Family Matters | Reading Reddit Stories

Summary

Smosh Reads Reddit Stories

Episode: Family Matters | Reading Reddit Stories

Host: Shane Topp
Guests: Tommy, Sarah
Released: October 18, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode of "Smosh Reads Reddit Stories" dives deep into the messiness, hilarity, and drama of family life, as experienced and recounted through actual Reddit stories. Themed around "Family Matters," host Shane and guests Tommy and Sarah react to a series of personal anecdotes collected from subreddits like r/AmITheAsshole and r/TodayIFuckedUp. The cast blends personal insights, jokes, and empathetic takes with their trademark witty, irreverent Smosh style. The stories touch on everything from awkward in-law encounters and naming traditions to stepfamily shenanigans and the perils of accidentally oversharing with family members.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The "Daddy" Conundrum – Nicknames Meet In-Law Awkwardness

[02:31 – 10:51]
Story Recap:
A woman calls her boyfriend "Daddy" while cooking together, accidentally within earshot of his mom, who’s offended and demands it stop. When confronted, the girlfriend retorts, “How is it any different from you calling your husband Papi?” sparking family drama.

Cast Insights:

• The group debates the acceptability and context of pet names, noting generational and cultural differences—"Papi" has more innocuous/contextual uses, while "Daddy" has sexual connotations in modern slang.
• Shane underscores the shared-space dynamic: "If you’re in a shared space, everyone should be comfortable with the language used" [09:48].
• Sarah adds empathy: "Maybe something sexual is fine for you and your partner, but someone else in the house can fairly be uncomfortable with it." [09:04]
• Commenters largely sided with the mom, seeing the nickname as inappropriately sexual; the cast agrees a simple apology could have prevented drama.

Notable Quote:

"You don't want that energy in the house either." – Tommy [07:16]

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2. Naming Traditions and Family Pressure

[12:07 – 29:16]
Story Recap:
A soon-to-be mom refuses her in-laws’ insistence to name their child after the grandfather—per a centuries-old tradition—preferring a unique name, which leads to familial outrage.

Cast Insights:

• Sarah is adamantly team "break tradition": "At least question tradition. Why is it around for so long? What's the importance of it? Is there room for compromise?" [16:42]
• Tommy highlights that traditions evolve, and enforcing them at the expense of the couple’s wishes shows a lack of respect for change and autonomy.
• Shane and Sarah discuss the patriarchal undertones—no one checks if the wife's family has traditions, and the push mainly values the husband's side.
• The consensus: Voluntary, inclusive traditions are great; mandatory, exclusionary ones usually cause resentment.
• The group shares their own family rituals (e.g., snowball fights, St. Patrick’s Day parties) and how they’ve changed with time or as family needs shifted.

Notable Quotes:

"Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people." – Reddit commenter, read by Shane [25:13]
"There's beauty in voluntary participation in tradition." – Sarah [18:27]

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3. Amazon Family Plan—Unwanted Oversharing

[29:25 – 35:36]
Story Recap:
A woman discovers her sister and brother-in-law have, for years, been approving all her Amazon purchases—including private "spicy" ones—because she was on their family plan as a “teen” user.

Cast Insights:

• Group relishes imagining the comedic awkwardness and wonders what items were "too spicy" for continued silence.
• Tommy: "Once you’ve said yes to dildos three times, what’s the fourth?" [32:28]
• Shane highlights the importance of tech literacy and privacy awareness in modern family relationships.

Notable Quote:

"She climbs in through her sister's window because she tied all the dildos together..." – Tommy (joke in escalating hypothetical) [35:15]

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4. Mother-of-the-Bride Demands to Wear White

[35:36 – 43:37]
Story Recap:
A bride’s mother insists she wear a white, bridal-looking gown to her daughter’s wedding, claiming it’s her "last chance to feel beautiful," and threatens not to attend if she can't.

Cast Insights:

• Initial sympathy for the mother's apparent vulnerability quickly turns to skepticism when the cast hears about her competitive, self-centered behavior.
• The group agrees that letting others, even family, hijack significant life events for their own emotional needs is harmful.
• Sarah identifies the real issue: "It doesn't seem like it's about beauty as much as being a bride again." [42:49]
• Shane: “If she can't let you shine, you don't need her drama.” [41:14]

Notable Quote:

"This is your wedding, not her funeral." – Reddit commenter, read by Shane [41:12]

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5. Open Mic Night Disaster—Dad Edition

[43:41 – 54:47]
Story Recap:
A man’s attempt at a first stand-up comedy set is derailed when his dad draws negative attention by trying to record the event, arguing with other comedians, and embarrassing his son into leaving.

Cast Insights:

• Tommy and Sarah, both with standup experience, set the scene: open mics are brutal even for seasoned comics, let alone for a first timer with a recording parent.
• Shane: "You’re not going to go do a five-minute set for the first time ever and nail it." [49:22]
• The group encourages the OP to try again (without dad, and in a new venue), highlighting that bombing and awkward tales are a rite of passage for comedians.

Notable Quotes:

"He should definitely perform again—just not with his dad." – Tommy [50:41]
"You shouldn’t have to be good at something to go do it." – Shane [53:41]

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6. "The Chosen One" Sibling Riff

[54:47 – 65:06]
Story Recap:
The sibling of an adopted daughter (Penny), who for years jokingly calls herself "the chosen one," finally snaps and says, "You weren’t chosen by your first dad," deeply hurting Penny.

Cast Insights:

• Cast identifies the "chosen one" joke as Penny’s way of coping with abandonment and insecurity.
• Shane: “If you sat down with Penny and dug in, it’s because she doesn’t know what her identity is.” [57:12]
• All agree that the remark was excessively cruel; family issues should be addressed in private, with sensitivity.
• Discussion about how parental mishandling of adoption/stepfamily dynamics can result in such long-term rifts.

Notable Quotes:

"You’re not different from them. You’re all the kids." – Shane [59:34]
"I just personally disagree with this desire to dunk on people. Did it help anything?" – Shane [64:00]

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7. Accidental Stepfamily—Dad Marries Son-in-Law’s Mom

[65:55 – 69:46]
Story Recap:
After their widowed and single parents bond at their wedding, a married couple finds themselves as step-siblings when their parents get hitched years later.

Cast Insights:

• The group revels in the wildness, finding it sweet, funny, and emblematic of how family can get weird but ultimately is about happiness.
• Tommy: "There’s no blood in the mix. Love is love." [68:47]
• Shane jokes about blending families and how this situation actually simplifies holiday plans.

Notable Quote:

"My husband’s been jokingly calling me stepsis since the wedding—that’s my favorite nickname." – Sarah (reading OP’s comment) [69:20]

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• [06:47] Sarah: “They're cooking, it’s getting spicy, they’re like, ‘Daddy, pass me the cinnamon…’ The mom was like, alarms! Oh my god. That is my little baby boy. He's not ‘Daddy’!”
• [25:13] Shane (Reddit comment): "Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people."
• [32:28] Tommy: “Once you’ve said yes to dildos three times, what’s the fourth? Go for it.”
• [41:12] Shane (Reddit comment): "This is your wedding, not her funeral."
• [64:00] Shane: “Did it help anything? ...The rift is bigger. Like, congrats, you feel cool.”
• [68:47] Tommy: "There’s no blood in the mix... love is love."

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–01:00 – Sponsorships & Episode Start
• 01:00–02:31 – Introductions & Theme Set-up
• 02:31–10:51 – "Daddy" vs. "Papi" Nickname Dilemma
• 12:07–29:16 – Family Naming Traditions Drama
• 29:25–35:36 – Amazon Family Plan Overshare
• 35:36–43:37 – Mother-of-the-Bride in White
• 43:41–54:47 – Open Mic Fail with Dad
• 54:47–65:06 – The "Chosen One" Sibling Conflict
• 65:55–69:46 – Newlywed Couple Becomes Step-Siblings
• 69:46–71:46 – Reflections & Goodbyes

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Final Thoughts

The Smosh crew brings heart, wit, and candor as they navigate the wild terrains of modern families. "Family Matters" blends frank laughter, personal experience, and genuine advice, making it a must-listen for anyone who loves awkward stories, group therapy by way of memes, and spirited, silly debate about what makes—and breaks—family bonds.

Catch new episodes of “Smosh Reads Reddit Stories” every Saturday for more tales of internet woe, wisdom, and wonder.

Transcript

[Advertiser]

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Could you be more specific?

When it's cravinient.

[Sarah]

Okay.

[Advertiser]

Like a freshly baked cookie made with real butter, available right down the street at AM pm. Or a savory breakfast sandwich I can grab in just a second at a.m. pM.

[Sarah]

I'm seeing a pattern here.

[Advertiser]

Well, yeah, we're talking about what I.

Crave, which is anything from AM pm.

What more could you want? Stop by AM PM where the snacks and drinks are perfectly craveable and convenient. That's cravenience. AM PM Too much. Good stuff.

[Shane]

Hey, this is Steven.

[Sarah]

Sarah. Look, I'm standing out front of a.m. p.m.

[Advertiser]

Right now and, well, you're sweet and.

[Sarah]

All, but I found something more fulfilling. Even kind of cheesy. But I like it. Sure, you met some of my dietary needs, but they've just got it all. So farewell, oatmeal. So long, you strange soggy.

[Advertiser]

Break up with bland breakfast and taste AM PM's bacon, egg and cheese biscuit made with K tree egg, smoked bacon, and melty cheese on a buttery biscuit. AM PM Too much. Good stuff.

[Shane]

Hello and welcome to Smosh Reads Reddit Stories. I'm Shane and today's theme is family. That was my Vin Diesel impression. Not that good.

[Sarah]

Pretty good.

[Shane]

I'm working on it. But it's about family, which is notoriously zero problems, like families thrive. Most people I know, their families are great. There's never an issue. Smooth sailing all the time. I'm joined by two people who are part of the Smosh family, Tommy and Arasha.

