Smosh Mouth Podcast #139 – The Foley Episode (April 13, 2026)

Overview

In this creative and playful episode, Smosh hosts Shayne Topp (“short”), Amanda Lehan-Canto (“tall”), and guest Tommy (aka "Jeff") dive headfirst into the quirky world of Foley art—the craft of making sound effects for movies and shows using everyday objects. The team experiments live, attempting to create convincing (and often hilarious) soundscapes, all while reflecting on the surprising art and challenges of Foley, dropping plenty of self-aware comedy, and sharing some earnest life realizations along the way.

Key Discussion Points

1. Introducing the Episode & The Foley Challenge

• The team explains their plan: use random props to perform Foley sound effects in real time, demonstrating the difficulties and fun of the process.
• Amanda and Shane discuss their respect for real Foley artists and admit they’re winging it:

  "We want to try that. Let's try it."
  "And we do the stupidest, worst version of it."
  – Amanda & Shane [02:36-02:44]

• The group jokes about their process for coming up with Smosh ideas—often spontaneous, sometimes chaotic.

2. Podcasting: Audio, Video, and Salad?

• Discussion about podcasts becoming more visual rather than purely audio, referencing the notion that everything can be called a “salad” if you try hard enough:

  "Everything's a salad, right?"
  – Jeff [03:55]

• Tangents on “Shane Ideas” and quirky radio talk show formats inject more improvisational fun.

3. The Foley Art Experiments Begin

• The first live Foley attempts: clacking shoes, cups, props with unclear functions.
• Amanda and Tommy try to analyze what each strange kitchen tool might actually be for.

  "What is this actually used for?" – Amanda [13:27]
  "That's for when you want to grab a ball the size of an acorn." – Shane [13:29]

• The absurd “Angela the 2” Mouse” scene, with Amanda scurrying in with coffee, spirals into more puppet-based improv [14:23–15:59].
• The “sick horse” sequence, feeding imaginary cereal, and escaping evil robot bathrooms leads to a series of ridiculous, organically developed audio stories [15:22–18:56].

4. The Orchestra Analogy & “Let Them Flop” Realization

• Jeff draws an analogy between Foley and orchestra performance:

  "If you've got a billion notes to play, you can get one wrong. But if you've got one note to play…" – Shane [09:58]

• A tangent leads to a vulnerable, heartfelt realization from Amanda about being controlling and learning to let others find their own way—even if that means letting a segment “flop”:

  "Why is it so hard to just let him flop and have people...go, this isn’t really the best time, but it’s okay. Why can't I let that happen?" – Amanda [20:24]
  "We need more clowning classes..." – Shane [20:33]

• This moment sets the theme for the episode's creative risk-taking: try, accept the failure, and move on.

5. Scenario Improv: “Costco Surgery” & More

• The group launches into a long, fully improvised hospital skit, with live Foley attempts (beeping monitors, shirt-ripping, bees from a patient’s stomach, lassoing spirits back into bodies), culminating in “Costco surgery” and high-heel drama.
  • Notable moment:

    "Where’s the glasses area?"
    – Shane, after being “revived” [27:46]

• Followed by a skateboard accident soundscape, with Jeff on “bone-breaking” SFX and Amanda’s water shoes gags [30:34–32:39].

6. The “French Burglars at the Louvre” Scene

• The team takes on exaggerated French personas, trying and sometimes failing to make accurate “ladder” and “laser” sounds:

  "Thank you for hiring me. I am not the most coordinated." – Shane [37:34] "Don't worry. I brought the Elmer's glue to put it back afterward." – Shane [38:45]

• Their determination to “grab the crown jewels” with elaborate, mostly off-the-mark sound effects becomes a running joke.
• The group reflects on the struggle to match sound props with expected effects:

  "...You think something's going to work, and then you go, that's not right. At all." – Amanda [44:05]

7. Foley Is Hard: Reflections on the Craft

• Members express deepened respect for professional Foley artists and note how the right tools and time are essential:

  "That's why it's a craft. You have to learn what makes what noise." – Shane [44:13]

• Shane demonstrates his “ceramic lid” ASMR moment, and the team shares their favorite sounds and ASMR triggers (wood-on-wood, soap-cutting, cleaning videos) [45:38–50:58].
• Jeff discusses his enjoyment of “purpose-filled sounds”—ASMR or satisfying videos with clear intent behind them, e.g., wood inspection [50:07–51:04].

8. Clowning Workshop: Embracing Failure and Finding Originality

• The team shares their experience at a clowning workshop, which helped them let go of self-consciousness, embrace failure, and rediscover genuine play:

  "It was so amazing to not use words, to just be completely in our bodies." – Amanda [64:33] "You have to move past, like, the cringe because it’s about failure…some of the funniest moments I’ve ever seen." – Jeff [65:27]

• This becomes a metaphor for creative life and the episode’s approach: keep taking chances, don’t be afraid to “flop”, and let the audience guide you [66:39–68:32].

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “I also just want to say we respect the actual art and craft of Foley, because it seems really hard.” – Shane [02:31]
• “Show how hard…” / “Yeah, I'm not sure it's going to go well, but we have a bunch of Foley props and we brought our most talented Foley artist: Tommy.” – Jeff & Amanda [02:44–02:52]
• “Podcasts aren't audio anymore.” – Shane [03:47]
• "If you've got a billion notes to play, you can get one wrong. But if you've got one note to play..." – Shane [09:58]
• “Let them flop…You always have something. Everyone’s a baby again.” – Amanda [20:24, 68:32]
• “Being a Foley artist is hard.” – Amanda [44:37]
• "This was great. I felt very locked in today. Foley is very hard." – Shane [68:43–68:49]
• “If there are any Foley artists out there that want me to be their protégé...I will disappear off the planet.” – Shane [68:49]
• “That's what I love so much—being like, do we like this? No... stripping down those cringy moments, you get to, like, gold.” – Amanda [64:44–65:54]

Engaging Skit Timestamps

• Introduction and Foley episode setup: [01:09–03:00]
• Podcast/salad/visual audio riff: [03:33–04:21]
• First live Foley attempts with props: [13:13–15:59]
• "Costco surgery" fully improvised skit: [22:05–29:50]
• Skateboard accident soundscape: [30:34–32:39]
• French burglars at the Louvre: [36:28–43:11]
• Foley mishaps/wins; what's hard about live Foley: [43:11–45:01]
• Ceramic lid ASMR and sound favorites: [45:38–47:37]
• Clowning workshop, lessons on failure/freedom: [64:23–68:32]

Tone & Style

The episode is classic Smosh: chaotic, improvisational, honest, gently self-deprecating, and full of camaraderie. The improvisation is meta—constantly commenting on itself and playfully acknowledging both its failures and flashes of comic genius.

Final Takeaways

This episode balances zany comedic bits and meta-commentary on the creative process. The team’s play with Foley art demonstrates just how challenging and nuanced sound design is—leading to a greater respect for behind-the-scenes crafts. Interlaced throughout are real moments of introspection, discussions of letting go of control, and an open embrace of creative risk. The episode closes with a shared sense of growth, joy, and a longing to keep playing and failing forward, together.

For those who haven't listened: Expect a ride through slapstick, heartfelt inside jokes, wild improv, crash courses in vulnerability, and a genuine celebration (and respectful failure) at the weird-but-essential art of making sounds out of nothing.