Smosh Mouth Episode #122 – “Solving Smosh’s Problems: Holiday Edition”

Date: December 8, 2025
Hosts: Shayne Topp ("Shane"), Amanda Lehan-Canto ("Amanda")
Special Guests: Rotating Smosh team members and friends

Overview

In this fourth annual “We Solve Your Problems: Holiday Edition,” Shayne and Amanda tackle the unique, funny, and occasionally heartfelt holiday dilemmas of their Smosh colleagues and friends. From bathroom anxieties to Christmas music fatigue, and from complicated family traditions to the existential crisis of losing the "Christmas spirit," the team approaches each problem with humor, empathy, and a little bit of unfiltered (and occasionally rowdy) Smosh energy. The episode is marked by running jokes (Solvang, Clydesdales!), playful shaming, and ultimately a celebration of new traditions, boundaries, and embracing your own brand of holiday cheer.

Note: This summary focuses on the podcast’s problem-solving core and omits ad breaks and sponsor segments.

Episode Structure & Key Discussion Points

1. Opening & Year-in-Review ([01:33]-[03:10])

• Shayne and Amanda reflect on the challenges and changes of the year—Amanda jokes about surviving pregnancy and filming while heavily pregnant.
• Kick off the tradition: “It’s our fourth time doing we solve your problems.” ([03:02], Amanda)

2. Trevor’s Holiday Bathroom Anxiety ([05:08]–[10:10])

Problem:

Trevor struggles with bathroom anxiety—specifically, being unable to “go number two” at his parents’ crowded house during the holidays.

Key Moments:

• Trevor: “I have really terrible like bathroom anxiety… around the holidays, this is the worst part.” ([05:11])
• Amanda suggests 3 a.m. secret pooping trips; Shane proposes “owning it” with Clydesdale arms (a running joke).
• Amanda: “Be a fucking Clydesdale. Take huge dumps.” ([08:16])
• The group advocates confidence and perhaps even “weaponizing” the behavior to score a bathroom or scare family into hotels.
• Shane: “There’s nothing wrong with it. You have to poop.” ([09:26])
• Ultimately, the advice is to practice at Smosh, own the need, and embrace holiday realities.

3. Kim’s Christmas Music Repetition Hell ([13:20]–[19:10])

Problem:

Kim’s mom obsessively blasts the same old Christmas songs on the radio, year after year; Kim wants new music options.

Insights:

• Amanda proposes making a custom Spotify playlist to introduce new music, but Kim’s mom is “radio for life.”
• Group discusses nostalgia, the “charming” aspect of old songs, and the burnout from the same 10 classics.
• Shane: “Christmas music starts, like, beginning of November. It used to be after Thanksgiving… now it’s too soon.” ([15:55])
• Amanda: “Radio is kind of charming though, especially at Christmas time.”
• Proposed solution: Gradually introduce change via playlists, or accept that this is now “your fate.”

4. Anthony’s Christmas Tree Pyromania ([20:01]–[25:54])

Problem:

Anthony is captivated by the vintage idea of putting real candles on Christmas trees—despite the obvious fire risks.

Key Moments:

• Anthony: “It looks so cool… imagine real fire lit on these candles on a Christmas tree. That would be so sick.” ([21:30])
• Group cycles between fear (“you are legitimately playing with fire”) and the historical angle (Victorians actually did this).
• Amanda offers to “watch the tree for two weeks” as a holiday security guard.
• Amanda: “I’ll stay on your couch… I will put my whole body on that tree.” ([23:34], [23:47])
• Affectionate roasting about dangerous traditions and Amanda’s multitasking (babysitting and fire monitoring).

5. Caitlin’s Hanukkah Calendar Crisis ([26:22]–[32:47])

Problem:

Caitlin, who is Jewish but not observant, is embarrassed that she never knows when Hanukkah is (thanks to the lunar calendar and being less connected).