[Tommy]

Wow, look at all that.

[Sarah]

I know.

[Shane]

For those listening, there's a bunch of Smosh family portraits all over the place of all of us. Oh, yeah, Very lovely.

[Tommy]

Old me with my dark hair.

[Advertiser]

Wow.

[Tommy]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

Honestly, that could be your brother.

[Tommy]

The trio you always wanted anyway.

[Sarah]

I love that. And then there's just Shane.

[Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Shane]

And then there's me by myself. We're all alone over there, which is cool.

[Sarah]

Our son, you know.

[Shane]

So today we're covering everything. Sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, moms and dads. All kinds of family stories today. And we all have families. That's right here.

[Tommy]

I'm an only child, but it's still.

[Shane]

Everybody has their own unique family experience.

[Tommy]

The producers did not know that.

[Shane]

So.

[Sarah]

Okay. But you've got lovely parents.

[Tommy]

But I've got lovely parents.

[Sarah]

Yes.

[Tommy]

And when they're gone, it's just me.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Tommy]

No, no. Darkness.

[Sarah]

You can't spell family without Illy.

[Tommy]

That's why I have sisters.

[Sarah]

Sisters, sisters, sisters.

[Shane]

Our first story. I love this tit comes from. Am I the asshole? Am I the asshole for calling my boyfriend daddy in front of his mom?

[Tommy]

I bet the dad was so confused.

[Shane]

This has to happen all the time nowadays, but that's me.

[Sarah]

I really hope that it happens all the time.

[Tommy]

That'd be great.

[Sarah]

I'm incredibly excited.

[Tommy]

Okay, we'll see.

[Shane]

Hello, redditors. I, a 24 year old woman, and my boyfriend, a 28 year old man, have been together just shy of one year. Like any ordinary couple, we both have our list of nicknames for each other. His range from Baby Girl, Cinnamon Bun, Guys, Cutie Pie, and so on. Mine range from Baby, Booby, Handsome, and my personal favorite, Daddy. Just for reference, before I get into the story, let me mention one thing. My boyfriend's mom, who we live with, calls her husband my boyfriend's stepdad Poppy. In front of us the other day, around 5ish, my boyfriend and I are cooking in the kitchen. When we cook, we like to make it fun so it doesn't feel like a chore. So our cooking sessions often involve some light music, dancing, bad singing, and pecking lips here and there. That said, there is a small open section of wall between the kitchen and living room. While we were cooking, his mom was standing right by that open wall and overheard me call her son Daddy. She looked offended and said, what the hell did you call him? At first I thought she was just joking, as she is quite a sarcastic lady, but after a few seconds I realized she was dead serious. I looked at her, surprised because I had no clue she was there the whole time and responded with Daddy. She was in disbelief and told me to never call him dad again. I had the audacity, as some might say, to respond by saying, how is this any different from you calling your husband Poppy? Around us, my boyfriend's jaw dropped. I think his dogs did too. She couldn't even look at me at that point. It's been two weeks now and my boyfriend has been begging me to apologize to his mom. But I genuinely don't understand how I'm in the wrong Redditors. What would you do if you were me? So from what is being explained to me, Poppy is a little bit more of a term of endearment, has a wider range of just where it's used, whereas Daddy, it's like anyone who's around knows what that is inferring, right? Like that is very much. It's like, yeah, we get it.

[Sarah]

Except for my dad. My dad doesn't know that. That's like, you know.

[Shane]

Well, if you have someone.

[Sarah]

No, really, like, he's like, you know, like, you know, whenever we're talking, he's like, you know, just ask me if you need something. Just be like, daddy, I need something. And I'll be like, I can't say that.

[Shane]

Okay, well, that's different. This is a very recent.

[Sarah]

I can't. Dad.

[Shane]

This is a. And it's very recent terminology that is.

[Sarah]

But I guess it can be sweet. Like, in the way that he described that it's his, like, favorite name.

[Tommy]

Yeah, I was like, the way that.

[Shane]

The boyfriend's reacting has me wondering how it was said. Like, how was it said between the two of them? Whatever. Now, do I also think it's fair that the mom's like, you can't call him that. It's like, hey, they didn't know you were around in their privacy. They're allowed to speak to each other however they want.

[Sarah]

Yes.

[Shane]

But I think the thing is, now she's. How is it any different from you calling your husband Poppy around us is what she's upset about is probably the core of what's going on right here. Is that what made her an asshole or not?

[Tommy]

Yeah, I'm sure it basically is from the point of view of, like, don't be sexual in my house, if you can. Or keep that over there for you guys. Maybe from a more conservative standpoint or something. But then to come back and be like, well, you do it, too.

[Sarah]

It's like, yeah, that's. I think, what the upsetting part is for me. You're right. Like, these are two consenting adults who are allowed to, you know, be playful with each other. They're cooking. It's getting spicy. They're like, daddy, pass me the cinnamon. You know? And the mom was like, alarms. Oh, my God. That is my little baby boy. He's not Daddy. He's not that. And if she is calling her partner papi, maybe she understands the implications of that and is like, oh, my gosh, now I'm associating these things. And she's uncomfortable. And then when she sort of addressed that, it was met with this retaliation of, like, well, you do this. And it just became this, like, much bigger thing.

[Shane]

Yeah. I think it's also like, is it a situation? You know, I'm never a fan of lying, but is this a situation where you just go, like, oh, yeah, for sure. Sorry about that. We won't. And then it's like, okay, like, make sure mom doesn't hear us say it.

[Tommy]

That's usually what people.

[Shane]

To keep the peace. Cause it's like, well, she lives. We live in the same house. So the boyfriends, they're mortified. Like, oh, now my mom and my girlfriend are beefing, and we're all in the same house.

[Sarah]

And you just don't want that confrontation.

[Tommy]

You don't want that energy in the house either.

[Shane]

They've been together just shy of a year. We don't know whose house it is. Like, if it's the mom's house and they're living there or if the mom is living with the son or whatever. The verdict was asshole, okay? And the comments we have, we all know that that word has a sexual connotation. You're the asshole. Based on the comments. I know people are going to downvote and disagree with me, but, like, nobody wants to hear that. If you're in your own house, sure, go ahead. But if you're in his mother's house, then that is not okay. I don't know about your boyfriend's mom, but papi is used in Hispanic culture a lot as a term of endearment. It can be sexual, but not always. I've heard moms call their sons that as a term of endearment. I've heard people call their dogs that, too. Someone said, daddy does not necessarily equal poppy. Poppy is more universal and can be used between people. Platonically. Calling a boyfriend who is not the father of your child daddy has a predominantly sexual connotation across orientations, whether you intend it or not, which is probably what she was reacting to. Since you live with her, it's worth it to suck it up and apologize. There's no reason you have to call him that around her in her home. Lastly, someone said, you're the asshole. I find the whole daddy thing weird in general, so I might be a little biased already, but in front of his mom. Ew. I think where I'm like, where it's weird for me is that they didn't know the mom was there. Like, they weren't. If she was on purpose saying it in front of the mom, that's a different story. Whoa. That's very sexual. Like, that would make a mom uncomfortable. Yeah, she didn't know that.

[Tommy]

But they are in a kitchen, which is a public space.

[Shane]

I think her reaction would have kept this from being an asshole verdict.

[Sarah]

Right?

[Tommy]

Exactly.

[Shane]

But it's that she went, well, you call your husband Poppy, and that was the decision. All you had to do is go like, you're so right.

[Tommy]

Sorry about that.

[Sarah]

Totally.

[Tommy]

And sorry about that, Mommy.

[Shane]

What? You. You know, sorry, Mommy.

[Sarah]

Sorry, Mommy. Yeah, I think. No, and truthfully, too, I think what I'm also finally understanding as well with those comments is maybe something that you are okay embracing in terms of things of sexual nature. It's okay for you and for your partner, but there might be another person unknowingly in the circle, and they are expressing that they are uncomfortable with it. So instead of being like, deal with it, it should be sort of treated more like, okay, understood. It's your house. This is your son. You didn't necessarily deserve to hear that. So let's just separate instead of get used to it.

[Tommy]

You know, maybe that kind of energy is my daddy. Get used to it.

[Sarah]

Right, right.

[Shane]

For sure. Cause, yeah, that gets into territory of, like, you're in a shared space. So, like, anything sexual, it's like, hey, like, everybody who lives here and uses this shared space probably needs to be comfortable with it.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Shane]

Yeah. It's interesting.

[Sarah]

I love that he loves it, though.

[Shane]

I think we're misremembering that she says her personal favorite to call him is Daddy. So he has not. We have no information that he is a fan of that and is pushing for that. We just know that when this happened with his mom, he was very uncomfortable.

[Sarah]

Yeah. And he was asking for an apology. So maybe there.

[Tommy]

Maybe he doesn't like it. And he's like, my mom was against it. Maybe I can make her stop.

[Sarah]

He's like, mommy, hide behind the wall.

[Shane]

Mommy.

[Tommy]

Mommy. Hide behind the wall. Mommy, please. Mommy. Mommy.

[Shane]

She's calling me Daddy. Please make her stop.

[Advertiser]

Mommy.

[Shane]

Okay.

[Sarah]

I hate it now.

[Shane]

I'm so curious. I feel like. I wish I had so much more info on that one. But it's interesting. I feel like that is not the only incident of that happening in the world. I think that's gotta be happening all the time.

[Sarah]

Yeah, well, there's that. There's, like, a comedy behind it now, right? Like, the whole family being at the dinner table and somebody being like, daddy passed the salt. And the father and the boyfriend both reach for it, and it's like, oop.

[Tommy]

And they touch hands, and then they.

[Sarah]

Go, oh, Daddy.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Mint is still $15 a month for premium wireless. And if you haven't made the switch yet, here are 15 reasons why you should. One, it's $15 a month. Two, seriously, it's $15 a month. Three, no big contracts. Four, I use it. Five, my mom uses it.

