Barbie vs Mr Potato Head

Summary

Smash Boom Best: “Barbie vs. Mr. Potato Head”

Podcast: Smash Boom Best
Host: Molly Bloom
Debaters: Alex Nader (Team Barbie), Comrade Tripp (Team Mr. Potato Head)
Judge: Julia, San Francisco
Date: May 7, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this spirited, creative, and often hilarious debate episode, two classic toys go head-to-head: the world-renowned Barbie and the ever-customizable Mr. Potato Head. The show’s signature format encourages kids and families to think critically about arguments, logical fallacies, and what makes a strong case. Musical theater performer and Story Pirate Alex Nader takes up the Barbie banner, while comedian Comrade Tripp argues for the spud with a heart. Judge Julia, an opera-singing, triathlon-competing teen, decides which toy deserves the crown—after several fierce rounds of facts, rebuttals, and invented words.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. [04:48] Declaration of Greatness: Barbie

Alex Nader’s Case for Barbie:

• Empowering Imagination & Ambition: Alex shares, “When I was a kid, I loved my Barbies. I would spend hours creating scenarios and elaborate adventures for them.” (04:48)
• Barbie as a Trailblazer:
  • Expansive Careers: “She takes up space. She has main character energy. And that confidence is probably why she's excelled at countless careers... News anchor, firefighter, architect, Olympian... astronaut, nurse, CEO, computer engineer, game developer, wildlife conservationist. And she's run for president almost every election since 1992.” (06:05)
  • Cultural Shift: “Barbie’s impressive range reflects changing ideas about women in the workforce. In fact, she helped with that.” (06:41)
• Diversity & Inclusion:
  • “She now comes in a variety of body types, skin tones, hair textures, facial features. There’s Barbies with prosthetic limbs, wheelchairs and hearing aids. The makers of Barbie even released the first ever autistic Barbie.” (07:55)
• Resilient and Evolving Brand:
  • “The world bends to you, Barbie, but you bend to no one, literally, because your arms don't bend. Long live Barbie.” (08:52)
• Memorable Moment: Barbie’s confidence and adaptability are celebrated through playful roleplay and heartfelt nostalgia.

Judge Julia’s Response:

• “I loved your point that Barbie lets little girls see themselves beyond motherhood and all sorts of amazing careers. And that's definitely something I experienced growing up with Barbie.” (09:22)

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2. [09:43] Rebuttal: Comrade Tripp for Mr. Potato Head

Key Points:

• “What about Weird Barbie? Her parts came off. Never put them back on.” (09:43)
• "Nominated for an Oscar. Didn't win. Didn't win." (10:11, referencing the Barbie movie)
• “Barbie’s limbs…aren’t they all prosthetic?” (10:15)
• Memorable Exchange:
  • Alex: “True imagination has no lane. It can go anywhere, just like Barbie.” (10:18)
  • Comrade: “But how does it go? Places without lanes?” (10:27)
  • Alex: "Where we're going, we don't need roads." (10:31)

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3. [12:31] Declaration of Greatness: Mr. Potato Head

Comrade Tripp’s Case for Mr. Potato Head:

• Origins of Play: Started as literal potatoes with accessories, reflecting pure, kid-led creativity (12:31)
  • “George decided to make a toy for his kids out of real food...He gathered up bottle caps and thumbtacks from around the house and stuck them on real potatoes to make silly faces.” (13:10)
• Toy Innovation: “It was the first toy to ever appear in a TV commercial.” (14:19)
• Simplicity and Accessibility:
  • “Unlike pretty much everything else in the world. The world today isn't refreshed nor simple. It's rotten and complicated...With Mr. Potato Head, you don't have the endless, overwhelming options.” (14:35)
  • “Just eyeballs, a mouth, ears, a fancy little mustache maybe. And your imagination. That's all you need.” (14:53)
• Cultural Relevance and Enduring Appeal:
  • “Mr. Potato Head is the underdog in this debate. Potatoes literally grow under the ground. They have eyes, but they never sparkle.” (16:31)
  • “It's an honor to be seen as a valiant and vested vegetable that stands the test of time...Play with Mr. Potato Head.” (17:16)
• Memorable Personal Touch: “Sometimes people try to hurt your feelings on purpose. But how can being compared to such a marvelous part of millions of people's childhoods be considered an insult? It's an honor.” (16:55)

Judge Julia’s Response:

• “I loved your argument. That Mr. Potato Head has a really unique kind of simplicity and also is kind of relatable sometimes. I love that.” (17:44)

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4. [18:01] Rebuttal: Alex Nader for Barbie

Key Points:

• “My ears don't fall off of my body willy nilly. I am going to argue that, yes, Mr. Potato Head is simple, accessible, and that makes Mr. Potato Head limited, where Barbie is limitless." (18:01)
• “I just think that Barbie has a Jeep, remember?” (18:30)
• Humorous Banter: Admits to being thrown off by Comrade’s delivery, but remains team Barbie in spirit (19:01)

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5. [23:07] Micro Round: “Three Facts” Face-Off

Each debater gets three short turns to share a fun fact about their toy.

