesome, nutrient rich food. Meat that looks like meat and veggies that look like veggies. Because, shocker, they are. Louie has been going absolutely nuts for the lamb pilaf. I have to confess that he's never had anything like it and he cannot get enough. So he's a lampy laugh guy. Keep mealtime exciting with Nom Nom. Available at your local PetSmart store or at Chewy. Learn more at trynom.com podcrust spelled try n o m.com podcrust the longevity industry is booming.
Dan Buettner
Everywhere you turn, you're being sold some.
Nava Kavilan
Supplement or superfood to extend your life. But what if I told you that the real secrets to living a longer, happier life are much simpler and they're.
Dan Buettner
Things that you can start doing today?
Nava Kavilan
I'm Dan Buettner, journalist and founder of the Blue Zones. In my new podcast, I sit down with extraordinary people to uncover the surprising secrets to living longer better. Listen to the Dan Buettner podcast wherever you get your podcasts. The first two episodes premiere on Thursday, August 21st. Sophie, before we jump into listener stories, I want to hear about one of your worst dates.
Sophie Ansari
I think probably my worst date story is a date with David when we had, like, a bit, you know, there's so much, like, anticipation for this date. We wanted it to be really, or I wanted it to be really romantic. And we were just, like, fighting the whole time. We were spending money that we shouldn't have been spending. We were two, like, broke kids and we went to a fancy restaurant. And it just, I think it says something about how, like, when you, when there's so much hype around something, the, like, come down is harder. So, yeah, I think that was my worst date. What about you, Neva?
Nava Kavilan
I haven't been in a date in so long because the last three guys that I was, like, talking to or did end up on a date with all people that I met organically ended up being polyamorous. And if that's your thing, you know, more power to you. But that's not my thing. And I don't know, there was just something about that that I found so unsettling that I was like, I think I need to take a break because I'm clearly, like, not attracting the kind of, like, monogamous man that I want to attract into my life. Yeah, so those weren't bad dates. Those were just, like, surprising when at some point in the date, the guy was like, so. You know, and three times in a row, two of them were in the same week. And I was like, why does this keep happening to me? Oh, my gosh. Okay.
Sophie Ansari
Well, I can't wait to get into these stories from our listeners. Okay, here's our first story. Fourth of July, I went to the guy who I was seeing's house for the first time about 10 minutes in, and he kissed me. I immediately knew he had had peanut something that day. Oh, God. Oh, yeah. I'm deathly allergic.
Nava Kavilan
Oh, my God.
Sophie Ansari
So I sit for a minute before I say something, and I text my. My mom. Even though I was, like, 25, I would do the same and tell her I'm coming over for my EpiPen and for her to monitor me. I asked the guy if he had peanut butter that day, and he said, yeah, for lunch. I tell him I need to go because I'm breaking out real bad. He got mad at me and told me if I just wanted to leave, I should have. I should have just gone and not made up the story. I ended up using the EpiPen and then going to the ER for about eight hours per. EpiPen rules. And he didn't check on me until about a week later. I called him out and he said, sorry, I thought you were faking. Yeah, that was the end of that.
Nava Kavilan
P.S.
Sophie Ansari
Love the podcast.
Nava Kavilan
Wow.
Sophie Ansari
Near death experience on a first date or on a date near death.
Nava Kavilan
That is crazy. Like, literally almost died on that date, but almost died to prevent her from ending up with that bozo.
Sophie Ansari
True, true.
Nava Kavilan
A silver lining in everything.
Sophie Ansari
Have you ever had to use an EpiPen on anyone?
Nava Kavilan
No. No. That seems really scary.
Sophie Ansari
I had to stick an EpiPen in someone's thigh like a teenager. She was having an allergic reaction. It is the scariest thing. You have to, like, whack it in.
Nava Kavilan
Poor girl. Oh, my gosh. That's so scary. Yeah, that. That would really freak me out. Oh, my gosh. Well, thank you for submitting. So sorry. If y' all wanted your names read, we forgot to ask you, so we're gonna err on the side of not saying your names. But we're so thankful that you submitted these stories, and in the future, we'll. We'll make sure to know what your preference is. In middle school, my best friend was dating this guy for around six months, which was monumental to us at the time. Naturally, we Thought it would be great if I started d so we could all go out together. The four of us spent a full day at Knott's berry farm, and my date did not say a single word to me the entire time. I asked him many questions and gave him as many opportunities as I could think of, but the most he would give me was a small smile. Looking back, I'm sure he was very shy, but that day was painfully awkward.
Sophie Ansari
Ah, that sucks. There's nothing worse than, like, a double date working for two people, but not for the other two. I actually had that, like, on steroids, where I was dating someone, and I wanted this dream so badly. This is, like, the dream for everyone. Like, two best friends, you know, date or marry two best friends. So I set my best friend up with his brother, and they succeeded. They married, they have children, and we did not. But, yeah, no, I feel for this girl.