[Shane]

Are you.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Are you playing me?

[Shane]

Off.

[Ryan Reynolds]

That's what's happening, right? Okay, give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront.

[Advertiser]

Payment of $45 for 3 month plan, $15 per month equivalent required. New customer offer first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra.

[Shane]

See mint mobile.com hey Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Now I don't know if you've heard but Mint's Premium Wireless is $15 a month. But I'd like to offer one other perk. We have no stores. That means no small talk, crazy weather we're having.

[Tommy]

No it's not.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It's just weather. It is an introvert's dream. Give it a [e-mail] switch upfront came.

[Advertiser]

In a $45 for 3 month plan, $15 per month equivalent required. New customer offer first 3 months only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. See mintmobile.com Kiz Red Stories is brought.

[Shane]

To you by Zocdoc. Now I don't know about you but my feed is full of health trends like chia seeds, lemon juice and water aid your digestion or cottage cheese is an entire nutrition plan. Instead of relying on the algorithm, I am going to leave it to a professional and use ZocDoc. ZocDoc is a free app and website where you can search and compare high quality in network doctors and click to instantly book an appointment. We've all been there where we only have that one day off to get something done. But but appointments made through Zocdoc also happen fast, typically within just 24 to 72 hours of booking. More often than not you can even get same day appointments. I've found some doctors I really like so when I want to book with them again I can go on the app and see their actual appointment openings and choose a time slot that works for me. It has been so simple to use ZocDoc whenever I need a doctor. Whatever the specialty, I can find them and I know they're covered under my insurance because I can search for that. Stop putting off those doctor's appointments and go to zocdoc.com PittReddit to find and instantly book a top rated Doctor today. That's ZocDoc.com PittReddit ZocDoc.com PittReddit Back to the show. All right, our next story. Yeah, am I the asshole for not following my husband's family tradition? My this is a 28 year old woman. My husband who's 29 comes from a very traditional family. While we disagree with his family on many things. It has never really been an issue until now. I am currently eight months pregnant and my husband and I couldn't be happier as we've been trying for a while. Since I first found out I was pregnant, we've been discussing names for our child. In my husband's family, the tradition wants the child to be named after his grandfather. Basically, firstborn men in his family only have one of two names, James or Henry. My husband's grandfather was James, so his name is James too. My husband's father is called Henry, so our child should be two and so on and so forth. But my husband and I didn't really feel like calling our child Henry. And although it's a beautiful way to honor family members, we really wanted our child to have a name that would be personal, that would truly be his. So we chose another name and decided to wait until after the birth to reveal it to everyone. This week my mother in law came to visit us and help us set up for the baby. She brought us some presents, amongst which was a bunch of clothes on which she hand embroidered the name Henry. I said that it was nice and thanked her for it, but told her that we wouldn't be naming our child Henry as we had already told her in the past. She started insisting and saying that it was a tradition so it had to be that way. I explained to her that we'd rather give our child a name that we chose and that Henry could be his middle name. She immediately went to my husband and started saying things like, you're not going to let her do that to our family and and making it very dramatic, saying that I was breaking a tradition that went back hundreds of years. Honestly not sure about that. My husband tried to explain that we both agreed on the name and that all the reasons why we made that choice, but she wouldn't listen. She suggested that we name him Henry on paper as his legal name and then call him something else. But I thought that would be confusing for him and told her that he would be named what we chose. She kept begging my husband and saying that I was ruining the family tradition and at one point I lost it, which is partially to blame on hormones I think, and told her that it was our child. So we did what we wanted and we didn't have to follow a stupid tradition. She stormed out and my husband has since received texts from his father and sister accusing me of making his mother feel really bad and some other stuff that I don't really remember. I get the importance of tradition and it can be really beautiful. But also, I feel like that shouldn't be an obligation and it's okay to change things. We won't change our baby's name because we're really set on that. But maybe we were wrong for not following the tradition. I'm not entirely sure and am mentally exhausted by all this drama. And I've seen many comments mentioning they saw similar stories in the past. I'd like to clarify those weren't mine. All of those events happened two days ago. But it's crazy to see how many families have similar traditions. I really thought that was a super rare thing. I mean, we've read a million tradition stories that are sort of like this. Just like, you know, like, well, we've done this for generations, so we have to keep doing this.

[Sarah]

And I'm so passionate about breaking tradition. I mean, if I like my next tattoo is truly going to be break tradition. I think it's quite. I understand the historical relevance of a ritual, and a lot of the times it can be tied to religion and faith and spirituality. Absolutely. But at least question tradition.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

Why is it around for so long? What's the importance of it? Is there a way of a compromise? The middle name sounded perfect.

[Shane]

I feel like that's what so many people do.

[Sarah]

That sounded like such a great option and a way to include people rather than bulldozing their ideas and perspectives and forcing them to join this tradition.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Tommy]

I have a question on one of the details. His name is James two, not Junior two.

[Shane]

No, his name is just James.

[Tommy]

Oh, T o o.

[Shane]

Got it.

[Tommy]

I thought his name was James 2, and I'm like, this tradition is crazy. No, Henry 5.

[Shane]

It's actually kind of a funny tradition to me because, yeah, none of them are juniors or the third or something. It's like, no, you're James, and your dad's Henry, and his dad's James, and his dad's Henry, and his dad's James.

[Tommy]

And regardless of the name, you're still genetically the family.

[Sarah]

It feels like this tradition is almost rooted in this comfort from the family. Like, it's important to them that this child is named, that it doesn't seem like they're doing a lot of around the table consideration of what other people find important about this kid, and then certainly not the child himself.

[Shane]

Yeah. This feels like more of a thing of control. And I like traditions too, but I think I like traditions that are more like, oh, we do this get together every year, or like, there's something that happens.

[Tommy]

We go to Applebee's In February.

[Shane]

Yeah. Yeah. Hell yeah. You know, but just like, no, your name is. This just feels it's longer lasting. Yeah, it's heavier. That's not legacy to me. Like, that's not family to me.

[Sarah]

There's also, I think, a beauty in voluntary participation in traditions. Right? Like, something like Applebee's in February feels like something everyone can be like, yes, let's do it. Rather than like, we gotta do this, or, you know, we made a reservation 15 years ago and we have to do it.

[Shane]

That's really funny. I think that's something that I have a hard time getting behind when I know, like, people are like, oh, you're name your son James. They're like, well, we don't want to. And it's like, well, you should, though. But I'm like, wait, if, you know, they don't want to, isn't that going to make you uncomfortable forever that you've made them do something they don't want to do? And it's going to kind of like be boiling under the surface.

[Tommy]

They have to be around their kid longer than you do.

[Sarah]

And what if, like, their ex husband's name is James?

[Shane]

And what if.

[Sarah]

And did you consider that, did you think about that? Could be really harmful to name your kid the name of your ex. Just thinking about it like that.

[Shane]

There's also the underlying patriarchal shit of this. Of like, they don't give a shit what her family traditions are.

[Tommy]

Right?

[Shane]

Totally. It's like, well, this is ours, so it trumps yours.

[Sarah]

And what if there's a girl? What if it's a baby girl, Henry.

[Shane]

The girl's family, they'd be like, oh, well, then we don't care.

[Sarah]

Well, then we put it back.

[Tommy]

We return to sender.

[Shane]

Exactly. It's interesting that it's the mom. It's the mom, like, pushing this so hard, right? I mean, probably the rest of the family feels the same way. I think we get that from this. But clearly the mom went along with the tradition and so now she's not. And it's gotta be the same forcing.

[Tommy]

I had to do it.

[Shane]

Yeah, you do it. It's kind of that I feel like everybody's heard that of like, well, we did this, so that's normal. But I think it's like a reckoning that I'm sure we'll face too, as you get older of like, oh, this bullshit we went through and tolerated. And then younger people are like, we're not gonna tolerate this. And it's like, well, you should, because I did it's like, oh wait, you not tolerating it means somewhere in my head I have to face the fact that maybe I didn't have to.

[Tommy]

Right.

[Shane]

But it's like, no, the world changes.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Shane]

And it's a different world than it was then. Which is also like traditions change. Cause the world changes. Like we're not in the 1800s anymore.

[Tommy]

Right. I feel like. Cause our world is changing so much, so frequently, at least me and my peers, us here, I feel like we're gonna get to that stage and we'll be open to be like, you know, oh, it's different for you guys. Great. I'm glad it's different. Not like, oh, well, you. We did it this way, so you gotta do it that. You know, it's like, I paid off my student loans.

[Sarah]

Yes.

[Tommy]

But I don't expect. But I want the rest of the student loans to be forgiven. I'm like, just. Cause I paid mine off. You had it.

[Sarah]

No, yeah, yeah, yeah, no, absolutely.

[Tommy]

Be free.

[Shane]

I agree. Cause yeah. It's like, oh, when I went to college, the world was different. Right. You know, 10 years ago. Like the world is different now and humans adapt. Right. Like so it's gonna be this weird thing of like, I'm sure when I'm 80, I'm gonna look around at young people and be like, what the fuck?

[Tommy]

What the fuck is this are you doing?

[Shane]

But I'm like, oh, right. Cause the world's different and you all adapt so well.

[Sarah]

Right.

[Shane]

That you've adapted to this new world and you're built for it. Yeah.

[Sarah]

In a twisted way though too. It's like this level of adaptation and flexibility is also new, if that makes sense. Right. So like just sort of to give grace as well to the woman, the mom of that family. Like there is. I think we need to acknowledge that like it's almost. It can be like this, these deep rooted issues. Right. Like they say trauma is passed down from generation to generation until somebody is brave enough to feel it.

[Tommy]

Yep.

[Sarah]

And. Right. And it's not that the people before aren't brave necessarily. It's just that they don't have the tools yet. So they're doing their best and they're operating with what they need to operate with in order to survive. But now hopefully there can be somebody or something that can help navigate it to be like, hey, like, let's unpack it. Let's actually understand it. Let's break it down in a way that re filters some of that agency for the women that came before her.