Standout Micro Facts

• Mr. Potato Head (Comrade Tripp):

  • [23:26] Rhode Island has over 46-ft tall Potato Head statues by local artists and Hasbro.
  • [24:13] Mr. Potato Head was a mayoral candidate in Boise, Idaho (1985), earning four votes. “A true man of the soil!” (24:53)
  • [25:25] An eco-warrior: Recent Potato Heads are made from earth-friendly, plant-based plastics.

• Barbie (Alex Nader):

  • [23:45] Over 1 billion Barbies sold worldwide—“If you counted one per second, it would take over 31 years!” (23:45)
  • [24:53] Barbie is not just a doll; she’s a multimedia franchise spanning video games, animated films, TV, web series, and a live-action Oscar-nominated movie.
  • [26:25] Serious note: Barbie’s inventor, Ruth Handler, survived breast cancer and used her expertise to design a prosthetic breast, helping countless women beyond her work with dolls.

Judge Julia’s Response:

• “I loved hearing about Mr. Potato Head's mayoral race...But I also loved hearing about Ruth Handler and being an advocate in breast cancer survivor. So I'm pretty in between right now.” (27:16)

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6. [28:23] Sneak Attack: “Dictionary Duel!”

Debaters invent a new word to capture their toy’s essence.

• Barbie (Alex):
  "Dollitastic Evolutionary" (29:00)
  Definition: A doll that has conquered a global audience.
• Mr. Potato Head (Comrade):
  "Potatobility" (29:40)
  Definition: How many pieces you can put into a potato while it's still considered a potato; the essence of adaptability and creativity.

Judge Julia evaluates which invented word best captures each toy’s spirit.

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7. [31:03] Final Six (Six Words to Sum Up Their Toy)

• Mr. Potato Head (Comrade):
  “Potato Head. Child. Imagination. Human. Heart.” (31:03)
• Barbie (Alex):
  “Enduring, ambitious, evolving, global, dollitastic, evolutionary. Barbie.” (31:17)

Deciding moment:

• Julia: “It was the last two words. Human heart. And I was like, that's really true.” (32:09)
  Mr. Potato Head clinches the victory for winning Julia over with heart and authenticity!

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Alex Nader:
  “The world bends to you, Barbie, but you bend to no one, literally, because your arms don't bend. Long live Barbie.” (08:52)
• Comrade Tripp:
  “Potato Head is just me. He's just like me. For real... It’s an honor to be seen as a valiant and vested vegetable that stands the test of time.” (16:55)
• Banter Highlight:
  Alex: “Where we're going, we don't need roads.” (10:31)
  Comrade: “Oh, great. Back to the Future reference.” (10:41)
• Julia’s Deciding Rationale:
  “It was the last two words. Human heart. And I was like, that's really true.” (32:09)
• Sportsmanship:
  Comrade: “I haven't won Smash Room Best in years. Thank you.” (32:18)
  Alex: “Your argument was the true heart, the spirit you brought to it and the simplicity…the simplicity of Mr. Potato Head and how accessible it is for any single kid or person...” (32:58)

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Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Highlight | |-----------|---------------------------------------------| | 04:48 | Declaration of Greatness: Barbie | | 09:43 | Mr. Potato Head Rebuttal | | 12:31 | Declaration of Greatness: Mr. Potato Head | | 18:01 | Barbie Rebuttal | | 23:07 | Micro Round (Three Facts Each) | | 28:23 | Sneak Attack: Dictionary Duel | | 31:03 | Final Six (Six-word Summation) | | 31:59 | Winner Announced: Mr. Potato Head | | 32:09 | Judge Julia’s Rationale |

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Tone & Style

• Playful, smart, and earnest, with lots of humor and heartfelt moments.
• Debaters use character voices, jokes, clever banter, and plenty of energy.
• Judge Julia brings thoughtful, relatable feedback with a balance of logic and emotion.

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Conclusion

This episode offers a master class in debating with heart, humor, and empathy. Both toys receive clever, passionate defenses—but it’s Mr. Potato Head’s simple, accessible spirit and “human heart” that ultimately tip the scales. Still, Barbie’s enduring legacy is acknowledged with admiration. A feel-good episode that inspires listeners to see value in both flair and simplicity—and to make every argument with kindness and brainpower!

Favorite line:
"It was the last two words: human heart. And I was like, that’s really true." — Julia (32:09)

Who won?
Mr. Potato Head, by a heart (and a spud’s worth of creativity)!

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Want to join the debate or suggest your own ideas? Head to smashboom.org!

Transcript

[Molly Bloom]

Lemonade.

[Announcer]

Brains on Universe.