Nava Kavilan
That happens sometimes. If my mother were alive, she would tell me that I absolutely cannot tell this story. And I also think that listeners are gonna think that I'm a liar, but this is 100% a true story. When I was 22 years old, a billionaire from a Middle Eastern country found out about me somehow. I wasn't, like, famous or anything, but he, like, heard about me, I think his sisters, and they sent him a picture of me. He became very interested. He flew to Texas. I was going to. I was getting my master's degree at Trinity University in San Antonio. He flew to Texas to meet me. He sent my parents, like, a really expensive crystal vase, like, a really famous brand, with a letter asking their permission to take me out on a date. Whoa. Anyway, and then so I was like, really? I was like, oh, my God. I'm in the Princess Diaries. I'm going to become, like, a Middle Eastern princess. He. Anyway, I don't want to say anything about him because, I don't know, I feel like he might sue me. So I'm not going to say what his business is, but it was, like, a cool business that I would have been a part of. So I was like, of course, like, planning out my life as, like, a billionaire's wife. Back before, everyone was like, you know, no ethical billionaires. When you were, like, a cool business.
Sophie Ansari
That I would have been a part of. I was like, if you were to have married. If the dates were to have succeeded.
Nava Kavilan
And you were to have married him, and you were totally, totally. But he was, like, full. He was looking for a wife. That was, like, very clear. He was looking for, like, a. And he Was much older. He was looking for a young. A young wife. Anyway, he, like, sent a limo to pick me up at my dorm room. No, no, I didn't live in a dorm room. I was 22. I lived in an apartment, but like, off campus. So he sent a limo to pick me up at my apartment off campus, Took me to the only five star restaurant in San Antonio at the time, and didn't talk to me the whole night. Like, the whole night would just. I would ask him questions and he would just stare at me. And I think he said one thing about asking me if I liked the meal. And then he said one thing about how he'd had a dream that we were gonna get married, which I found so weird and bizarre to be like the only thing you would say to me. And then I never went out with him again. And my mom was really mad at me. I have to say.
Sophie Ansari
She wanted that billionaire money. She wanted the dowry.
Nava Kavilan
She wanted that. She was just like, he was obviously so nervous and shy. Why can't you just go on a second date with him and see if he opens up? I think that's why she was mad at me. She's like, you're so rigid. I was like, mom, that was the most uncomfortable experience of my life. I'm not going to do it again.
Sophie Ansari
Yeah, but.
Nava Kavilan
Yeah, so that's my relating to this story.
Sophie Ansari
Oh, my gosh. Yeah. I think this is a. This is like a epidemic where men just don't ask questions. That's like a wider issue, I think.
Nava Kavilan
Yeah.
Sophie Ansari
Okay.
Nava Kavilan
It's crazy.
Sophie Ansari
Next story. This is a short and sweet. In eighth grade, I had a maddening crush on a boy named Brian. He finally asked me out and took me to the movies. I got all dolled up in my finest 1986 fit. We went to see stand by me. I was d for him to hold my hand. Instead, I got a lap full of vomit. The pie eating scene where lard ass starts projectile vomiting Set Brian off. It was our first and last take. It's gotta be one of the worst things.
Nava Kavilan
No, that's horrible. I wonder. I have so many follow up questions. Like, did she stay? Did she immediately go to the bathroom to clean up the vomit? Did she gag? Like, what did she do in the immediate aftermath of that?
Sophie Ansari
I know that you have to send us a follow up note. We want to know what happened.
Nava Kavilan
That is. Sophie, what would you do if someone threw up on you? Because you're very gentle. So I'm just curious how you would.
Sophie Ansari
React if someone threw up on me, all my gentle nature would go out the window. I cannot. I think I have, like, just, like, one step below a phobia of vomit. I think a lot of most people hate it, but I will do anything I can to avoid it.
Nava Kavilan
Yeah, I cry every time I throw up. And I do have a really. If I, like, sniff if I get, like, a whiff of vomit or I, like, see it, I'm like, ooh, Ooh. Yeah, I would have been throwing up right back at that guy.
Sophie Ansari
Horrible. Thanks for submitting.
Nava Kavilan
Okay, next story. My mom angrily crashed my first date. Oh, wow. In middle school, I had my very first date. It was at the mall, and I was so nervous. Back in these days, I had a shared house key with my mom because we lived with other families. Because I was so nervous about my first date, I forgot to give my mom the house key after she dropped me off at the mall. So I go on my first date and all is going well. We're holding hands, walking around Hot Topic. Then my mom comes into the store yelling for me. I was so embarrassed and she was pissed. She had driven all the way home and realized I took the key with me. She had to drive all the way back to the mall and take the key and me back home. It was humiliating that my mom crashed my date and that it only lasted about the 30 minutes it took for her to drive there and back. My boyfriend broke up with me via text the next day. Lol.
Sophie Ansari
Okay.
Nava Kavilan
Why did he break up? Yeah, I think that's an overreaction. Yeah. I'm like, did he have, like, a plan for what was supposed to happen at the end of that day?
Sophie Ansari
Like, right.
Nava Kavilan
That just seems like such an overreaction.