[Shane]

Yeah. Cause for one, OP has a husband who is backing her and also agrees on this change.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Shane]

But also, yeah, there's the aspect of like it's also 2025, as opposed to the mom trying to be like, oh, let's break tradition. It's the 90s. It's like it's a different and completely different vibe.

[Sarah]

Yes.

[Shane]

And a completely different husband. So we don't know.

[Sarah]

Different support system, different norms, different references to point to historically. Like it's a whole nother thing. And it's unfair to just expect like you should also be open and flexible. You know, it's both ends.

[Shane]

But also acknowledging how deep this goes with the whole family and the mom.

[Tommy]

Right.

[Shane]

It almost like furthers the point of, yeah, you gotta do your own thing. Cause you can't unravel this. So go your own path. And they're gonna be upset because they have not reckoned with everything that's going on.

[Sarah]

Right. But hopefully this can initiate the beginning of that.

[Shane]

Hopefully. I mean families, we don't always have those moments where it's like, you know what, you're right.

[Sarah]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Tommy]

Okay. What if. Okay. In the future, baby Carl, we're gonna call him Carl. Baby Carl has a family and he's like, I'm gonna name my kid James 5.

[Sarah]

He's like, we're bringing it back.

[Tommy]

We're bringing it back. Baby.

[Shane]

You're not naming your kid Henry. What are you naming him? Benry.

[Tommy]

Benry 8.

[Shane]

Benry 8. Oh God. Naming your child like something junior but they're not a junior is awesome.

[Sarah]

That's funny.

[Tommy]

It's awesome.

[Sarah]

That's awesome.

[Shane]

Tell your in laws that the thousand year long tradition in your family is that the mother and father of the baby choose the name and you'll be following your family's tradition, not the asshole. 10,000 upvotes. Someone said, you husband needs to snap back and say this is my decision instead of allowing them to blame you. Op says he's been trying to, but his family won't listen. And they're convinced that I manipulated him or something. But at least he's standing up to them. So there's at least that someone responded to that saying, oh man, this was me. Anything my partner did that they didn't like equaled my fault. Any disagreement about anything was because of my brainwashing. I was like, I can't even get them to hang up their towel after a shower. So I'm not sure where this is coming from. Someone said, not the asshole. My family has the same tradition. I Remember being unhappy when my brother and his wife didn't follow it. Shame on me. I was too steeped in traditions to consider an alternative. Good on my sister in law for being independent. I learned from her. You are giving your child freedom. Good for you. Well, a family member who learned something.

[Tommy]

There you go.

[Shane]

Someone said, not the asshole. Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people.

[Tommy]

Whoa.

[Shane]

I think some traditions, though are great as long as everybody's down for it and having a good time. But plenty are just weird.

[Sarah]

Plenty are just existing because it's what we've always done.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Tommy]

And that's a bad mindset to have.

[Shane]

Totally.

[Tommy]

Yeah.

[Shane]

I definitely agree in questioning it. Constantly.

[Sarah]

Constant.

[Tommy]

Just.

[Sarah]

And again, it doesn't. It might be that you evaluate it and you're like, yeah, this is good. Let's keep it for sure.

[Tommy]

But you gotta at least be able to question it.

[Sarah]

Absolutely.

[Shane]

Yeah. Absolutely.

[Sarah]

Assess.

[Shane]

Do you guys have any, like, fun family traditions? You mentioned Applebee's in February.

[Tommy]

That was a bit.

[Shane]

I believe it can get back to tradition.

[Tommy]

I don't think the Bow family has ever stepped foot into an Applebee's together.

[Sarah]

That's a tradition.

[Tommy]

That's a tradition. We'll never go.

[Shane]

I'm actually sad. My grandma, my mom cares a lot about traditions, but the traditions are all like family get togethers. It's more about just like, let's keep the family together and hang out and talk and stuff. And I'm like, that's the tradition I can get behind. Cause it's so easy for that to drift apart. And then you're not talking, then you're not getting together. My grandma, for the longest time we had this tradition of just like St. Patrick's Day was just a big party at her house. It was just like, yeah, like, you know, we're American, but like, we still are. Like, oh, but we're Irish heritage. So it's just this insane party where we just have like, green everywhere and stuff. But it was really just an excuse to get together and stuff.

[Tommy]

That's my family's too. Christmas Eve, it was always grandma, Grandpa's house, but. And she would cook and she'd make cookies. It was always like, it's kind of like her doing all the tradition and we just get to come and enjoy it. But they got old and it was like, she doesn't want to do all this. And then like, one day ordered Italian food and we had like, Italian takeout. And we were like, well, this isn't quite the same. And then we're just like, you know, let's just have. Let's. Let's scale it back and just have, like, a. We come, we open gifts, we talk, we go.

[Shane]

Yes. Yeah.

[Sarah]

Yes.

[Shane]

We have some dumb ones. Like, in my family, for Christmas, we have a snowball fight, but it's just at my brother's house, and we just have these like. Like, they're like little snowball. Like, I don't know what they're made of, but they're just like these squishy, like.

[Tommy]

Like bean bags, like hacky sacks.

[Shane]

Oh, beanbags. They're very soft. But we truly just, like, all split up in this big room, and then it's all the adults versus all the kids.

[Sarah]

Cute.

[Shane]

And so it's kind of an excuse for us to kids with these fun. It's really fun. But now the kids are getting older, and they're now winning, and they're hurting. Their endurance is just endless, of course. So we get tired, and then we end up just laying on the ground while they're just, like, hitting us with snowballs.

[Sarah]

You're like, my knees.

[Shane]

I'm like, my back.

[Sarah]

That's awesome.

[Shane]

Yeah. Like, that kind of stuff is fun.

[Sarah]

I relate to you guys, too, that I think, for me, my family, also, our tradition is also just sort of gathering in the holidays, taking those as an opportunity of we have off work, so let's just spend that time together. I think for me, too, the difficulty with traditions is that it feels like it comes with expectations. It feels like, okay, we have to do everything that we did before, otherwise it's not fulfilling. At least that's the way that I interpret it. So I feel like I have to be very delicate with my rituals, and that's why I use the word like this. Voluntary participation. I feel the need to be very excited about the tradition. Otherwise, it could snowball into something that's like, oh, it's not perfect. It's not what we had last year. And now I'm not having any fun.

[Shane]

Yeah. I think being a little lax on it is nice.

[Sarah]

Totally.

[Shane]

Like, my brothers and I do a campground every year, and this year, we just. It didn't work. Like, we were traveling too much. It was like, all right. Yeah, we'll do it next year. Like, it's just, like, it's not a big deal. We can get back on it. Like, it's okay. Yeah. It's just like. It's just hanging out with a little bit of structure.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Shane]

Like, if you think about it like that, then it's fine.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Shane]

And it's just like, oh, let's give ourselves an excuse to hang out more.

[Sarah]

That's cute.

[Shane]

Yeah. All right, our next story. So today I fucked up. Today I fucked up by forgetting I was on an Amazon family plan for years.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Hey, Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. Now I don't know if you've heard, but Mint's Premium Wireless is $15 a month. But I'd like to offer one other perk. We have no stores. That means no small talk. Crazy weather we're having.

[Tommy]

No, it's not.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It's just weather. It is an introvert's dream. Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment.

[Advertiser]

Of $45 for three month plan. $15 per month equivalent required. New customer offer first three months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See mint mobile.com Mint is still $15.

[Ryan Reynolds]

A month for premium wireless. And if you haven't made the switch yet, here are 15 reasons why you should. 1. It's $15 a month.

[Tommy]

2.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Seriously, it's $15 a month. 3. No big contracts.

[Sarah]

4.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I use it. 5. My mom uses it. Are you playing me off? That's what's happening, right? Okay, give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront.

[Advertiser]

Payment of $45 for a three month plan. $15 per month equivalent required. New customer offer first three months only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. See mintmobile.com uh oh.

[Shane]

So I just got an email notification stating that I was removed from my Amazon family plan. I completely forgot that years ago my sister and brother in law added me to their account as a teen so I could mooch free prime from them. Upon seeing this I started getting a panic attack because I have made many spicy purchases on there things I know they don't want to know about their little sister. I quickly googled to see if there's any chance they've been privy to these purchases. And there plain as day it reads yes, if you are a teen on an Amazon household account, your parents will be notified about your purchases because they need to approve them. My brethren in Christ, My sister has been approving every single purchase I've made for years. The mundane ones, the questionable ones, the impulse ones, the downright horny ones, everything. And she's never said one word about it this whole time. My last purchase made was two days before being notified via this email. And yes, it was a horny purchase. I'm afraid that she finally got fed up with knowing this many intimate details about my life and finally decided to End it. But maybe, just maybe, it's a coincidence. I'm too afraid to ask. Honestly, I'm not sure that I want to know. FML okay, well, I need to know what these purchases are.

[Sarah]

Absolutely. I mean, I guess there's a win that it's a sister, not necessarily mother, father, Right?

[Shane]

True, true.

[Sarah]

I think that objectively is a little bit better.

[Shane]

I would agree.

[Tommy]

I'm nothing too crazy.

[Shane]

It still just is like, oh, shit. I did not know anyone was seeing this.

[Sarah]

Yeah. Which is tough.

[Tommy]

So if anything, it's just slightly embarrassing. And now you have to spend money to get prime again.

[Sarah]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Shane]

Instinct would say that it's probably Amazon kicking her off. Cause I feel like that's what I.

[Tommy]

Imagine is they outgrew it.

[Shane]

These type of things are just always finding ways to screw people over. It's more expensive every month. And then it's like, no, you can't have more people on your account. Yeah.

[Sarah]

And if she was uncomfortable with it, she probably would have either said something or before not approved those purchases.

