Smosh Mouth #134 - "Try Not To Laugh: The Podcast (You Laugh, You Leave)"
Date: March 9, 2026
Hosts: Shane Topp, Amanda Lehan-Canto
Main Guests: Trevor, Angela, Spencer, Olivia, Chance
Episode Overview
In this buoyant, chaotic episode, the Smosh Mouth crew puts a hilarious spin on their classic "Try Not To Laugh" format with a unique twist: if you laugh, you leave—your seat is immediately filled by another rotating Smosh friend. Over almost 90 minutes, the hosts and guests riff on everything from childhood snacks and true crime obsessions to airport fashion insecurities, musical theater deep-dives, and how men really use the “pee hole” in their boxers. Their signature blend of absurdity and genuine conversation is on full display as the cast cycles through the hot seat, reacting, riffing, and sometimes getting sidetracked in unexpectedly earnest ways.
Key Discussion Points & Highlights
1. The "You Laugh, You Leave" Dynamic
(01:11 - 04:50)
- Amanda: “Today, we're playing Try Not To Laugh. But if you laugh, you literally leave…”
- Contestants immediately start trying to make each other break, with failed “Fartso” bits, awkward spring analogies, and inside Smosh references.
- The musical chairs nature of the episode means people rotate in and out constantly, adding unpredictability to the flow and tone.
Shane (01:28): “And the game starts now. If you laugh, someone else will take your place.”
2. Random Bits: Food, Family, and Childhood
(04:51 - 11:00)
- Reminiscing about pizza rolls, comparing them to egg rolls and discussing food technology.
- Childhood confusion about backgrounds and identities, leading to an open-ended, lighthearted discussion about what it means to be "Chinese."
- Fiber One bars evoke nostalgia about 2000s diet crazes, followed by tangents on “mom culture” and Slim Fast.
Angela (11:12): “What happened to Fiber One bars? They took over the nation.”
3. Family Reflections & Would You Hang Out with Your Parents?
(12:00 - 13:10)
- The group muses on what their parents were like at their age and who among their parents they’d have as a friend.
- Blurring lines between mock competition and sincere connection, they explore generational quirks and how family influences still resonate.
Amanda (12:58): “I think I would hang out with my mommy, but not my daddy.”
4. Musical Theater Deep-Dive
(16:15 - 22:05)
- Amanda and Angela launch into musical theater talk: Rent (and the AIDS crisis depicted in it), Practical Magic, Death Becomes Her, Lies Beneath, and Spelling Bee.
- Shane admits his outsider status, while the more theater-savvy hosts explain why musicals can be hard to follow for newcomers.
Angela (22:05): “That’s why I like musicals that are plot in the scenes and the songs are emotion…when you can’t speak, you’ll sing.”
5. “Dude Talk” and Sensitive Subjects
(13:26 onward, especially 22:45 - 29:01)
- A stretch of "dude talk" emerges—sometimes awkward, sometimes earnest—including jokes about penis size, discussions on underwear design (“the pee hole”), and Trevor’s anxiety about sharing too much.
- Amanda tries to redirect: “You guys need to stop talking about your penises and your holes, okay? We all know they’re small. No one can feel them. Let’s move on here.” (30:10)
6. True Crime Fixation
(32:09-33:35, 40:47-41:51, 45:32-48:19)
- Amanda recounts a wild, unfolding true crime story: an IRS agent murdered his wife with help from a Brazilian au pair, using a fetish website as a cover.
- The group debates morbid details, discusses the phenomenon of true crime retellings, and why serial killer dramatizations should focus on making perpetrators look ridiculous, not “cool.”
Shane (46:13): “True crime…It’s not that I can’t sleep, it’s that I just feel like the sense of dread from it.”
Angela (46:21): “I’m fascinated by when actors in the film industry take it and…fantasize it. It’s like drag for me.”
7. Comedy, Bits, and Hyper-Meta Observations
- Throughout, meta moments abound about making each other laugh, the anxiety of trying too hard, the role of bits, and when the podcast veers from comedy into earnest talk.
Angela (22:22): “I’m not funny if I try to be. That’s what I just learned. And this place is all about…” Chance (23:26): "Back to da boys."
8. Music Hot Takes & Nostalgia
(38:29 onward)
- Topics toggle to music preferences, struggles with new music discovery, and nostalgia for 80s or 90s pop culture.