Sophie Ansari
Totally. But I loved that she said she. They were walking around Hot Topic. So nostalgic. I didn't grow up in the US.
Nava Kavilan
Are there still Hot Topics?
Sophie Ansari
I don't know, actually. I don't know if they're. I feel like I never see it around, so it's a thing of the past. Maybe.
Nava Kavilan
It was definitely, like, iconic. Iconic in my childhood.
Sophie Ansari
Yeah. Yeah. Parents getting involved. I mean, that's a case for no dating before, like, some level of independence, you know, because.
Nava Kavilan
Yeah.
Sophie Ansari
When you're dependent. When you're still dependent on your parents for rides and picking up and dropping off and keys and. Yeah. There's bound to be some interjection from them.
Nava Kavilan
Makes sense.
Sophie Ansari
Yeah. Were you allowed to date Neva?
Nava Kavilan
No. I blame my parents for my current issues, for making me wait too long to date. It was like, such delayed development.
Sophie Ansari
Yeah.
Nava Kavilan
I wasn't allowed to date till I was 16.
Sophie Ansari
Okay. And did you. When you turned 16, were you, like, fiending?
Nava Kavilan
No, I think I. By then I was like. I started dating a lot of long distance people, which, like, is almost not real.
Sophie Ansari
Yeah. So it's a different experience. For sure.
Nava Kavilan
Yeah. I had started going to this, like, American summer camp, and then I just kept falling in love with boys at that camp.
Sophie Ansari
Yeah, I feel you.
Nava Kavilan
So, yes, I was, like, dating, but it was like. It was like AIM messages.
Sophie Ansari
Yeah. Yeah. It's tricky figuring out the timing. Okay, I'm gonna read the next one. Summer of freshman year of college, I was on a date when his car caught on fire while on the highway in Connecticut. Got out unharmed. But after he knew I was s. Safe, he turned to me and said, wish I was still with my ex girlfriend.
Nava Kavilan
What? What do you think he's like, laugh his life. Exactly. And he was like, you're not. She's not.
Sophie Ansari
Just like a moment of clarity in my mind, I was saying, so do I. Because then I wouldn't have been the one running for my life from the car when it caught on fire.
Nava Kavilan
That is so crazy.
Sophie Ansari
That really does sound like he just like he had a near death experience and he was like, okay, now I know what I need to do. I need to go back to my ex.
Nava Kavilan
Yeah. Veronica's not the one. It's Chelsea. You know, that was his leg. I'm sorry, that. That.
Sophie Ansari
That. You were the recipient of that. That is.
Nava Kavilan
That's so funny. That's great. Well, sometimes you need a little fire true to know what to do. Okay, this is anonymous, I hope. Yes, it is. Anyway, we brought some food after school once and walked a mile to a park and sat on a bench for like four hours. And the park was connected to a gate that, like, went into a preschool. People kept talking to us and just wouldn't leave us alone. Dog walkers, runners, sweet old people. And we talked for ages and then we were left to ourselves and we talked and started making out. Then turned to see 30 preschool kids just staring. So awkward. Then 10 minutes later, an old friend we hadn't seen for a while showed up bald. And we found out he had. Oh, my.
Sophie Ansari
Keep going.
Nava Kavilan
We found out he had cancer. Such a strange five hours of my life.
Sophie Ansari
Wow.
Nava Kavilan
Do you think I should read that line again? Is it bad that I was laughing?
Sophie Ansari
No, no, I think. I think it was clear what you were feeling. It was like I didn't know where it was going.
Nava Kavilan
Okay.
Sophie Ansari
Oh, My gosh. Yeah, that is.
Nava Kavilan
This was a strange one minute of my life.
Sophie Ansari
Comedy of air.
Nava Kavilan
Like roller coaster preschoolers. The friend.
Sophie Ansari
Oh, my gosh.
Nava Kavilan
Yeah.
Sophie Ansari
Why are you making out in broad daylight when the preschoolers are out? I was like, when you first started reading the story, I was imagining like a dark, you know, like nighttime in a park. Yeah, that's on you.
Nava Kavilan
Sorry, that does seem like it's on him.
Sophie Ansari
And we'll be right back.
Dan Buettner
All right, so let's just, let's just real talk, as they say, for a second. That's a little bit of an aged thing to say now that, that dates me, doesn't it? But no real talk. How important is your health to you, you know, on like a 1 to 10. And I don't mean the, in the sense of vanity. I mean in the sense of like, you want your day to go well, right? You want to be less stressed. You don't want to get sick when you have responsibilities. I know myself. I'm a householder. I have, I have two children and two more on the way. A spouse, a pet, you know, a job that sometimes has its demands. So I really want to feel like when I'm not getting to sleep and I'm not getting nutrition, when my eating's down, I want to know that I'm, that I'm being held down some other way physically. You know, my family holds me down emotionally, spiritually, but I need something to hold me down physically, right. And so honestly, I turn to Symbiotica, these, these, these, these vitamins and these beautiful little packets that they taste delicious. And I'm telling you, even before I started doing ads for these guys, it was a product that I, I really, really liked and enjoyed and could see the differences with the three that I use. I use, I use the, the, what is it called? Liposomal vitamin C. And it tastes delicious. Like really, really good. Comes out in a packet. You put it right in your mouth. Some people don't do that. I do it. I think it tastes great. I use the liposomal glutathione as well in the morning. Really good for gut health. And although I don't need it, you know, anti aging. And then I also use the magnesium L Threonate, which is really good for, for, I think, mood and stress. I sometimes use it in the morning, sometimes use it at night. All three of these things taste incredible. Honestly, you, you don't even need to mix it with water and. Yeah, I just couldn't recommend them highly enough. If you want to try them out go to symbiotica.com podcrust for 20% off plus free shipping that's symbiotica.com podcrUST for 20% off plus free shipping as the.