[Tommy]

Right. I mean, you can say once you say yes to dildos three times. What's the fucking fourth? Yes. Yeah, go. You got it. Take it. Get it. I just feel like it wouldn't have.

[Sarah]

Searched it that on Amazon, so. I'm so curious.

[Advertiser]

I'm sure they're there.

[Shane]

Okay. Okay, so it's not. I don't know why. I'm thinking of just, like, watching movies and stuff. Okay, so she's buying just items.

[Tommy]

Yes.

[Shane]

Well, I don't know why. My head was just, like, buying, like, movies and stuff. Renting. I think I was thinking, like, oh, you're Amazon prime, like, watching stuff.

[Sarah]

She's taking action.

[Shane]

She's buying things.

[Tommy]

She's getting things that vibrate. She's getting things slick things. Yeah.

[Sarah]

Suck.

[Shane]

Whoa. Yeah.

[Sarah]

Rubs.

[Shane]

Damn.

[Tommy]

She got.

[Sarah]

I went somewhere.

[Tommy]

Love the sister. Just going like, yeah, sure, get it, Take it.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Tommy]

That's what makes me think they got kicked off and that it wasn't like, yeah.

[Shane]

Cause it's like, what did she order that was too horny. It sounds like she's already been to the moon.

[Tommy]

Unless it was like, the weirdest.

[Shane]

Yeah. It's like, look, buy this book if you're racist.

[Tommy]

And she bought it. And she's like, bought. And then the sister's like, what?

[Sarah]

No, now it's too much.

[Tommy]

Now it's too much.

[Shane]

I'm fine with every dildo on Earth, but not the this is how to be racist part.

[Sarah]

Not racism. That's where we draw the line, comments.

[Shane]

Your sister's a real one. 16,000 upvotes. Someone says, if it makes you feel any better, I gave my boyfriend my public and curated Amazon wishlist, which he shared to his mom and grandma. They purchased things I completely forgot about adding to my wish list a long time ago because Amazon showed them my private shopping list with all sorts of lingerie and spicy appliances. It was our first Christmas and I was mortified when I found out.

[Tommy]

Spicy appliances.

[Shane]

Yeah, spicy appliances.

[Tommy]

Don't put a KitchenAid down there.

[Sarah]

Or do.

[Shane]

Or do Grandma's like, I got a great toaster. No ding. The brave little toaster, one might say.

[Sarah]

God.

[Shane]

Someone said, perhaps it's your brother in law who's been approving your purchases and has protected you and your sister from knowing too much. Either way, someone deserves a thank you. Op said, somehow I think that's even worse. Yeah, I think that's worse. I think both of them have to know.

[Sarah]

I think so.

[Tommy]

Yeah.

[Shane]

Maybe she's buying so much stuff.

[Sarah]

Yeah. Maybe it's easier said than done. But I just feel like if that happens, I feel like you have to have a conversation and just. You gotta just be honest and be like, listen, I didn't know and I'm really sorry and I appreciate you proving that. I'm like, did you guys happen to kick me off? Is that just Amazon? Like, you got to address it.

[Tommy]

And as you know, I have a surplus. So if you want to borrow any, I have a chapa for you. Get into Chopper. Yeah, exactly.

[Shane]

She climbs in through her sister's window because she tied all the dildos together. Oh, my God. Holy shit, dude.

[Sarah]

Spicy appliances.

[Shane]

Spicy appliances.

[Tommy]

Can't shake that. Can't shake that.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Shane]

Oh, be careful of my fridge. You can fuck it.

[Sarah]

Yeah. Make sure, share my Amazon. I've been making horny purchases.

[Advertiser]

Wow.

[Tommy]

Wow.

[Shane]

All right. This comes from. Am I the asshole? Am I the asshole for refusing to let my mom wear white to my wedding even though she claims it's her last chance to feel beautiful. Please, please, please. Oh, God, I felt like I just got punched 50 times.

[Sarah]

Somehow all of us just got swim.

[Tommy]

Cause I'm like, no, of course you shouldn't. Oh, no. That's so sad.

[Shane]

I've never heard a reason where I was like, oh, maybe you do. Yeah.

[Sarah]

That is the only reason you can do it.

[Shane]

You need to let her.

[Tommy]

Oh, maybe you let her.

[Shane]

If you're like at a wedding, you see like a mom wearing white and you go up and you're like, ma', am, you need to leave. She's like, this was my last chance to still be you.

[Sarah]

And you're like, I'm so sorry.

[Tommy]

I'm so sorry. You are beautiful.

[Shane]

You just turned to dust and like.

[Sarah]

Well, it's time to find out if she's a beautiful woman. Let's do it.

[Shane]

I just turned 23 and I'm getting married in October. My mom and I have always had what I would refer to as a rocky relationship, especially since I got engaged. She's been oddly competitive, commenting on my body, comparing our rings like we are in a competition, saying things like, this day is as much about me as it is about you. I honestly thought she was joking until she showed me the dress. She bought a white floor length gown that looks exactly like a bridal dress. And I told her flat out she cannot wear that because in my opinion, it doesn't match the occasion. She got quiet, then burst into tears saying, it's her and this was an opportunity to feel beautiful before getting old and that I'm selfish for not letting her have this one thing. I felt really bad about this. So I also offered to go shopping with her to find something elegant and more appropriate. And all of a sudden her countenance changed. And then she told me I was controlling and ungrateful. What gave me peace was that my fiance backed me up, as did my maid of honor. Now my mom is threatening not to come to the wedding and my aunt says I should just let her have this to avoid drama. I don't think I'm wrong for drawing a line here, but now part of me wonders if I'm the asshole.

[Tommy]

All right, well, it's not as pathetic as we thought. Initially. It turns out the mom's just being a pick me.

[Shane]

A pick me mom is awful.

[Sarah]

A huge pick me. What do you mean? This day is just about as. Just about me as it is you. What?

[Tommy]

Before I get old, you can be pretty beautiful and old. What are you talking about?

[Shane]

Yeah, dude, Helen Mirren.

[Tommy]

Helen Mirren?

[Shane]

Come on, man.

[Tommy]

Dude, you love Helen Mirren.

[Shane]

Okay? Helen Mirren is objectively, ridiculously hot.

[Sarah]

Dude, we're talking about moms right now.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Tommy]

Oh gosh, I think she is one.

[Shane]

Shit, she is one.

[Sarah]

I made it worse.

[Shane]

Exactly.

[Tommy]

Yeah. The mom needs to not be wearing the dress. I don't. I've never been wed, nor have I planned a wedding, but I'm aware that it's very stressful. I don't know what I would do in this situation where it's like, oh, then she won't Come if she's gonna wear. You know, like, I'll have my mom not come to my wedding if she. But then it's also like, don't wear white to my wedding. And she doesn't want to change the dress. She offered to go shopping. So it's like, what do you do?

[Sarah]

Right. No, that's actually just such an impossible situation. I think, like, from us not knowing these people, it's so easy to be like, oh, my God, this mom. But if we were that, if we were the bride, and that is your mom expressing those very deep and sad, painful things to you. It's going to be so hard.

[Shane]

It's gonna be tough. I can respect OP for being, like, in a conflicted place. But I also think these are those situations where the mom's like, well, I'm not gonna go to the wedding. If it can't be about me. Then it's like, well, then you're not coming to the wedding. Cause it's not about you. Factually, this is like. I think this is a clear indication that her mom is not even thinking about her. Her mom is, like, stealing from her, like, reaching the life from her. That is situations where I'm like, oh, if you wanted to cut your mom out of your life, I get it. Cause she is being a parasite to you. She's not being there for you. She's, in fact, the opposite.

[Sarah]

I mean, I think if there's hope for a more permanent change for the mom, it's definitely not gonna be through escaping through this wedding. You know, it's not gonna be by.

[Shane]

Giving the answer is not in giving her everything she wants.

[Sarah]

Then it's maybe like, oh, I'm having a baby. And now the mom is like, it's mine.

[Shane]

Right.

[Tommy]

You know, there's also been stories, I don't know here, but perhaps, where, like, a mom will not approve of, like, a gay wedding or something like that, which is a little way different than this. And so, you know, the kids and their partner go like, well, then you're not. Then, you know, if you don't approve, great. We're gonna have the wedding anyway.

[Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Tommy]

And then they go. And when it gets close to the wedding, the parents go, man, shit, I wanna be there. And I wanna. And they change. So maybe what needs to happen is it's like, great. You don't wanna change your outfit. You're not coming to the wedding. And then as it approaches the mom's like, but then I won't be there at all. And then I can't make the day about me. If I'm not there, then, oh, then I will change my dress and I'll make a deal out of it, and I will show up.

[Sarah]

She might have a realization. Yeah. I think what concerns me, too, is the aunt. You said, right?

[Tommy]

Her associate.

[Shane]

The aunt was on the mom's side.

[Sarah]

Yes. I mean, that's what worries me. That it is that this woman is just going through and her sister is just trying to make her feel better. Yeah. Let her have it.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

But she's terrible advice.

[Shane]

OP says that her and her mom have always had a rocky relationship. Oh. Since she got engaged, she's been oddly competitive. But still, it's like the aunt is indicating that the mom has kind of always been a little bit this way, where it's like, well, just let her do her thing.

[Tommy]

Yeah. She just deals with her sister by being like, that's all right.

[Shane]

And I'm like, when you do that, it just never changes. Right. It's guaranteed to never change if you do that.

[Tommy]

If you just do that.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Shane]

So you have to put a hard stop to it and hope it changes. But it may. Not that it's in the mom's court.

[Sarah]

But it indicates that her behavior is acceptable, which it's absolutely not.