[Molly Bloom]

Thinking critically is more important than ever. That's why we make smashboom Best. We want every kid to know how to spot a good argument and how to call out a logical fallacy. But none of it is possible without your support. Seriously, we could disappear if our listeners don't step up. But that part is easy. Just join SmartyPass. You'll get access to ad free versions of our shows, special online hangs with our crew, discounts on merch and more. Plus, you'll feel great knowing you're helping us pay our debaters, sound designers, writers, and more. Join [e-mail] thank you. Now it's showtime from the brains behind Brains On. It's Smash. Boom.

[Julia]

Best, the show for people with big opinions.

[Molly Bloom]

Hi, I'm Molly Bloom, and this is smashboom Best, the show where we take two things, smash them together, and ask you to decide which one is best. Today we've got two toys that spur creativity and imagination. One's a fashion icon for the ages, and the other one is a bulbous blank slate. That's right. It's a Barbie versus Mr. Potato Head. Here to spar for the spud is comedian comrade Tripp.

[Comrade Tripp]

I'm here to show you all how appealing Mr. Potato it is. Appealing.

[Molly Bloom]

And here to do it for the dolls is singer, actor, and story pirate, Alex Nader.

[Alex Nader]

Do you hear that? Yeah. It's the sound of me coming down Barbie Dreamhouse's elevator to snatch this win.

[Molly Bloom]

And our judge for this playful prize fight is Julia from San Francisco. Julia competes in triathlons, sings Chinese opera, and has two guinea pigs in and a brother. Welcome, Julia.

[Julia]

Hi, everyone.

[Molly Bloom]

So tell me how you got started singing Chinese opera.

[Julia]

Yeah. So I grew up going to a Chinese immersion school where I spent half the day just learning everything in complete Mandarin and the other half in English. And I thought practicing Chinese opera would be a good way to stay connected to my Chinese culture. And it's super cool. You get to use swords and spears and stuff like that.

[Molly Bloom]

Whoa. That is really cool. So how is Chinese opera different than, like, Italian opera? Say.

[Julia]

Well, the most obvious one is it's in Chinese. But also I would say there's a bunch of different other character roles. Like in Italian opera, you don't really think of people doing martial arts or stuff on stage. Whereas in Chinese opera, you have specific characters who all they do are really cool flips and stuff like that.

[Molly Bloom]

Whoa. That is really cool. So do you get to do the flips?

[Julia]

I'm working on it.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, that's so cool. So what's a character you've gotten to play that you've enjoyed?

[Julia]

Mmm, well, one big part of my Chinese opera experience is teaching younger kids how to do Chinese opera. And there was one where they played the clouds in this giant Chinese opera production with all sorts of professional troops. And they were in the background doing their little cloud dance. And that was a lot of fun.

[Molly Bloom]

That's so cool. Okay, and triathlon. Can you tell us what triathlon is?

[Julia]

Yeah, it's a super cool endurance event where you start in the water swimming, then you transition to cycling on your bike, and then you end up with running.

[Molly Bloom]

So is one of those parts of the race your favorite, do you have

[Julia]

to say during the race? None of them are my favorite. But my favorite part of triathlon in general is just after the race when you get to hang out with the other athletes and you drink your chocolate milk. It's always a lot of fun.

[Molly Bloom]

That's so cool. So do you have any advice for Comrade and Alex today?

[Julia]

I think a good argument starts with being a good listener. So make sure to really understand your opponent's arguments.

[Molly Bloom]

Very good. Well, we'll see if Julia picks Team Barbie or Team Mr. Potato Head. But first, here are the rules of the game. Every debate consists of four. The declaration of greatness, the micro round, the sneak attack, and the final six. After each round, our judge, Julia will award points to the team that impresses them the most. But she'll keep her decisions top secret until the end of the debate. Listeners, we want you to judge too. Mark down your points as you listen. At the end of the show, head to our website, smashboom.org and vote for whichever team you think won. Okay, Julia, Comrade, and Alex, are you ready?

[Alex Nader]

Yes.

[Comrade Tripp]

Yeah. Let's starch our engines.

[Julia]

I'm ready.

[Molly Bloom]

Then it's time for the declaration of Greatness. In this round, our debaters will present a well crafted, immersive argument in favor of their side. Then they'll each have 30 seconds to rebut their opponent's statements. We flipped a coin. And Alex, you're up first. Tell us why life in plastic is indeed fantastic. Fantastic.

[Alex Nader]

When I was a kid, I loved my Barbies. I would spend hours creating scenarios and elaborate adventures for them. Basking in the outfits, the accessories, and the plasticky blonde hair of Barbie.

[Announcer]

Barbie, you're amazing.

[Supporting Voice]

No, Alex, as a young girl, you're amazing with a bright future ahead of you.

[Alex Nader]

Aw, Barbie. Do I even have to explain how incredible Barbie is? Just look at her. She stands up straight, she takes up space. You don't see her hiding behind a mustache, pieces of her face falling off. No, no, no, no, no. She has main character energy. And that confidence is probably why she's excelled at countless careers. Could you imagine seeing Barbie's resume slide across your desk?