Sophie Ansari
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Nava Kavilan
Sophie, what's the strangest thing you've ever been, like, caught doing? Or, like, you were in the middle of something and then you turn around and someone was watching.
Sophie Ansari
Probably, like, picking my nose. Honestly, like, by David.
Nava Kavilan
Yeah. Yeah. That's a classic as an adult. Yeah. They're like, yeah.
Sophie Ansari
Still love me.
Nava Kavilan
Yeah.
Sophie Ansari
Yeah. No, I can't think. I know there's more. There's more salacious stuff, but. Oh, no, actually, one time. Sorry, this actually does have to do with dates and. And love and romance.
Nava Kavilan
Yeah.
Sophie Ansari
My high school boyfriend and I were at my house. This is, like, to me, a sign that teenagers have no inhibition. They just have no, no, no concept of consequences. I was at my house, and we knew that my mom was home. And my mom, my parents were very strict about. They had told me the same thing as you, Nava, even more. They said, no dating till you're married. But I, like, forced my will. And I had a high school boyfriend. Fine. They accepted it eventually. He and I were making out on my bed. Nothing, like, clothes were on, you know? But we were kissing, and my mom walked in and I told her, we're tickling each other.
Nava Kavilan
And she still talks about it.
Sophie Ansari
She's like, how dare you? Like, it's insulting.
Nava Kavilan
That's so funny, Sophie. What did she say in the moment?
Sophie Ansari
Actually, in the moment, she just left. Like, I think I didn't even notice that she came. And then she talked to me about it afterwards. Like, scolded me.
Nava Kavilan
Yeah.
Sophie Ansari
And. And I said, oh, no, you're mistaken. We were tickling each other.
Nava Kavilan
You're mistaken, Helen.
Sophie Ansari
Yeah, that's probably.
Nava Kavilan
Oh, Helen, how silly of you. That's so funny. Yeah, I can't think of, I think just, like, being caught dancing in, like, a supermarket or something.
Sophie Ansari
That's cute.
Nava Kavilan
Like, someone like. Yeah. I feel like there's probably something more embarrassing, but I can't think of anything. When I was, like, six, I was, like, playing doctor with another little kid in the community, and my mom, like, opened the bathroom door and our parents talked to both of us. But, wow, that was a long time ago. Yeah.
Sophie Ansari
Yeah. That's a good one. That's a good one.
Nava Kavilan
But I feel like.
Sophie Ansari
And I feel like that's a common experience. Honestly. So much curiosity at that age.
Nava Kavilan
So much, you know, you just got to know what's going on. Yeah.
Sophie Ansari
Okay, I'm next, I guess. Okay. It was my best friend's funeral who died from cancer. Oh. I went in my little black dress. What? Why are these stories such a mix of, like. I don't even know the tone of this yet. Okay, I'm gonna keep going. I went in my little black dress in sixth grade, and some dude in my math class asked if he could be my date. The funeral. Be my date to the funeral. And I said, I don't feel comfortable with that. Okay, that's good. And then he showed up to the funeral with flowers for me. Sweet. I guess. And then sat next to me and tried to touch my thigh. And I said no. Wtf. So, yeah, that's a story. Love you guys. So excited to see you live in Octo. October in la. Oh, we're excited to see you, too. Oh, yeah. Like, time and a place, buddy.
Nava Kavilan
Yeah. Yeah, exactly. I think the first. The first red flag was date to the funeral. Yeah, I think that.
Sophie Ansari
You know, and I. I'm proud of our listener who had her. What's about her? She's like, no, that's weird.
Nava Kavilan
Yeah.
Sophie Ansari
And I'm sorry about your friend in sixth. To have a best friend who passes away at any point is really tragic, but in sixth grade, that's really hard. So, yeah, I'm sorry. And I'll be thinking about your friend.
Nava Kavilan
Okay. I went out on a date with a guy in the eighth grade. We had been talking for a while, and I really liked him. I thought he liked me, too. But it turns out he was just pretending to like me because he wanted to get closer to my friend group. Come to find out, he has a Crush on one of my guy friends. I don't know how I didn't see it sooner, because he would often subtly throw in questions about my guy friend. But none of the other friends from my circle. A lot of the kids at the school found out about it because it was a small town, and I was super embarrassed and hurt.