- Shane, Chance, and Trevor discuss ASMR, Kate Bush, Coldplay, “Heart,” and the difference between Guitar Hero and Rock Band controllers.
Chance (41:11): “More Kate Bush, right? Go. Kate Bush grew up.” Olivia (39:29): “The same, like, kind of thing over and over again. And it kind of puts you in a space…Music makes you trans.”
9. Musical Theater Return (“Spelling Bee”, karaoke, show formats)
(56:42-57:56)
- Olivia describes Spelling Bee’s improvisational, audience-participatory nature.
- Amanda and Shane are new converts to its appeal, and the group debates the merits of old versus new productions.
10. Closing Chaos: Talent Show, Compliments, and Podcasting as a Vibe
(60:05 - end)
- The crew jams on instruments, jokes about awkward Catholic legacies, and hands out genuine, if backhanded, compliments.
- Meta jokes about how audience members experience the podcast: as a fun, slightly bewildering hangout they wish they could join.
- The closing circle is full of affection and roast-style humor: “I’m enjoying it…Even when people aren’t trying to make each other laugh, viewers be like, I know, I know.” (63:34)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Shane (05:04): “What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever heard?”
- Chance (05:50): “Then why is your heart beating so fast?” (Describing his uncle’s crazy confrontation)
- Angela (11:12): “What happened to Fiber One bars? They took over the nation.”
- Amanda (16:24): “You would make such a good assistant principal.”
- Chance (23:11): “He’s gonna come in fully with hard on…He’s gonna hit us in the back of the head with it.”
- Angela (46:21): “I'm fascinated by when actors in film…fantasize it. It's like drag for me.”
- Shane (47:00): “Dramatic reenactments of serial killers…only way I’d approve is if they add scenes that are embarrassing. Like, slipping on banana peels. Full, tiny penis.”
- Amanda (52:24): "Yeah, pretty churches, but let me just say spooky. My church was pretty, but it was spooky."
- Chance (54:44): “We need another Rock Band really bad.”
- Olivia (57:15): “They sing you back to your seat if you lose. It is incredible.”
- Amanda (63:02): “This was such a wild experience, and I loved it so much.”
- Chance (63:26): “I’m enjoying it…Even when people aren’t trying to make each other laugh, viewers be like, I know, I know.”
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [01:11] — Game rules: “Try Not To Laugh, You Laugh, You Leave”
- [05:04] — Funniest story ever heard (Chance’s uncle’s confrontation)
- [07:01] — Olivia “beat” story, musical chairs chaos
- [11:12] — Fiber One Bars, diet culture in the 2000s
- [16:24] — Musical theater deep dive begins
- [22:05] — Emotional vs. plot-driven musicals
- [29:01] — Extended, chaotic penis and underwear discourse
- [32:09] — Amanda’s true crime story: IRS agent + Brazilian au pair
- [38:29] — Music discovery, ASMR, Kate Bush discourse
- [46:13] — Dread of true crime, difference between classic and contemporary
- [52:24] — “Spooky” Catholic church memories
- [56:42] — Spelling Bee: audience interaction and improv
- [63:02] — Meta podcast reflections & group close out
Tone & Atmosphere
The episode sustains a lively, improvisational energy fueled by the “If You Laugh, You Leave” mechanic. Jokes and earnestness are constantly overlapping—sometimes resulting in madcap bits, sometimes allowing for surprisingly sincere discussions on identity, anxiety, and the comfort of being among friends. The comedians’ ease with each other leads to spirited riffing, frequent interruptions, and the occasional honest moment about trying (and sometimes failing) to be funny. References to internet culture, musical theater, true crime, and retro video games abound, often delivered with playful boastfulness and self-aware sarcasm. Underneath it all is a sense of kinship, curiosity, and nostalgia—for old bits, friendships, and the weird corners of the internet.
Final Thoughts
This Smosh Mouth installment is a playful experiment in group podcasting that perfectly encapsulates the brand’s strengths—and its sublime chaos. For listeners, it’s less about following a single topic and more about enjoying the kaleidoscope of personalities, jokes, self-deprecation, and genuine affection that defines this era of Smosh. Whether you’re a dedicated Smosh fan or just a connoisseur of unscripted comedy, “Try Not To Laugh: The Podcast” feels like being dropped into a living, breathing group chat you never want to leave.
For fans: Comment below if you want more “you laugh, you leave” episodes—and who broke first!