[Supporting Voice]

So what made you interested in working at Super Scoops ice cream parlor? Oh, I just felt like it was time for something new. And I love ice cream. Oh, well, let's take a look at your resume here. News anchor, firefighter, architect, Olympian. What was your sport? Oh, just skiing, gymnastics, surfing, basketball, swimming, tennis and beach volleyball.

[Molly Bloom]

I.

[Announcer]

You.

[Molly Bloom]

You're hired.

[Alex Nader]

Yay. She's also been an astronaut, nurse, CEO, computer engineer, game developer, wildlife conservationist, and she's run for president almost every election since 1992. Now you might be thinking, wow, Barbie, pick a lane. But that's the thing. Barbie's impressive range reflects changing ideas about women in the workforce. In fact, she helped with that. Let me explain. If You've seen the 2023 Barbie film, which was. Oh, what is it now? Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, you might remember that the film starts with a group of girls playing with baby dolls. Because before Barbie, almost all dolls were babies. They laid into the idea that young girls were meant to be moms and pretty much only moms.

[Announcer]

Hey, Brenda, do you want to go climb that apple tree? I see some fruit at the tippity top. I can't. I'm triple feeding all my baby dolls. It's so stressful. Brenda, you need a break. Not when the lives of 12 dolls depend on me. I'm coming, William.

[Alex Nader]

When Barbie came on the scene in 1959, she was revolutionary. She had an identity, an independence, cool clothes, jobs, and friends. And she wasn't defined only by motherhood. And she kept changing since then. She now comes in a variety of body types, skin tones, hair textures, facial features. There's Barbies with prosthetic limbs, wheelchairs and hearing aids. The makers of Barbie even released the first ever autistic Barbie, which was created with guidance from the autistic community.

[Supporting Voice]

Mr.

[Alex Nader]

Potato Head dropped the Mr. To become just Potato Head in an effort to become more inclusive, which is cool, but it's nothing compared to the self reflection and growth of Barbie.

[Supporting Voice]

I can change. I trust myself to grow. I choose me.

[Alex Nader]

I just love a girly who's willing to really look inward and do the work, you know? And she's been doing that work for over 70 years, inspiring kids to be whatever they want to be, like Me, I've always dreamed of winning this debate.

[Supporting Voice]

And you can do it, Alex, as a full grown adult, because you're smart, funny, and you've got me in your corner.

[Announcer]

Aw.

[Alex Nader]

Barbie, you have really risen to meet every moment. You have engaged with the world on every level. And that is why I love you. The world bends to you, Barbie, but you bend to no one, literally, because your arms don't bend. Long live Barbie.

[Molly Bloom]

Wow, an inspiring declaration of greatness there for Barbie. Julia, what stood out to you about Alex's argument?

[Julia]

I loved your point that Barbie lets little girls see themselves beyond motherhood and all sorts of amazing careers. And that's definitely something I experienced growing up with Barbie.

[Molly Bloom]

Very nice. Okay, comrade, it is time for your rebuttal. You get 30 seconds to show why Barbie is more like boring. Be. Your time starts now.

[Comrade Tripp]

Yeah, yeah. You mentioned that Mr. Potato Head's parts fall off. Yeah, sometimes they do. But they go back on. They always go back on. What about Weird Barbie? Weird Barbie? Her parts came off. Never put them back on. Piccolane. Yeah, that. That is what I'm saying. Road safety is important. Pick a lane. Nominated for an Oscar. Didn't win. Didn't win. There was a Barbie long ago that used to say that had a voice box that used to say, math class is tough. How is that for helping the youth? Math is the easiest. And aren't all of Barbie's limbs prosthetic? Technically, they're all plastic.

[Alex Nader]

In the idea of picking Elaine. True imagination has no lane. It can go anywhere, just like Barbie.

[Comrade Tripp]

But how does it go? Places without lanes?

[Alex Nader]

It seems like you really need to expand your imagination because I genuinely think that where we're going, we don't need roads.

[Comrade Tripp]

Oh, great. Back to the future reference.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay. The tension around these toys is intense. We'll hear more right after this. Today's episode is sponsored by Quince. I'm a person that doesn't really like shopping because I'm worried that the things that I'm going to buy are not going to be worth it. But that's the opposite of what happens when I buy clothes from quints. My family is a Quince family. We have been buying clothes from there for a while now. And all the clothes we've gotten from quints have stood the test of time. So. Well, everything is incredibly well made. My favorite item of clothing is this sort of burnt orange cardigan. So cozy, made of cotton. It is my favorite sweater and it's from Quince. My daughter's favorite jacket is also from Quince. My husband's favorite socks from Quince. So not only is everything great quality, everything at quince is priced 50 to 80% less than similar brands. And they work directly with ethical factories and cut out the middlemen. So you're paying for quality and craftsmanship, not brand markup. Refresh your everyday with luxury. You'll actually use. Head to quince.com smashboombest for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com smashboombest for Free Shipping and 365 day returns quince.com smashboombEST.