Notable Exchange:

• Caitlin: “No Jew knows when Hanukkah is. That’s the thing. That’s the fun of it. It’s a surprise.” ([28:18])
• Group attempts to invent mnemonic devices, special “Hanukkah watches,” or suggest simply googling—but Caitlin wants dignity.
• Ultimately, they agree: “Hanukkah is a state of mind.”
  Amanda: “Just be confident… Hanukkah is a state of mind and just celebrate it whenever.” ([32:26])
• The solution is to embrace the uncertainty—and show up within the general week, saying “Happy Hanukkah” with confidence.

6. Emily P.—The Reluctant Santa ([36:25]–[42:14])

Problem:

Emily P. is annually conscripted to play Santa in her giant family, despite feeling unfit for the role and tired of the tradition.

Highlights:

• Emily: “None of the men want to dress as Santa… I am the only one willing... but I don’t think I’m built for that.” ([37:11])
• Amanda runs a “Santa audition,” which Emily promptly bombs to much group laughter.
• Amanda: “Just be confident. Own the room. I think it’s time to hang up the suit.”
• Shayne: “You’ve earned a Christmas off from working at your family party.” ([41:48])
• Empowering pass-the-torch moment: let the new parents or “daddies” take up the suit, and Emily can just “look cute” for once.

7. Emily Rose—New Year’s Resolution Aversion ([42:30]–[49:02])

Problem:

Emily doesn’t like the pressure and performative aspects of New Year’s resolutions, and wants advice on handling them or making them positive.

Wisdom Offered:

• Amanda: “I personally think it’s way too much pressure. I think you should have a New Year’s resolution at the end of October so you can simmer on it.” ([44:01])
• Shayne points out resolutions should be “day by day… baby steps,” and encourages little, enjoyable changes vs all-or-nothing goals.
• Amanda: “Do one fun thing a month you’d never do.” ([46:42])
• Shane: “I love seeing movies by myself… maybe next year, three solo movies is my goal.” ([47:11])
• The group advises focusing on self-nurturance and fun, not external pressures or big transformative goals.

8. Chance—Outgrowing Family Traditions ([49:05]–[54:28])

Problem:

Chance’s family (now adult kids, various relocations, multicultural) has outgrown their old Christmas traditions, and he wonders what to do.

Ideas and Jokes:

• Amanda and Shane riff on possible “Christmas trips” (maybe to Solvang—a recurring punchline for the episode).
• Amanda: “Change the surroundings, and it’ll already feel like you refreshed everything.” ([51:04])
• Chance: “But they’re all white!... I need spice. I need flavor. They can’t do that.”
• The ultimate solution: Rent a place near downtown attractions, eat, drink, do something new—let new settings and activities birth new traditions.

9. Lizzy—Competing with a Gift-Giving Legend ([54:32]–[62:39])

Problem:

Lizzy’s partner James is such an epic, creative gift-giver (he handcrafted a Twilight Clue board game!), she feels she can’t ever measure up.

Support & Suggestions:

• Amanda: “He might be Santa Claus.”
• Shayne: Suggests experiential gifts, like learning Magic: The Gathering to surprise him with a game, or even hiring Lord of the Rings cosplayers for a Solvang-based adventure.
• Amanda: “Just surrender to it. He’s just magic.” ([59:15])
• The solution: Focus on experiences and mutual appreciation, not competition; tap into shared fandoms and personal, creative gestures.

10. Selena—Splitting Time Between Families ([63:54]–[69:56])

Problem:

Selena wants tips for balancing holiday time between her family and her husband’s, especially when both are geographically dispersed.

Group Experience:

• Amanda: “Thanksgiving and Christmas is a good time to split the time… I don’t like splitting the time on one holiday.”
• Shane: “It’s not a rigid rule. As long as you’re respecting each other and negotiating together, it shouldn’t feel like too much pressure.” ([65:32])
• The group validates flexible, rotating, boundary-setting approaches, even making new traditions (like “Christmas in LA”).
• Amanda: “You can… just draw that line, set those boundaries.”
• It’s okay to not do everything and to see families at times that work for you—even if that’s not the actual holiday.

11. The Three Ghosts: Sarah, Alyssa, and Ollie—Rediscovering the Christmas Spirit ([70:00]–[79:56])

Problem:

As adults (with various religious backgrounds and baggage), the group feels disconnected from the “whimsy” and joy of Christmas.