[Shane]

The verdict is not the asshole. Comments. Now my mom is threatening not to come to the wedding. Your mother is extremely manipulative. Take her up on that offer. Not the asshole. Someone said that 100% this op, not the asshole. She'll only find another way to make the day about her. She should be making the day about you. If she can't let you shine, you don't need her drama. Someone said, not the asshole. This is not her last chance to be beautiful. This is your wedding, not her funeral. She can't be that old if her daughter is getting married at 23. And she should want to look beautiful, not like she's pretending to be the bride. People will think and say unflattering things about her. They'll joke at her expense that she's desperate for attention or hoping to steal the groom that she's turned into Ms. Havisham. This is a character from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. She is a wealthy spinster who lives in a decrepit mansion and wears her wedding dress every day because she was jilted at the altar.

[Tommy]

Now that's a fun way to manipulate the manipulators. Be like, oh, well, people are gonna make fun of you if you're dressed in white like me.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Tommy]

Don't you want to Be beautiful in the star of the show. Maybe dress like a normal lady and be normal at the wedding.

[Sarah]

Wear green.

[Shane]

They continue on. She can buy a beautiful formal dress and wow the guests, looking like she's ready to pick up her Oscar in any color but white. Op said, I don't understand why a mother would want to steal her daughter's day.

[Sarah]

It doesn't seem to me like it's about beauty and vanity as much as it feels like it's specifically about being a bride. Again.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

Pairing the rings, needing to wear a white dress as opposed to. Yeah. The alternate of just wearing another beautiful dress that isn't white.

[Tommy]

She wants to be married.

[Sarah]

She wants to be married. She wants to be a bride in some way. Like, it seems like, again, psychologically, that's what it feels like. It sticks out to me that that is what she's harping on, not necessarily feeling beautiful. Maybe she's just like filling in other words for it and it's getting misplaced. So not to say that that is what she's going through, but my point is I think that she just needs to deal with that separately.

[Shane]

Right.

[Tommy]

Yep. Yep.

[Sarah]

With therapy.

[Shane]

Absolutely.

[Tommy]

What a parent going to therapy.

[Sarah]

I know.

[Tommy]

Unbelievable.

[Shane]

Moving on to our next story. This is also a. Today I fucked up. Today I fucked up by bringing my dad to my first open mic. Wow. No, this was posted a day ago. As of filming this.

[Tommy]

This was yesterday.

[Shane]

We are reading this less than 24 hours after it's been posted.

[Sarah]

So the open mic was like last night. Yeah.

[Tommy]

So if anyone doesn't know what an open mic is, in stand up comedy, it's when you're like, oh, I can do standup comedy. I'm gonna go to this open mic and try jokes that I wrote and have never said in front of anyone ever before. And usually it's a lottery system. So you're gonna go and wait maybe like two and a half hours before you get called up and you have your 3 minute window to do your jokes to a bunch of comedians who are either in their head waiting to go up or pissed off at how their set went or outside smoking a cigarette and you're. It's just a hellscape, if I may.

[Sarah]

Add, too these days you also have to pay for your performance time.

[Tommy]

Yes.

[Sarah]

So you have to put down $5 to go have five minutes.

[Tommy]

Right.

[Sarah]

And it is truly just a dark hell hole.

[Tommy]

And to bring someone now listen. And that's still an opportunity to, like, network and it is the best place to try your stuff out. Unless you get booked on shows often, you can sneak in one or two every once in a while because you don't want to do fresh stuff out of show. But to bring someone who is not trying to get into standup to an open mic.

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[Shane]

No, it's not. It's just weather.

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[Tommy]

It's like you might as well have them in the passenger seat and drive off a cliff into the ocean.

[Sarah]

Truly, this is a punishment on everybody's front.

[Tommy]

Yes.

[Shane]

Wow.

[Tommy]

Okay. That just needed to be said before.

[Sarah]

We don't have very many feelings about open mics.

[Tommy]

Yeah, No, I don't. I'm very neutral though, to open mics and stand up in general.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Shane]

Okay. Yeah. I have only heard this over and over again about standup. Like open mics and stuff. It is like a nightmare.

[Sarah]

It sucks.

[Shane]

Career to pursue.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Shane]

I've never heard anyone say a good thing about open mics.

[Sarah]

No, no.

[Tommy]

I did stand up for a year and then I said, I hate this.

[Sarah]

Mm. That makes sense. And that's our story.

[Tommy]

All right.

[Sarah]

All right, tell us yours.

[Shane]

I'm visiting my dad's home across the country for the first time and I hear about an open mic coming up in a couple days. I've come up with a handful of stand up bits over the years and I always wanted to give it a try. I'm not seriously pursuing a career in comedy, but I love it and I have fun making people laugh. I spent the last few days writing a Five minute set and tonight my dad took me to the venue for the moment of Truth. We got there early and sat at the bar, which was the first mistake because the bartender talked my dad into buying one of those high alcohol hipster beers. He tried to sell me on one too, but I told him. He asked me 12 years too late and got a seltzer with lime instead. I asked my dad to take video of my set so I could show my girlfriend later. So we got settled at a table close to the stage and he started fiddling with his phone to get the best shot. He's a decent photographer, so it's not unusual for him to be picky about this process. I was first on the signup list.

[Tommy]

Incredible.

[Shane]

So it seemed rational to get the phone ready to record. But the host did five minutes herself. Then one of her friends took a turn and mentioned the awkwardness of my dad recording. He assured the comedian that he wasn't recording. The phone was shooting blanks. Shooting blanks. This led to a few more awkward jokes until another opening act took the stage. At this point, a large man dramatically sat down at the one table in front of us and blocked my dad's phone. I knew right away this guy did it on purpose to stop us from recording. By then, my dad had actually started recording because he thought it would be a cool idea to get the act before me and give my act some prologue. But my dad didn't get the hint. He just thought the guy in front of us was inconsiderate. He complained about him and I said, dad, he's doing it on purpose. And made a motion with my hand for him to calm down. The guy turned around and started arguing with my dad, who got loud back at him, talking about how he has every right to record. Now the comedian starts yelling at my dad too. Someone in the crowd yells out, put the phone away and only record your son. Bombing.

[Sarah]

Got his ass.

[Tommy]

Oh God.

[Sarah]

Got his ass.

[Tommy]

Actually, we're really setting the sun up for success here.

[Shane]

At this point, I got up and told my dad we might as well leave. There's no way anyone is going to laugh at my jokes. Now get out. I've been wanting to try stand up for over a decade now and I was pissed. It all fell apart. I had the set memorized and I knew I was gonna nail it. Okay, buddy, I. No, I've never done stand up like real standup. There's no such thing as nailing your first. You're gonna bomb, right? You're gonna bomb.

[Tommy]

You're Gonna bomb.

[Shane]

You're gonna bomb. And that's okay.

[Tommy]

That's okay. Cause you gotta.

[Shane]

That's what's gonna happen.

[Sarah]

You gotta be okay with.

[Shane]

You're not gonna go do a five minute set for the first time ever and nail it.

[Sarah]

And certainly not in an open mic night.

[Tommy]

And also, no matter what city you're in, there's an open mic night.

[Sarah]

Yep.

[Tommy]

Go tomorrow, day after. There's gonna be one Applebee's in February. Open mic night.

[Sarah]

Right. Bring a tripod. Let dad see it.

[Shane]

Oh, my God. The confidence on this guy to be like, I'm going to try it for the first time and it's gonna be so good that my dad's gonna record it and I'm gonna show my girlfriend and everybody's gonna love it. I'm like, man, all right, okay. You are. This reminds me of, like when they're like the random times in history where the NFL is like, oh, we need to have open tryouts for teams and people are like, yeah, I'm gonna go and I'm gonna make the team. Like, you're gonna die.

[Tommy]

You're gonna be murdered.

[Sarah]

But you know what? I love the confidence. You need to have the confidence.

[Tommy]

You do have to be delusional a lot.

[Sarah]

You have to. You have to feel like this is funny stuff.

[Tommy]

Right. So you can, you know, deliver it right now.

[Shane]

He was smart to realize there's no point in going up. But also, I know he just wanted to do this as a one time. He wanted to do this as a passion project.

[Tommy]

Yes.

[Shane]

But it's like, yeah, nobody was probably gonna laugh at your stuff anyways.

[Sarah]

So that's it. That's the story. That's.

[Shane]

That's where it ends.

[Sarah]

Oh, thank God.

[Tommy]

He should definitely listen. He likes comedy. He wrote his. He spent time. He should go and perform at some point.

[Sarah]

Yes.

[Tommy]

Go tomorrow and have someone in the. Just don't bring your parent if you don't want to. Just people are there recording anyway. Just ask someone to record.

[Sarah]

Yeah, yeah.

[Tommy]

Or set the phone up yourself. Just press the record button.

[Sarah]

Absolutely.

[Shane]

And just record your set.

[Tommy]

Yeah, just record your set. You should not be recording other people's sets.

[Sarah]

Yeah, that definitely was also weird of the dad to be like, it's a prologue. Like, I don't know.

[Tommy]

We don't need to. We know we're in the setting of stand up comedy. We don't need a wide.

[Shane]

What if.

[Tommy]

Watch stand up scenes.

[Shane]

Like, I wish I had a prologue.

[Sarah]

Scene with an opener. I don't want to watch my Son.

[Shane]

God, gosh. Stand up is so brutal, dude.

[Sarah]

Yeah, but sweet, supportive dad who, you know, was just really trying to be there for his kids.

[Shane]

It's really hard. Cause like, I've been around stand up comedians and like, I've been in comedy for so long that people think like, oh, well, I'm funny and I make my friends laugh. I'll nail this. I'm like, it's a complete. It's its own thing, it's its own art.

[Sarah]

You're up there a lot.

[Shane]

It's weird how much it's. Cause we've done light, like, try not to laugh. Where we're like, oh, we just stand up. And I'm like, oh, man. It's a whole language that you have to learn.

[Tommy]

And it's an act in a way that's like, you have to present yourself in a specific way with your specific writing. You can't just be like, I got these jokes. Let me just say it.

[Sarah]

Right, right.

[Tommy]

I mean, unless it comes so naturally to you.