Sophie Ansari
Aw. I'm sorry.
Nava Kavilan
Yeah.
Sophie Ansari
Yeah. I feel like middle school is a time when a lot. There's a lot of that happening. Maybe less and less now, but I feel like so often anyone who is gay or queer is trying to, like, figure it out and maybe doesn't feel comfortable to, like, explore that. And so they're. There is a lot of this that happens. I had that experience, too, so sorry. Okay. I became single for the first time since I was 15, when I was 23. Wow. Okay. In relationships from 15 to 23, Tinder was the new thing. This guy seemed nice. We met at a local bar when I got off from work because I knew the bartender there, and I knew he would look out for me. That's a good idea. She has her wits about her. Anyway, we got a beer, and he continued to talk about how much money he had. And by he, I mean his parents, who he didn't even live or get anything from, and wouldn't stop talking. So I just kept drinking to drown him out. Oh. He begged to go across the street to this tapas place for food. I agreed because I was also hungry and was waiting for the friend. For a friend to come pick me up with a fake emergency. We walk into a gated courtyard, and he asked if he can kiss me. I said, no, thanks. And he put his lip out like a pouty baby.
Nava Kavilan
Oh, my goodness.
Sophie Ansari
And said, I guess I'm not good enough for you. Oh, my God. And I said, you're right. And he. He grabbed my face and mauled it with his mouth. Oh, my God.
Nava Kavilan
That's horrible. No, that's assault.
Sophie Ansari
Yeah. Also, I kicked him in the ankle, and thank God there was a cop standing on the sidewalk who saw and heard it all. Guy got detained. I told them I didn't want to press charges because I didn't want him to actually know my real name. I have a fake one for the date because I worked law enforcement at the time and was worried about going on these app dates Anyway. And then four years later, he found me somehow on Facebook and messaged me to apologize, then asked if I could send him. Oh, my God. I don't know if I can read the rest. He asked her to send some salacious things. Moral of the story is always press charges. Whoa. Wow, that is intense.
Nava Kavilan
That's really intense. I also am curious if you should. I mean, she was law enforcement, so we should probably listen to her. And I'm basing this on, like, SVU and Brett Kavanaugh, I guess, but it feels like very often if you press charges, nothing actually happens. So. Yeah, I'm so curious if that. Like, she might have been wise. It looks like he found her name anyway. But he found it four years later where he had, like, obviously cooled down considerably. Whereas if he had, like, known it that same week, who knows, right?
Sophie Ansari
Like, maybe he would have retaliated or something somehow. Yeah. This is so crazy. And, I mean, unfortunately, it's not actually that crazy. I think this is. You know, most women have some kind of story. Maybe not this. This bad, but some story of, like, unwanted touch or sexual advances and. Oh, my God, just totally. I feel like I need to give, like, some. Some section of men, like, just like, a preschool lesson on, like, do not, like, it's not going to end well for you if you force. Yeah, anything.
Nava Kavilan
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Sophie Ansari
Anyway.
Nava Kavilan
Okay. This guy took me to the gym for our first date, and the whole time he wouldn't stop looking at himself in the mirrors like he was on a date with his own reflection, lol. I finally told him you have mirrors at home, and he went furious. He said, but look at these muscles. They're much better than yours. Then he had the nerve to invite me to the gym again for a second date. I told him I'd be there, but I didn't even show up. Let him romance the mirrors. Instead, I blocked him afterwards.
Sophie Ansari
Oh, my God.
Nava Kavilan
That's. That's. That's wild. And I feel like, some kind of sympathy for this guy because there's something wrong. Like, that's just such abnormal behavior that there's gotta be, like, an underlying issue there, I think. Don't you think?
Sophie Ansari
I could never date a fine. A gym bro. I couldn't.
Nava Kavilan
A gym bro. So David's not a gym bro? No, no.
Sophie Ansari
And I love him for it.
Nava Kavilan
Okay, I'll read the next.
Sophie Ansari
Oh, I think you read that, Chelsea Jo. Okay.
Nava Kavilan
Yeah. Yeah.
Sophie Ansari
My sophomore year homecoming date, we were dating for maybe two weeks, and I think already decided I was going to break up with him. And I think I already decided I was gonna break up with him. It was not serious and very cringe. At dinner, before the dance, we were with a group of friends, and he said in front of everyone, that my best friend who was sitting right there was a step up from me. I spent the whole night not wanting to be there, asking my friend to switch for at least one song and dance with my friend, her date, once. Best part of the night. This happened two days after my 16th birthday. I gave him a $20 limit for my gift because we weren't together long. And he gave me a $40 necklace. I was so mad. Why are you mad?
Nava Kavilan
Okay.
Sophie Ansari
I was so mad that I used that as leverage to break up with him, but then kept the necklace. This all still makes me laugh almost 12 years later. Bonus. More recently, I was on a blind date that lasted is because I was too nice to say I wanted to leave. And it just kept going. Hey, friend, I think there's a pattern here. You're not breaking up when you should. You're letting it go too long.