Relatable Quotes:

• Sarah: “I used to love Christmas… and now, the whimsy is gone. I don’t know what happened in my soul, but I hate Christmas.”
• Alyssa: “I don’t think I ever found Christmas, you know?”
• Ollie (raised Jehovah’s Witness): “It’s hard to connect to Christmas now because I don’t have that nostalgia.”
• The group acknowledges family and expectation fatigue, travel woes, and the challenges of “forced” holiday happiness.

Solutions, Big and Small:

• Amanda: “The point of Christmas is to hang out with people you love and eat things you wouldn’t normally eat.” ([73:01])
• Shayne: “Christmas can be whatever you make it… make new traditions with your friends, your partners, or just yourself.”
• Amanda suggests making the holidays “spooky”—leaning into what you do enjoy, even if it’s a haunted house or veiled drama.
• Shayne: “You don’t have to put on a happy face for anybody. Be in your feels.” ([79:15])
• Permission to start from scratch, embrace authenticity, and value time off.

12. Reflections on the Smosh Year and Team ([79:56]–[81:50])

• Gratitude for team members and their efforts, with shoutouts to behind-the-scenes staff.
• Amanda: “The holidays remind me how grateful I am for my job and the people around me. That’s really what Christmas is all about.” ([81:17])
• Shayne: “Take a breather… just hang out for Christmas.”

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Amanda: “Be a fucking Clydesdale. Take huge dumps.” ([08:16])
• Shayne: “We’re sending everyone to Solvang for Christmas.” (A theme. [62:33], multiple times)
• Caitlin: “No Jew knows when Hanukkah is. That’s the thing. That’s the fun of it.” ([28:18])
• Emily P.: (“Santa audition”) Ho, ho, ho… [group laughter] “That actually scared me.” ([39:56])
• Shayne: “Hanukkah is a state of mind.” ([32:26])
• Amanda: “You can start from scratch. Just do you.”
• Emily Rose: “He gets me what I didn’t know that I wanted.” ([58:46])
• Ollie: “I want that… I want to… I used to love Christmas. Again. This is the most, like, aggressive anti-Christmas I’ve ever felt in my life.” ([76:09])
• Shayne: “You don’t have to put on a happy face for anybody. Be in your feels.” ([79:15])
• Amanda: “If you do, it’s okay. Just get spooky with it.” ([81:53])

Recurring Themes & Humor

• Solvang: The quaint, festive Danish village is the team’s running, tongue-in-cheek solution for every holiday woe.
• Clydesdales & Confidence: Owning your bodily functions and your life, “like a Clydesdale.”
• Empowerment through Boundaries: Repeated encouragement to set boundaries with family, traditions, and even one’s expectations of the holidays.
• Embracing Your Own Brand of Festivity: Whether spooky, chill, solitary, or extravagant—“make Christmas whatever feels good.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening/Year Recap: [01:33]–[03:10]
• Trevor’s Bathroom Anxiety: [05:08]–[10:10]
• Kim’s Christmas Music Issue: [13:20]–[19:10]
• Anthony’s Candle-Lit Tree: [20:01]–[25:54]
• Caitlin’s Hanukkah Calendar Problem: [26:22]–[32:47]
• Emily P. as Santa: [36:25]–[42:14]
• Emily Rose—New Year's Resolutions: [42:30]–[49:02]
• Chance—Tradition Redesign: [49:05]–[54:28]
• Lizzy—Gift-Giving Pressure: [54:32]–[62:39]
• Selena—Splitting Family Holidays: [63:54]–[69:56]
• The Christmas Spirit Crisis (Ghosts): [70:00]–[79:56]
• Reflections on Smosh Year: [79:56]–[81:50]
• Episode Closure: [81:50]+

Takeaways for Listeners

• You are not alone if you feel overwhelmed, uninspired, or "behind" on holiday joy.
• Traditions can be broken, re-imagined, or started from scratch—there are no rules.
• Holiday confidence, vulnerability, and authenticity are worth more than perfection or forced festivity.
• If all else fails, go to Solvang.

Happy holidays, and may your problems be solved—or at least, laughed through!