[Shane]

Unless you've been doing it for like. I've heard people be like, you have to perform weekly for 10 years for it to start clicking. Yes, yes, I've heard that like a few times. Well.

[Sarah]

Cause for me too, the best stand ups, I think, are the ones that are just. Cause you know what I've heard too. I also did stand up for a very short amount of time. And it's all about the crowd. Not necessarily crowd work, but every single time you get up there, it cannot be. And now I start and this is my act. It's gotta be like, okay, this is the audience that's going to receive this specific performance. I need to be listening to them. If somebody says something or something funny happens in the crowd, I need to be able to adapt. I need to be able to like shift my set and have funny things just like in my Rolodex of who I am, rather than like, this is how the joke is supposed to go and this is how I'm supposed to say it, right? Like, it's such a difficult, difficult world to be in.

[Tommy]

And God forbid the person before you bombs. And then you have to come up and the audience is upset and you're like, okay, I have to get you to like me. And trust me, five minutes. I guess I'll take the first minute to get you there.

[Sarah]

Exactly. And usually that means calling, like, referencing the person who came before you too. And just. It's such a.

[Tommy]

Such a tough coming in with all that energy being like, hey, guys, all right. Let's have some fun, you know?

[Sarah]

Right.

[Tommy]

Yeah. Anyway, we could talk about it forever.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Shane]

I think my biggest. My only real. I mean, the dad is ridiculous. Kind of hilarious, but is him being like, oh, we need to leave. There's no way anyone's gonna laugh at my jokes now. I'm like, you're not doing it because people are gonna laugh. You're doing it. Cause you want to do this and you love this. And I think, like, you shouldn't have to be good at something to go and do it.

[Tommy]

No, not at all.

[Shane]

You just wanna do it.

[Tommy]

And that's why he should do it.

[Shane]

We just have a couple comments. Cause this post is so new. Someone said, at least you have the video to show your girlfriend. And someone else said, it's gonna get way worse. That's part of it. Keep going.

[Tommy]

Yep.

[Shane]

Someone said, bummer, dude. Try it again without your dad. And probably somewhere else.

[Tommy]

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Shane]

There's a million spots.

[Tommy]

Emphasis on the keep going. Emphasis on the somewhere else. Like, this isn't like a failure. This isn't. Haha. You're gonna. You know, this is something that if.

[Shane]

He actually got into it and in a few years, if he actually, like, he could actually. This is a story. He's.

[Sarah]

This is his style.

[Tommy]

Absolutely.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Shane]

Like, that's. You actually kind of need those situations to be a standup.

[Tommy]

Totally.

[Shane]

Cause every standup is just telling embarrassing stories from their lives. So.

[Sarah]

What I really liked too, was that he said he's not necessarily trying to pursue a career in it. It's just like a hobby. It's just for fun, man. Which is even better. You're not placing that much pressure on it. It gets to be something that over time, you.

[Tommy]

Yeah. I hope he's not too discouraged.

[Shane]

Yeah. I hope he goes and does somewhere.

[Tommy]

You should do it somewhere.

[Sarah]

You do it. Yeah.

[Shane]

All right. Our next story comes from. Am I the asshole? Am I the asshole for telling my sister she wasn't always the chosen one? Chosen.

[Tommy]

Interesting.

[Shane]

Interesting.

[Sarah]

Wait a minute.

[Shane]

You were never the chosen one.

[Tommy]

I was.

[Shane]

Before my brothers and I were born, my mom had a child with an old boyfriend, Penny. Her boyfriend Penny's bio dad didn't stick around. My mom then met my dad when Penny was three and they got married. My dad adopted Penny. My mom then went on to have me and my brothers with our dad growing up, Penny was always the apple of my dad's eye. He gave us all attention, but he always went out of his way to make it equal. Around the time she entered her teens, Penny would make the joke, dad was stuck with you guys, but he chose me. Or refer to herself as the chosen one. My brothers and parents always thought it was hilarious. I thought it was obnoxious. If our brothers and I were ever discussing what traits we got didn't get from dad, Penny would break in with. I didn't get anything from him except his last name because I'm the chosen one. Now we're all adults, and Penny still trots that out from time to time. Recently, it came up when my siblings and I were out with our partners for drinks. One of my brothers has a newish girlfriend, so she wasn't aware of Penny's story. Penny was telling it, shoving in that she's the chosen one. I admit I was a little drunk, and I said, chosen by our dad. But you weren't chosen by your first dad, huh? God. Oh, my God. Saying that out loud, that's crazy.

[Tommy]

So intense.

[Shane]

Oh, God.

[Tommy]

He was done with Penny. That's like, finished with Penny, that one.

[Shane]

That's like the peak moment in an Oscar winning movie where it's like, oh, the worst thing you can say to someone.

[Sarah]

He was holding onto that.

[Tommy]

Oh, yeah.

[Shane]

Oof. Wow. Penny got a hurt look on her face. My brothers told me that was uncalled for. Even the new girlfriend was looking at me like I was a douche. I said, this story is just getting old. We've all heard it, and it's a little ridiculous. My boyfriend ended up calling us an Uber and getting me out of there. Well, of course, word's gotten back to our parents, and they're pissed at me, saying I was rude. I said Penny was just being obnoxious. Am I the asshole? Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. I think you are. Look, do I also think, like, it's one of those things where it's like, some behavior is obnoxious, but you sit and you think, like, where is it coming from?

[Tommy]

Insecurity.

[Shane]

This one. I'm like, I read this story. And I'm like, I know exactly where this is coming from. I'm like, yeah, I'm sure if you sat down and had some drinks with Penny and you asked her, like, why do you say that all the time? And you really dug in. It's cause it's like, well, yeah. Cause I don't know what the fuck my identity is. Cause I've got this thing in the back of my head telling me I'm.

[Tommy]

Not worthy, I'm not part of this family.

[Shane]

Like, anyone could probably piece that together after talking to her. For a second.

[Tommy]

Five minutes max.

[Shane]

Cause that's gotta be so hard to have that lingering of, like, yeah, your other dad bounced on you, and he's gone. I don't know. Like, you can't just move past that. And, like, I totally get where her op's dad is coming from. Of like, oh, Like, I know that we're gonna have our own. Like, we're gonna have biological kids of our own. And I don't want Penny to think she's not part of the family. So they, like, go above and beyond, clearly, to make her feel part of the family. And it's created this, like, weird thing, but OP has clearly grown up with it and not registered because it's just been part of her life, her whole life.

[Tommy]

Right.

[Shane]

So. And she. I don't know. Like, that's also such a rough thing to, like, hear from your sibling.

[Tommy]

Yeah.

[Shane]

That also kind of insinuates that OP doesn't feel like, oh, you're my full sister.

[Tommy]

Right. It didn't just shut down Penny's dialogue. It actually just shut Penny down entirely.

[Shane]

Oh, yeah.

[Tommy]

It's like, oh, actually, you're not my sibling.

[Shane]

Yeah. Actually, all those fears you have, they're real.

[Tommy]

They're real.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Tommy]

Yep.

[Sarah]

I definitely do understand, like, you know, there is naturally also going to be a reaction from these siblings that, you know, they do have both their biological parents in the picture. And hearing this, like, I just want to acknowledge, like, hearing over and over that she is the chosen one, that there is so much effort being put into making sure that she feels included. Maybe on the other end of that sort of seesaw, it's now made these siblings sort of feel like, well, there also is, like, some specialness to us. Right. Like, we're also children, and we're, you.

[Tommy]

Know, I can see where the frustration comes from.

[Sarah]

Absolutely.

[Shane]

Absolutely. 100%. I'm also like, I think the parents fucked up in letting that go on for so long. It's like, no. Cause that it also, though, still isolates her. It's like, no. The basis should have been like, no, you're all.

[Tommy]

You're all the kids.

[Sarah]

You're the kids. That's it.

[Shane]

You're not different from them. You're all the kids. But this makes it this weird separation still.

[Sarah]

Yes.

[Shane]

Even if it's a positive separation, it's still a separation. And the separation's more the problem than whether you're lesser or more.

[Sarah]

They're overcompensating. And the reaction of that now, the collateral damage is these siblings not Knowing how to coexist on the same plane. And yeah, I mean, in an ideal world, they would sit Penny down and be like, let's break this down and let's talk about it so that we can all be on the same page.

[Tommy]

We're all siblings.

[Sarah]

We're all siblings. But it's clear that right now there's just, like, Penny dealing with her own things, internalizing it and letting it out sort of in this comedic way, maybe, and then these siblings being frustrated at the way that she's letting it out, and so they're turning their back on her. And it's just this clash right now. And it seems like it just boiled into this one moment of alcohol getting involved and just saying something that clearly they did not actually mean. It was just from this place of, I've been so frustrated at how you're making me feel. So now I'm going to make you feel like you're going down a peg.

[Tommy]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

[Shane]

Yeah. Cause these things come out, like, they are bound to come out. And she was bothered by it for so long. Started off small, and then, like, just let it build to this point. It's like, well, if you drink, it's gonna probably let loose. But, man, that phrase was brutal. Chosen by our dad. But you weren't chosen by your first dad, huh?

[Tommy]

It's like, yeah, that's a.

[Shane]

You don't have to do that.

[Tommy]

Brought a knife.

[Shane]

I'm like, come on. All you had to do is be like, dude, I'm sick and tired of you saying you're the chosen. Stop. Stop doing that, please.

[Tommy]

We're all siblings.

[Shane]

Say that. Say how it makes you feel. Don't throw, like that crazy.

[Tommy]

Shoot them in the head.

[Shane]

You have new partners there, too. Just sitting there like, yeah, you're bringing.

[Tommy]

Your family BS into the setting with these new partners.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

It also feels like, I think the most tragic part of it, too, is, you know, if Penny had this sort of, like, secret, I guess, or this was like, a trauma that wasn't something that they were aware of, that they had, you know, triggered or had tapped into, that would be one thing, but this is something that they know. They already know that this very, very hard thing happened to her, and they sort. And this person used it to hurt her in that moment. Yeah, that's really heartbreaking.