Nava Kavilan
That's true. Ending a bad day is really hard. There's gotta be like an. There's probably tons of advice online so we could just find out what it is. But there's gotta be an art to it, like, how to do it firmly and can be very hard.
Sophie Ansari
Yeah, it is hard. And also, like, I mean, but six.
Nava Kavilan
Hours is crazy at that point. You just say you're having a medical emergency. You just say, I'm bleeding. I have to go.
Sophie Ansari
Have you ever had someone, like, do the, you know, the classic, like, fake emergency call for you?
Nava Kavilan
No, I don't think I've ever done that. I think one time at a club, I like, faked a cell phone call because this guy was like, dancing with me too aggressively to just, like, walk away. But I've never, like, had a friend stage a call. But I usually. If I'm going on a date with someone on an. From an app, I'll set it to just be an hour for the first one because I don't want to. I'll just say, like, I'm available from this time to this time, and then I have something after so that I'm not stuck in. Like.
Sophie Ansari
There you go. That's good advice.
Nava Kavilan
Yeah.
Sophie Ansari
Yeah. Set a time limit before.
Nava Kavilan
Yeah.
Sophie Ansari
Okay. This next one is good. 11 is good. It's very short.
Nava Kavilan
I saw the Revenant on a first date. We sat in silence. When we left, he looked at me, said, deuces, flashed a peace sign and walked away. That's a perfect story. I have nothing to add. That's just amazing. The Revenant.
Sophie Ansari
Such an intense first date movie. Deuces.
Nava Kavilan
That's amazing. Yeah, I guess my Only follow up is like, I wonder how old these people were. Because the Revenant, I'm thinking, not that young. But the deuces, I'm thinking 14. So I really don't know.
Sophie Ansari
It's almost. This is almost like a poem.
Nava Kavilan
The experience.
Sophie Ansari
We sat in silence.
Nava Kavilan
True Deuces. He left. That's great.
Sophie Ansari
I don't know if this counts as a date or not because it was middle school, but my boyfriend Anthony invited me to go to a dance together. At one point in the night, I couldn't find him. And then I looked on the dance floor, and he was dancing with a blonde girl named Amy. Oh, Amy. Just as I saw that friend of Anthony's. Just as I saw that a friend of Anthony's I didn't know came over to me and said, are you Isabella? I said, yes. He said, anthony doesn't want to go out with you anymore and to grow some tits. I actually cried. A year later, I did grow some tits. And he came back begging and asking for me to forgive him. If you react to it on the show, I'll let you guys know if I did or not. Kidding. Just wanted to share.
Nava Kavilan
Oh, my gosh, that's wild. And it also is like. It really was about the tits. You know, Sometimes it's like, was it really? But no, I guess it really was. Wow. Oh, my goodness. Crazy.
Sophie Ansari
I. Isabella, I would have given you some tits. I hated having.
Nava Kavilan
That was crazy. I would gladly take some. Gladly. I just. The other day, I, like, bought a. I bought a little corset top for the book tour. I mean, I bought a whole outfit, and the corset top is part of it. And I was like. I knew that the cups were going to be too big for me, but I was like, let me just buy it because it looks so good. Anyway, I got the corset top. The cups were way too big for me. I'm like, I have no shame in my breast size. I think it's funny. I'm an A. I've been an A my whole life. Even when I gain a ton of weight. I gained 20 pounds when I moved to California. None of it went to my breasts. Some of it will anyway. It's just a crazy phenomenon. I can't get past being an A. But so I put on this corset top, and I was like, oh, my God, the corset looks so amazing with this outfit. But the breasts are ridiculous. So I, like, stuffed it with, like, socks, which I haven't done since I was, like, 10. Just to see? And I was like, oh, this is what it would be like if I had breasts. And I just had this moment of like, should I get a breast job? And I was like, no, no, I shouldn't. But, yeah, just that, like, one moment of like, what it would be like to have boobs. You know, a different life.
Sophie Ansari
If you see Nava in a corset top on the book tour, know that there are socks in there.
Nava Kavilan
Yeah, that's the only way I'm pulling it off. I think I might get it tailored.
Sophie Ansari
I don't know.
Nava Kavilan
We'll see. I haven't decided, but. Or socks, you know, one or the other. Yeah. Stick around. We'll be right back. I don't think we're talking about our hormones enough. They affect everything. Our energy, mood, sleep, even our skin. And when they're out of balance, oh my God. Fatigue, mood swings, brain fog, breakouts, you name it. It can feel like everything is just a little off. That's why I started using Glow by Beam. It's a once daily hormone balancing blend for women that's made such a difference. One Scoop gives you 18 active ingredients. Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, plus electrolytes. All designed to support metabolism, immune function, hydration, even collagen production for healthier hair, skin and nails. And it's so easy. Just mix one scoop with water, shake it up and you're good to go. Honestly, it tastes great too. Blue, raspberry, lemon, ginger, Raspberry. So it actually feels like a treat. Over 40,000 women have trusted Glow by Beam to support their hormone health. And now it's your turn. Glow is here to help bring you back to balance. Because balance isn't a luxury, it's. It's essential. For a limited time, Beam is offering our listeners up to 35% off Glow. Just visit shopbeam.com podcrushed and use code podcrushed at checkout. That's shop b e a m.com podcrushed and don't forget to use code podcrust for your exclusive discount.