[Comrade Tripp]

Best boom.

[Molly Bloom]

Smash.

[Taylor Lincoln]

Smash.

[Alex Nader]

Boom.

[Molly Bloom]

Best okay, we're back with Barbie versus Mr. Potato Head. And comrade is about to tell us why Mr. Potato Head is ahead of the pack.

[Comrade Tripp]

Imagine this. You're a toy maker looking to create an iconic new toy. You want this toy to be easy for kids of all ages to play with. Something that doesn't have all the fancy bells or whistles, something that jump starts the imagination. Plus, you want it to be shaped like one of the most noble vegetables. Vegetables in the world. Oh, right. That toy already exists, and it's called Mr. Potato Head. Mr. Potato Head was first dreamed up in the 1940s by an inventor named George Lerner. Which is the perfect name because he got the idea by learning from his kids. As the story goes, George's sons loved playing with their food at dinner time. So George decided to make a toy for his kids out of real food. He gathered up bottle caps and thumbtacks from around the house and stuck them on real potatoes to make silly faces. And they were a hit, bringing smiles to both the produce and his progeny.

[Announcer]

Check out my potato. It's a spot. It looks like a regular potato, but it's a secret agent double O potato. Well, my potato is an alien.

[Comrade Tripp]

George knew he was onto something, so he got to work and created a kit with 28 different pieces. Little plastic ears, eyes, and noses. And you could stick them onto any fruit or vegetable to make your own toys. You could make an angry looking banana, a sad apple with a mustache, a grinning spud with glasses, anything you could imagine. By the 1950s, the toy became officially known as Mr. Potato Head. And get this. It was the first toy to ever appear in a TV commercial.

[Commercial Voice]

Mr. And Mrs. Potato Head with their own cars and trailers. That's what's new. See, Mr. Potato Head has a car and boat trailer, and there's a car and shopping trailer for his wife Mrs. Potato Head it's such fun to do and so easy.

[Comrade Tripp]

Advertising directly to children worked, and he soon sold more than $4 million worth of perfect potato playthings. That's a lot of Potato Heads. Mr. Potato Head was a trailblazer, a revolutionary, a hot potato worth holding on to. It was one of the first modern toys that kids could design themselves. And we're still talking about it decades later. Because it's refreshingly simple. Unlike pretty much everything else in the world. The world today isn't refreshed nor simple. It's rotten and complicated. There are way too many choices now. Maybe you want a candy bar from the grocery store. There's like 50 different ones on the shelf now. Cookies and cream, peanut butter, coconut, triple decker, extra fudgy, globby. I can't even pronounce that one. Nobody has the time or the teeth for all that. With Mr. Potato Head, you don't have the endless, overwhelming options. It's not even a whole potato body. It's just a head. You don't need a dream house and a bunch of tiny little outfits, unlike some other toys. Just eyeballs, a mouth, ears, A fancy little mustache maybe. And your imagination. That's all you need. The Salutation spud relies on simple creativity, not just accessories. But don't be fooled by Potato Head simplicity. It's so popular that there's all different types now. Bugs Bunny themed potato heads, Spider man potato heads, even ones that look like Darth Vader. Luke, I am your tater. Ahem, I mean, your father. Corporate synergy prevails. Listen, I know Mr. Potato Head is the underdog in this debate. Potatoes literally grow under the ground. They have eyes, but they never sparkle. Mr. Potato Head doesn't have a hot pink convertible or any friends aside from his partner, Mrs. Potato Head, or a real job. Mr. Potato Head is just me. He's just like me. For real. I have been told that I look like Mr. Potato Head. Completely unprompted, in need of more pieces. Sometimes people try to hurt your feelings on purpose. But how can being compared to such a marvelous part of millions of people's childhoods be considered an insult? It's an honor to be seen as a valiant and vested vegetable that stands the test of time. I don't need more accessories. I have a personality. And that's all you need to create the coolest, wackiest looking toy that you can imagine. So the next time someone compares you to Mr. Potato Head, just give them a high five. Because Mr. Potato Head is a winner. And if you're thinking about comparing someone else to Mr. Potato Head? Maybe. Just don't do that. It still makes me feel a little sad. Just give me a high five. Just keep giving people high fives and. And play with Mr. Potato Head.

[Molly Bloom]

A giant high five for you, comrade. Julia, what stood out to you about comrade's declaration of greatness?

[Julia]

I loved your argument. That Mr. Potato Head has a really unique kind of simplicity and also is kind of relatable sometimes. I love that.

[Molly Bloom]

Very nice. Okay, Alex, you've got 30 seconds to poke holes in those potato arguments. Your time starts right now.