[Shane]

And it's something she can't help, you know?

[Tommy]

Exactly.

[Shane]

The verdict is asshole. But there's a lot of comments saying everyone sucks here and not the asshole. So it's a bit all over. Comments Jesus fucking Christ. Yeah, obviously you're the asshole. Penny's joke might be annoying, but it's obvious she's overcompensating because being abandoned would cause such a big insecurity. If you had a legitimate issue, you could have discussed it privately, not drop a nuke in the middle of a family dinner. 19,000 upvotes. Yeah. Someone said everyone sucks here. What Penny has been throwing around for years is annoying and childish, and it likely stems from insecurity. Someone should have addressed this with her long ago, namely your parents. What you said was rude and a low blow. Penny can't help that her bio dad didn't stick around and that isn't her fault. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We can argue about what makes someone. What's a worse thing and what's like, what counts as obnoxious and what counts as rude and whatever. It's like the end of the day, they have shit they gotta talk about.

[Tommy]

Is like, not in front of their partners.

[Shane]

Yeah, not at Applebee's. Lastly, someone said, not the asshole. Sometimes siblings need to be blunt. Honestly, as someone with three younger siblings, if I ever said this, I'd expect them to get mad at me and say something. But for it to be constant. Yeah, it had to be said. I don't know. What was said can range like. You could have said so many other things.

[Sarah]

Absolutely. But those words together.

[Shane]

No, no, I agree. Something can be said in a better place, in a better time, and the phrasing can be so much better.

[Sarah]

Totally, totally. That kind of mature conversation. Also, I understand that, that siblings can have like, talks that maybe parent to sibling or parent to child maybe doesn't have the space for, but it has to be, again, incredibly intimate and delicate when you're dealing with these very real traumas.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Sarah]

You need to almost be trained.

[Shane]

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, that's therapy that's needed there. It also makes me think there's. I am someone who very personally disagrees with. With this desire for people to dunk on other people. It's like, oh, well, I hate you, you're annoying. All this stuff. So I'm. What's the thing I can say that's just a fucking slam and it's like, yeah, you're humiliating them. You got it. You won. Congrats. Did it help anything?

[Tommy]

No.

[Shane]

Do you think it's gonna help them? Do you think it's gonna help you or is it just gonna make everything worse? Cause I see it so much online of just like, yeah, you fucking got em. And it's like, and now somehow things are worse. Like, the rift is bigger. Like, congrats, you feel cool.

[Tommy]

That's all it is.

[Sarah]

Yeah. We've talked about this pattern too, right? In lots of Reddit stories. It's like, initially, that's why we get everyone sucks is initially somebody is doing the annoying, frustrating, bad thing, but then somebody else tops it somehow, or they think because they've been annoying or frustrating or bad, they have now a pass. To be bad.

[Shane]

Right.

[Sarah]

To be badder.

[Shane]

Yeah. And I just personally disagree with that. I'm like, you know, yes, you're annoyed by something. You're allowed to address that, but go about it in a way that's gonna, like, heal things.

[Tommy]

Exactly. Try and leave the situation better than you.

[Shane]

Totally, totally.

[Tommy]

You love watching Smosh? I love being at Smosh, which is why Smosh partnered with Samsung tv. Hi, you know me. I'm Tommy, a cast member here at Smosh, and I've got good news. Samsung TV has live TV channels and on demand movies and shows, and now we're a part of it. Curious on how to watch Smosh? Well, if you've got a Samsung device, then you already have it. Just open the Samsung TV app and start watching. We've got your favorite episodes from culinary crimes, Reddit stories, Bit City, Smosh Mouth, and more. And now you can hang out with us all hours of the day. Check out Smosh for free on Samsung tv.

[Shane]

All right, all right, our final story. Today, I fucked up by introducing my widower dad to my husband's single mom.

[Sarah]

Ooh.

[Tommy]

We're.

[Shane]

And it's Christmas time and we live in this sweet little town and we're.

[Tommy]

Going out and he's a prince, and.

[Shane]

Unfortunately it sounds like he's daddy.

[Sarah]

Oh, well, we need some photos.

[Shane]

Okay, obligatory didn't happen today. My husband and I have been married for five and a half years now. My husband was raised by a single mom, and my mom passed when I was 16. So each of us only had one parent at the wedding. Our parents met during the wedding planning and quickly discovered how much they had in common and how well they got along. After a few too many glasses of wine, they danced together. At the wedding reception, we noticed a little bit of flirtation between them, but didn't think much of it until they started seeing each other regularly after the wedding. Going out together for drinks, going on walks together, going fishing together. Even though it was a little weird for us that our parents were ambiguously and later officially dating each other, we truly didn't care because they just seemed so happy. Yesterday, my husband walked his mom down the aisle to meet my dad at the altar. My husband's mom and my dad said their vows and became husband and wife, and my husband and I became step siblings.

[Sarah]

You're kidding. You're kidding.

[Tommy]

That's. But also. Whatever.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Shane]

It's so funny because, like, talk about tradition. It's like, oh, this just. All the legal parameters of this is that it's, like, weird. It's also.

[Tommy]

But it's also sweet. But it's also odd. It's just odd.

[Shane]

It's just a thing. We gotta sit here and deal with it.

[Sarah]

Holy shit.

[Shane]

I'm so glad OP Is cool with you.

[Tommy]

Yeah. They're like, lol.

[Sarah]

They want their parents to be happy.

[Shane]

I'm glad they're LOL ing through this.

[Tommy]

Exactly.

[Sarah]

Oh, my God.

[Tommy]

That's. Wow.

[Sarah]

That's a reality show.

[Shane]

The priest is like, I don't know what God thinks of this, but. Hey, hey.

[Sarah]

That's crazy.

[Shane]

That's wild.

[Tommy]

Would you call your wife's dad Daddy? Daddy? No. No, you. No, no. Would you call him Dad?

[Shane]

I don't think you have to.

[Tommy]

You don't have to change anything.

[Shane]

I think they get to make their own new thing.

[Sarah]

Oh, yeah.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Tommy]

Cause this is.

[Shane]

Hey, guys. This is a brand new thing.

[Tommy]

This is a brand new thing. You can do whatever you want now.

[Sarah]

The world is changing.

[Shane]

This is a whole new thing.

[Sarah]

Wow. You know, there's no blood in the mix.

[Tommy]

There's no blood in the mix.

[Sarah]

It's just. It's just.

[Shane]

It is what it is.

[Tommy]

And love is love.

[Sarah]

Love is love.

[Shane]

Hey. Love is love. It all just is what it is. I mean, that's the only responsibility, only take on this.

[Sarah]

I would have loved to go to that wedding.

[Shane]

So we got some comments. On the bright side, it definitely simplifies whose family they see for the holidays.

[Tommy]

Nice.

[Sarah]

Someone said, that's some glass. Half gun.

[Advertiser]

Got it.

[Shane]

Got it. Someone said, you think this is awkward, just wait until they announce they're expecting your little brother slash sister. Okay.

[Tommy]

Right?

[Sarah]

I knew it. I knew it. I knew it.

[Shane]

Okay, so OP said my husband has been jokingly calling me stepsis since the wedding. Now, that.

[Sarah]

Which is my favorite nickname.

[Shane]

Someone said, family tree becomes an. Oh. Oval.

[Advertiser]

Right.

[Tommy]

That's what I was. That's what I. Yeah.

[Sarah]

That's wild. Is there an update?

[Shane]

There's no update.

[Sarah]

No updates this entire episode. I'm sorry, I'm yelling at you like you didn't choose.

[Shane]

Don't choose them.

[Sarah]

Damn.

[Shane]

Wow. These ones were good.

[Tommy]

This was quite a fun batch.

[Shane]

These were good.

[Tommy]

We're all still in shock at that. Like, huh, huh.

[Shane]

These are. We read, like, being full disclosure. We read a lot of stories today where I'm like, man, I'm thinking about it. And I'm like, I don't know if I'll agree with everything I feel about it when I rewatch this episode, you know? Cause I'm just like, oh, there's so much to think about.

[Sarah]

I was just thinking that with the last story, actually, I feel like it was almost an easy response from all of us because everybody was happy. It didn't feel like we necessarily needed to resolve anything. It was just like, this is what's happening. And we've all been supportive, and so we are kind of naturally good if everybody's happy.

[Tommy]

Right.

[Sarah]

But what if it was presented more as, like, what do we do? Do we let this wedding happen?

[Shane]

What inevitably happens with every episode of this show is I will see a comment that, like, points out just a sentence that I kind of didn't pay attention to, or they'll just like, well, think about this aspect. And I'm like, oh, that changes my entire view of the whole thing. So, like, I don't really. These are my initial thoughts.

[Tommy]

But we're responding in the moment with cameras. We're trying our best to say what we think and feel. And, oh, so many times I wish I could have retaken a take. Not that I would just how I say, say it. Yeah, sure. Kind of like how that person told Penny.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Tommy]

It's like you could say it better or differently.

[Sarah]

Yeah.

[Tommy]

But I don't have the time to do that.

[Sarah]

Luckily, our instincts, I think, are a little bit better than Penny's sibling.

[Tommy]

Yeah, I think we're doing good.

[Shane]

Yeah. Well, thank you both for being here. This was so much fun.

[Sarah]

We're family.

[Shane]

Yeah, we're family.

[Advertiser]

Family.

[Shane]

Apparently. Thank you for watching. Let us know your thoughts on all of these stories down below and let us know what other themes and subreddits you want us to cover on this show. And we'll see you next Saturday. Goodbye.

[Sarah]

Bye, fam.

[Shane]

Family. Bye, fam. Bye, daddy. Whoa.

[Tommy]

Did you like that? Did you like that?

[Advertiser]

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