Sophie Ansari
Fall is in full swing and it's the perfect time to refresh your wardrobe with pieces that feel as good as they look. Luckily, Quince makes it easy to look polished, stay warm and save big without compromising on quality. Quince has all the elevated essentials for fall. Think 100 Mongolian cashmere from $50. That's right, $50. Washable silk tops and skirts and perfectly tailored denim. All at prices that feel too good to be true. I am currently eyeing their silk mini skirt I have been dying for a silk mini skirt. I've been looking everywhere at thrift stores just like all over all over town. But I just saw that Quince has one on their website and it's exactly what I've been looking for. So I'm just gonna click put that in my cart. By partnering directly with ethical top tier factories, Quince cuts out the middlemen to deliver luxury quality pieces at half the price of similar brands. It's the kind of wardrobe upgrade that feels smart, stylish and effortless. Keep it classic and cozy this fall with long lasting staples from quince. Go to quince.com podcrust for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's Q U I N C E.com podcrushed to get free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com podcrushed does anyone else ever get.
Nava Kavilan
That nagging feeling that their dog might be bored? And do you also feel like super guilty about it? Well, one way that I combat that feeling is I'm making meal time everything it can be for my little boy. Louie Nom Nom does this with food that actually engages your pup's senses with a mix of tantalizing smells, textures and ingredients. Nom Nom offers six recipes bursting with premium proteins, vibrant veggies and tempting textures designed to add excitement to your dog's day. Pork Potluck, Chicken Cuisine, Turkey Fare, Beef Mash, Lamb Pilaf and Turkey and Chicken Cookout. I mean, are you kidding me? I want to eat these recipes. Each recipe is cooked gently in small batches to seal in vital nutrients and maximize digestibility. And their recipes are crafted by vet nutritionists, so I feel good knowing its design. With Louie's health and happiness in mind, serve Nom Nom as a complete and balanced meal or is a tasty and healthy addition to your dog's current diet. My dogs are like my children, literally, which is why I'm committed to giving them only the best. Hold on, let me start again because I've only been talking about Luke Louie Louie is my baby. Louie. You might have heard him growl just now. Louie is my little baby and I'm committed to only giving him the best. I love that. Nom Nom's recipes contain wholesome, nutrient rich food, meat that looks like meat and veggies that look like veggies. Because shocker, they are. Louie has been going absolutely nuts for the lamb pilaf. I have to confess that he's never had anything like it and he cannot get enough, so he's a Lampy laugh guy. Keep Mealtime Exciting with Nom Nom. Available at your local Petsmart store or at Chewy. Learn more at trynom.com podcrushed spelled try n o m.com podcrushed all right, our final bad date story. Let's see. Hello, my beloved crushers. My worst date ever was my first date ever. I had just graduated high school, and my best friend's boyfriend told me that his friend thought I was hot and wanted to take me out, so he planned a double date. I knew nothing really about this guy except that he was cute and played baseball and mostly was just so excited and flattered that a popular guy from a different school was interested in me. Over the course of the evening, he asked if I had a dog, to which I replied, yes, a beagle. And he said, that's not a dog, that's a type of car. And then I had to literally show him a picture of a beagle to get him to believe me because he was adamant I was wrong. The nerve. That is just.
Sophie Ansari
Wow.
Nava Kavilan
At the end of the date, we were parked in his car looking out at the water, and he was changing the radio stations, trying to find a good song. He said, I'd let you play your music, but it probably sucks, before abruptly grabbing my face and plunging his tongue into my mouth. Yeah, I had only had one previous kiss before this, so I was completely shocked and disgusted, but I was so scared to appear uncool that I played it all off. To make it all worse, I said to my friend, hey, didn't your dad say he wanted us home by 9? Trying to hint that I wanted to leave. And she did not get the memo and just said, nope, he's fine if we stay out late.
Sophie Ansari
No.
Nava Kavilan
Friends, friends, come on. After the date, he told everyone I was a bad kisser and then texted me a week later, generously offering to take my virginity since he had since heard how inexperienced I was and wanted to, quote, unquote, offer to help. What a jerk. Lol. Never saw him again, thankfully. Hope this isn't too long. Love you guys so much and so excited for your book. We love you too. What a great story.
Sophie Ansari
That was a perfect one to end on. It was like it had everything.
Nava Kavilan
Shock, horror comedy offers to pop. It's just so crazy. Can you imagine texting someone to be like, I'll do it. I'll take your virginity. I'll do it. After telling everyone the person was a bad kisser.
Sophie Ansari
Wild, wild you know that meme. It's like, if men have one thing, it's the audacity.