[Alex Nader]

I'm gonna take a tip from Julia and be a good listener because my ears don't fall off of my body willy nilly. I am going to argue that, yes, Mr. Potato Head is simple, accessible, and that makes Mr. Potato Head limited, where Barbie is limitless.

[Molly Bloom]

You have 15 seconds.

[Alex Nader]

I have 15 seconds. Of course I do.

[Molly Bloom]

No problem. And so concise that you only need half.

[Alex Nader]

15 seconds. Oh, my gosh. I should have kept. Oh, my God. Oh, I really, genuinely did want to say that that pulled on my heartstrings so, so much. I just think that Barbie has a Jeep, remember?

[Molly Bloom]

That's true.

[Comrade Tripp]

The trick is to talk slowly. So slow, and then eventually pause for effect as well. And then still don't say anything.

[Alex Nader]

I do have to say, Molly, it feels like you picked two. Fabulous. Deb, my energy is fully. If my energy could be described as a color, it is the color pink. And I think, comrade, your amazing delivery is sort of throwing me off because to deep brown.

[Comrade Tripp]

Like I need, like an unscrubbed potato.

[Molly Bloom]

Excellent work, both of you. You both are beautiful. Okay, Julia, it is time to award some points to these colorful, wonderful debaters. Please give one point to the declaration of greatness that you liked best and one point to the rebuttal that won you over. You get to decide what makes a winning argument. Did one team make stronger points? Did another show more passion? Award your points, but don't tell us who they're going to. Have you made your decision?

[Julia]

I have.

[Molly Bloom]

Excellent. Alex and comrade, how are you two feeling so far?

[Comrade Tripp]

Great.

[Alex Nader]

Feeling so good. I'm feeling that that 15 seconds is really going to be my demise. And now I have to really kind of show up in a different way for the next part of this.

[Molly Bloom]

I have faith in you. Just like Barbie. All right, it's time for a quick break. Change your outfit and your nose, and

[Julia]

we'll be right back with more smash. Boom. Best.

[Alex Nader]

You're listening to State of Debate.

[Supporting Voice]

Home to rage and rhetoric and awe inspiring argumentation.

[Todd Douglas]

Hello, debate fans. I'm Todd Douglas, and I'm here with

[Taylor Lincoln]

the one and only Taylor Lincoln. And lucky me, because I just hooked a big old logical fallacy.

[Todd Douglas]

Logical fallacies are debate mistakes that make your argument weaker.

[Taylor Lincoln]

I just saw someone using the special pleading fallacy. That's when a person asks for an exception to be made for their side without any support to back it up.

[Todd Douglas]

Let's take a listen.

[James]

Thanks for fishing with me, Jesse. I've been dying to test out this new bait I've been developing.

[Jesse]

No problem, James. Besides, I've been dying to go fishing for months.

[James]

What's been keeping you?

[Jesse]

It's really hard to get a fishing permit this here. Without a permit, you're not allowed to fish. But luckily I was able to get one yesterday.

[James]

Oh yeah, those permits sure are important for conserving wildlife. Every angler should get one.

[Jesse]

Exactly. Hey, when did you get your permit?

[James]

Oh, me? Oh no, I never got one. But I think we'll be okay.

[Molly Bloom]

What?

[Jesse]

But you just said people should have them.

[James]

Yeah, but I'm a really good fisherman. I think I'll be fine if I don't get one. You know what I mean? Besides, what could go wrong if just one guy doesn't have a permit?

[Molly Bloom]

Woof.

[Taylor Lincoln]

We're gonna need a bigger boat for a logical fallacy this large.

[Todd Douglas]

James knows having a fishing permit is really important, so it's unfair that he didn't get one himself.

[Taylor Lincoln]

That's right. You're not allowed to fish without a permit. But he wants a special exception because he's good at fishing.

[Todd Douglas]

That's a fishy excuse to me.

[Taylor Lincoln]

Exactly. James should have gotten a permit like Jesse did before they hit the lake.

[Todd Douglas]

Wow, all this fishing talk has put me in the mood for some seafood. How about you, Taylor?

[Taylor Lincoln]

Ooh, I'm always open for a fine filet of fish. We'll see you next time on State of Debate.

[Comrade Tripp]

Smash Boom.

[Alex Nader]

Best.

[Molly Bloom]

You're listening to Smashboom Best. I'm your host, Molly Bloom.

[Julia]

And I'm your judge, Julia.

[Molly Bloom]

And we love getting debate suggestions from our listeners. Like this one.

[Announcer]

Hello, my name is Emma, and this is my debate idea. Glass frogs versus sprig snails.

[Julia]

Oh, that's really fun. I love a specific and slightly slimy debate.

[Molly Bloom]

We'll check back in at the end of this episode to see which side Emma thinks should win.

[Julia]

And now back to Today's debate. Barbie versus Mr. Potato Head.

[Molly Bloom]

Get ready for round two. It's the micro round. Comrade and Alex you will each get three chances to make a microargument backed by a cool fact. Alex started things off last round. So comrade, you get to go first. Let's hear your first fact for Mr. Potato Head.

[Comrade Tripp]

Fact number one, can't get enough of Potato Head. Take a Potato Head road trip. The state of Rhode island put up over 46 foot tall statues of the famous Spud. Each was designed by local artists and made in collaboration with toy company Hasbro. So go to Rhode island and hug a spud.

[Alex Nader]

My first fact is also going to be about numbers. Over 1 billion Barbies have sold worldwide. Do you realize how much a billion is? If you counted one number per second, like 1, 2, 3, 4, et cetera, getting to a billion would take you over 31 years to finish. 31 years. That is how many Barbies have sold worldwide.

[Comrade Tripp]

I've been alive for 33 years, so really that's almost all of my years. That's a lot of years. But something about years of I can't do segues. Well, he's not just a toy. He's an aspiring public servant. Our hero, Mr. P was part of the mayoral race of Boise, Idaho in 1985. That's the year that Back to the Future came out. We're keeping it going with Back to the Future. He even had little buttons made that said he was a man of the soil. He even got votes. Four of them. If you voted once a year, that'd be four years.

[Alex Nader]

Well, the same way that Mr. Potato Head isn't just a potato. Barbie isn't just a doll. Barbie is a multimedia franchise. Do you understand how you can hold up being video games, animated films, TV shows, web series, and a live action film, which I know I said before, but it was nominated for an Academy Award for best picture, which is huge when you think about the fact that Barbie is a toy that is legendary on so many levels.

[Comrade Tripp]

Yeah, they make movies about toys. There's actually a film series with a fifth installment called Toy Story that Mr. Potato heads in. Mr. Potato Head is more than a toy as well. He's an eco warrior. In recent years years, the toy company who makes Mr. Potato Head create a version that's made out of earth friendly plant based plastics that's much better for the plant than traditional plastic that is made from stuff that doesn't even break down in nature. He may be brown of skin, but he's green of heart. He grows in the earth, so of course he wants to save it too.

[Alex Nader]

For my last fact, not to bury Mr. Potato Head. Here. But I must say that is Mr. Potato Head the main plot line of the Toy Story franchises?

[Comrade Tripp]

I would say so.

[Alex Nader]

I don't think so. I think that's a C plot at

[Comrade Tripp]

best, a seed plot.

[Alex Nader]

All right, my last fact. I want to take a bit of a more serious note because I think this is so fascinating. I didn't know this before coming into this debate. Barbie's inventor is named Ruth Handler. She was an incredible person who not only invented one of the most impactful best selling toys of all time, but also after surviving breast cancer and undergoing a mastectomy in 1970, she used her expertise in plastics to design a prosthetic breast. So she wasn't just a toy inventor. She used her talents and passions to solve a deeply personal and real world problem that faces many women. I loved learning that about the creator of Barbie.

[Molly Bloom]

Very, very nice. Okay, Julia, what stood out to you from this micro round?

[Julia]

Well, I loved hearing about Mr. Potato Head's mayoral race in Boise, Idaho and those whopping four votes. But I also loved hearing about Ruth Handler and being an advocate in breast cancer survivor. So I'm pretty in between right now.

[Molly Bloom]

Yeah, these were some excellent, excellent facts. Surprising I didn't know any of them. Okay, so now it's time though, Julia, to award a point. Please give a point to one of our debaters. Criteria completely subjective and completely up to you. Have you made your decision?

[Julia]

I have.

[Molly Bloom]

Perfect. Keep it secret and we'll be right back. Want smashboom without the ad breaks? Join Smarty Pass and get an ad free feed of this and all of the other shows in the brains on universe. Plus you'll get to do virtual hangs with me and the crew and get discounts on merch. Sign [e-mail] thanks. Boom boom boom, boom.

[Supporting Voice]

Smash.

[Molly Bloom]

And we're back. It's our third round, the super stealthy sneak attack. This is our improvised round where debaters have to respond to a challenge on the spot. Today's challenge is dictionary duel. Invent a word that captures all of your side's greatest qualities and write a dictionary entry for it. Is it an adjective? A noun? Dare I say an adverb? All right, Alex, we're going to start with you this time. Please tell us your invented word that captures the greatness of Barbie.

[Alex Nader]

My invented word is dollastastic Ebolutionary. Ooh, dollitastic. Evolutionary, actually. It has a Latin base with roots in Latin and Greek. And the definition is a doll that has conquered a global audience.

[Molly Bloom]

Can you say the word one more time?

[Alex Nader]

Dollitastic. Evolutionary.

[Molly Bloom]

Ooh, I love a super long word. Can't wait to use that in a conversation. Coming up. Okay, comrade, your turn. What word shows Mr. Potato Head's best side?