Nava Kavilan
Yeah.
Sophie Ansari
How dare he?
Nava Kavilan
It's so crazy.
Sophie Ansari
Also crazy that this was her first date. I hope that. I hope your following dates with other people have been smoother.
Nava Kavilan
That's so funny. I'm definitely not trying to man hate. There are all kinds of crazy women out there and all kinds of lovely men out there. 100 and all kinds of lovely women, blah, blah, blah. But did you see that? There was, like, a riddle going around on Instagram that was like. Like, boys have this every day of the year, but women. Boys wear this every day of the year, but women only wear it once a year. And people are like, audacity. I think the correct answer was birthday. It's all wrong. It has to do with the letter Y. So, like, men have the letter Y every day in the word boy, but girls only have it in the. In their birthday. I don't know. It didn't even make sense when I found out what the reveal was. But a very popular answer was audacity.
Sophie Ansari
Nava, you're sounding like I'm trying to explain things.
Nava Kavilan
Wait, let me tell you. Let me start again. Let me start again.
Sophie Ansari
I promise it makes sense.
Nava Kavilan
Let's just cut this. This can be the blooper.
Sophie Ansari
Just so everyone knows, we love men on this podcast. Obviously, just because Penn is here, we figured we'd take the opportunity to do a little, you know, ribbing. No. Many, many men are wonderful. It just so happens we asked for worse date stories, and that's what we got.
Nava Kavilan
And mostly women wrote in. Men could have written in, but. But, yeah, that's not what we got.
Sophie Ansari
Yeah, that was really fun. Maybe we'll do another reaction episode one day.
Nava Kavilan
Yeah, let us know. Let us know what you. You guys are always asking us to bring back the listener stories, so let us know what you think and if we did another one, what you would want the theme to be.
Sophie Ansari
Yeah. All right.
Nava Kavilan
Bye. Bye.
Sophie Ansari
Podfreshed is hosted by Penn Badgley, Nava Kavilan, and Sophie Ansari. Our senior producer is David Ansari. Editing is done by Clips Agency. If you haven't subscribed to LA Premium yet, now's the perfect time. Because guess what? You can listen completely ad free, plus you'll unlock exclusive bonus content. Like the time we talked to Luca Bravo about the profound effect that the film into the Wild had on him. The conversation was so moving. And you are not going to hear it anywhere else. Just tap the subscribe button. On Apple Podcasts or head to lemonadapremium.com to subscribe on any other app. That's lemonadapremium.com don't miss out. And as always, you can listen to podcrust ad free on Amazon Music with your prime membership. Okay, that's all. Bye. Hi there, it's Julia Louis Dreyfus. This fall, my podcast Wiser Than Me is back for Season three with even more wisdom straight from some legendary old ladies. These chickadees have a lot to teach us. Every every word is a lesson in living unapologetically and focusing on the stuff that really matters. From Lemonada Media Wiser Than Me Season three out now. Find it wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to Lemonada Premium in the Apple Podcasts app and listen to every episode of season three A.D. free. Our health care system is broken in so many ways. We have a health care system that's.
Nava Kavilan
Supposed to be taking care of people.
Sophie Ansari
That is making it literally more difficult for people to put food on the table. So this season we'll dive into the challenges headfirst while also thinking about how we can find a better way because we all deserve better. Uncared for. Season 3 from Lemon Monada Media, available August 6th. Wherever you get your podcasts.
Hosts: Nava Kavelin & Sophie Ansari (Penn Badgley on paternity leave)
Release Date: September 17, 2025
Episode Theme:
An honest, hilarious, and sometimes harrowing journey through listeners’ most mortifying, awkward, and just plain disastrous date stories—read and discussed live on air by Sophie and Nava with their signature warmth, empathy, and wit.
(Skip ads and non-content portions)
With Penn Badgley away on paternity leave, Sophie and Nava hold down the fort and dive into a pile of listener submissions about the “worst dates ever.” Stories range from allergy mishaps to accidental public embarrassments and everything in between. The hosts share their own cringe-worthy date memories and offer comic, heartfelt, and occasionally sobering commentary as they go.
“That was the most uncomfortable experience of my life. I’m not going to do it again.”
—Nava, after silent billionaire date (10:11)
“If someone threw up on me, all my gentle nature would go out the window.”
—Sophie, on the movie vomit date (11:34)
“Just because Penn isn’t here, we figured we’d take the opportunity to do a little ribbing... many, many men are wonderful. It just so happens we asked for worst date stories, and that’s what we got.”
—Sophie (43:56)
“Setting a time limit before a first date—so you’re not stuck.”
—Nava, on best practices for avoiding long bad dates (33:13)
On men and audacity:
—“There was a riddle going around… A very popular answer was ‘audacity.’” —Nava (43:44)
The episode is a tapestry of laughter, commiseration, cringe, personal confessions, and hard-earned wisdom—reminding listeners that bad dates happen to everyone and that good friends (and stories) can turn them into something valuable. Sophie and Nava encourage more listener participation for future themed episodes.
[End of Summary]