[Comrade Tripp]

Podotability. You've heard of potable? This is potato. Because it's a potato. It's how many pieces you can put into a potato with it still being considered a potato without. And the maximum. It's more than four. It's more than four votes. It's somewhere between four and a billion. It's. Yeah. Potato. Potato. Tability. Language of origin. The mother tongue of the earth. Yeah. The wind.

[Molly Bloom]

Potatobility.

[Comrade Tripp]

Yeah.

[Molly Bloom]

Potatobility. Potato Toability. Both of these words are in my pocket now. Cannot wait to use them. Okay, Julia, please think about these two excellent words. Is one going to make its way into your vocab? Did one make you laugh? Did one make you think? Choose a side to award a point to. But as always, keep it hush, hush. Have you made your decision?

[Julia]

I have.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay, then. It's time for our final round. The final six. In this round, each team will have just six words to sum up the glory of their side. Comrade. Time to put a bow tie on this debate.

[Comrade Tripp]

All right, Potato Head. Child. Imagination. Human heart.

[Molly Bloom]

Beautiful. Okay, Alex, please bring it home for Barbie.

[Alex Nader]

Enduring, ambitious, evolving, global, dullettastic, evolutionary. Barbie.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, beautiful. Way to sneak in that made up word. Love it. Okay, Julia, you have heard the final sixes. Think about them one more time and please award your final point. Have you made your decision?

[Julia]

I have.

[Alex Nader]

Oof.

[Molly Bloom]

Are you ready to declare one team the Smashboom best?

[Julia]

Yes, I am.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay, drum roll please. And the winner is.

[Julia]

Mr. Potato Head.

[Comrade Tripp]

No, really?

[Alex Nader]

Oh, okay. Fair.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh my gosh. So Julia, what moment decided it for Mr. Potato Head?

[Julia]

It was the last two words. Human heart. And I was like, that's really true.

[Molly Bloom]

It was so close.

[Julia]

As close as can be.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh my goodness.

[Comrade Tripp]

I haven't won Smash Room Best in years. Thank you.

[Molly Bloom]

This is a beautiful moment.

[Comrade Tripp]

Alex, you did amazing. Every fact was so real and so heartfelt. I love shout out to Ruth as well. The creator of Barbie. No one. Even the guy who invented Mr. Potato Head. Not really that interesting. I don't know if he had a life after Potato Head, but Ruth and Barbara are all amazing. I love the word super. It was a super word. I don't know many words. Well done, comrade.

[Alex Nader]

I so thoroughly enjoyed hearing you talk about Mr. Potato Head. I do think that Julia hit the nail right on the head with the heart of it all. I think that what stood out to me so much about that toy. And your argument was the true heart, the spirit you brought to it and the simplicity, the simplicity of Mr. Potato Head and how accessible it is for any single kid or person who plays with it. I tried to bring some shine to this debate today with Barbie, but I think you brought a lot of heart to Mr. Potato Head.

[Molly Bloom]

Well, that is it for today's debate battle. Julia crowned Mr. Potato Head the Smashboom best. But what about you?

[Julia]

Head to smashboom.org and vote to to tell us who you think won.

[Molly Bloom]

This episode was produced by me, Molly Bloom, Santa Totten and Mark Sanchez. We had sound design by Rachel Breese and engineering help from Ben Hicks. Our announcer is Marley foyer worker Otto. And we want to give a special thanks to Austin Cross and Taylor Kaufman. Alex, is there anyone you'd like to give a shout out to today?

[Alex Nader]

I would like to give a shout out to Mrs. Potato Head who I don't think got enough air time today. She's incredible. She's a hero. She really keeps it all together.

[Molly Bloom]

Mm, absolutely. And how about you, comrade? Any special shout outs?

[Comrade Tripp]

Yeah, to Barbie and I guess to my niece and nephew. Real, real people. And my mom, breast cancer survivor. I didn't know the Ruth fact. So yeah, shout out to all breast cancer survivors. You're the real heroes.

[Molly Bloom]

That's lovely. And how about you, Julia? Any special thanks or shout outs?

[Julia]

Shout out out to my little brother who's a big fan of the show and he was the first person I ever played with Barbies or Mr. Potato Head with.

[Molly Bloom]

Aw, that's so great. Alright, before we go, let's check in and see who Emma thinks should win the glass frog versus Spring snail debate.

[Announcer]

I think glass frogs would win because some of them are completely transparent and you can sometimes see their organs and they become completely transparent by hiding their blood.

[Molly Bloom]

If you're between the ages of 13 and 18 and you'd like to be a judge, or if you're any age and you have an idea for a knockdown drag out debate, head to smashboom.org contact and drop us a line. And if you're a fan of the show and want to keep it going, head to smartypass.org to subscribe. We'll be back next week with a new smashboom best episode Slime versus Slinkies. Bye bye.

[Julia]

Bye bye everyone.

[Comrade Tripp]

Goodbye.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay, comrade, how you feeling?

[Comrade Tripp]

I'm trying not to feel anything.