The Bert Show — Full Show PT 2: Monday, March 23 [Vault]

Air Date: March 23, 2026
Summary by Podcast Summarizer

Episode Overview

This spirited and candid episode of The Bert Show tackles several lively and relatable topics. The first half is a robust discussion about discrimination against hiring women of childbearing age, drawing from recent pop culture events, real listener calls, and the cast’s own experiences. The latter portion pivots to lighter fare: the team’s playful take on “superficial life goals” for the year and a listener dilemma about whether to change her toddler's name after discovering it’s the same as her husband’s ex-fiancée. The conversation is heartfelt with doses of humor, wit, and empathy for listeners.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Bias Against Hiring Women of Childbearing Age

(Starts ~01:00)

• Prompted by: M.I.A.'s extraordinary Grammy performance on her due date and scheduled Oscar performance. Host wonders if examples like this challenge workplace prejudice about women's productivity during pregnancy.
• The Question: Are there people (especially women) who won’t hire a woman of childbearing age? Are such biases still prevalent?
• Cast’s Position: The hosts express hope modern workplaces are beyond such discrimination but suspect it still happens, sometimes rationalized by personal negative experiences.

Notable Calls:

• Realtor in Labor (Caller Marcus) (04:25):

  • “My wife, in the midst of labor, between contractions, was a realtor, took phone calls. In this market, you can't walk away from a sale.” (04:35)
  • Jen: “So she was in labor and doing business?” (04:45)

• Hiring Discrimination Confessions:

  • Caller Sarah relates a job interview where she was explicitly told, “We can't have some—we’re not going to hire somebody that [is] automatically going to need that term off.” (05:46)
  • Another Sarah (retail hiring manager) candidly admits: “If they say they’re trying to start a family… I actually will not hire them.” (06:09)
  • Jess (caller/hiring manager) defends: “I know that’s a terrible thing to say, but when you’re at work, you’re at work, and I need you to do the job when you’re here.” (06:45)
  • Melissa challenges generalizations: “There’s plenty of pregnant women that I’ve seen that work a hell of a lot harder than other men or women who are in that job.” (08:03)

• HR Perspective:

  • Jess (HR manager) clarifies: “It’s completely illegal to ask if you have kids or family… you’re supposed to base your hiring decision on the skills and the knowledge that the person has. I’m in HR.” (09:37)
  • Melissa: “We’re learning that that’s the worst thing you can do [disclose family plans in interviews].” (10:36)

Overall Tone:

Empathetic but firm in denouncing workplace discrimination based on family plans or gender. Multiple hosts and listeners call out the unfairness and legality of such practices, while also acknowledging—uncomfortably—how prevalent these biases still are.

2. Work-Life Balance: Success Stories from Pregnant Women

(13:03 – 14:06)

• Surgeon’s Story:
  A female surgeon shares how she performed surgery experiencing back pain, later realized she was five centimeters dilated and in labor.
  • Melissa: “She performed surgery and finished her surgery before she went and had that baby.” (13:58)
• These calls showcase women’s resilience, counterarguments to stereotypes about commitment and productivity during pregnancy.

3. Superficial Goals for the Year

(Starts ~15:56)

The cast members share lighthearted “superficial goals” for 2009:

• Jeff: Determined to catch a blue marlin after years of unsuccessful fishing attempts. (15:56)
• Jen: Wants to play a decent round of golf, reviving her childhood pastime. (17:36)
• Wendy: Determined to “be friends with a player in the NFL” (any relation will do). (18:26)
• Host/The Bert Show: Wants to get on a game show—“be slumdog.” (19:17)
• Melissa: Aims to voice a character in a cartoon or video game, referencing her “resident geek” status.
  • Through networking, she gets the opportunity to voice a shopkeeper in “Global Agenda,” a game developed by Hi-Rez Studios (21:13).
  • Describes in detail the process of motion capture, voice acting, and game development.

Notable Quote

• Melissa: “The beauty of Hi-Rez... their assignment for me was to figure out what things I wanted to do with these codes...what crazy things would I allow my character to do that somebody playing the game could actually make me do.” (24:26)

Tone:

Fun, collaborative, and interactive (invites listeners’ suggestions for actions her character should perform in-game).

4. Should You Change Your Child's Name? Listener Dilemma

(Starts ~27:55) — Main Story From 28:24–38:16

Caller Camille’s Dilemma:

• Her young daughter is named Lucia Ray—chosen by her husband under a pre-birth deal (if girl, he names; if boy, she does).
• After nearly two years, caller discovers Lucia Ray was also the name of his ex-fiancée—information concealed until a relative mentioned it.
• Camille is distressed and has struggled for six months, even avoiding using her own daughter's name.

Cast Reaction:

• Universal empathy for Camille; consensus is it’s not too late to change the child’s name.
• Jen: “I say change it. I mean, your child's two, right? Yeah, she's not gonna remember.” (31:29)
• Melissa: Warns of worse emotional consequences if the mother’s discomfort remains: “If she can't say the name without having a… you know, the child will absorb that negative energy the mom is going to give…” (32:16)
• Jeff: Recognizes the emotional weight: “He thinks about his ex-fiancé every time he says her name.” (34:42)

Listeners Call In:

• Listener adopted at three: “I don’t remember ever being called by my other name.” (35:29)
• Another: “She should definitely change the name. Because as a girl, I would be really scarred and hurt that my father disrespected my mother in that way.” (34:05)

Further Complication: The Husband’s Response

• When confronted, the husband justifies naming the child after his ex, saying she was “full of respect and honor and anyone would be lucky to have that name.” (37:21)
  • Jeff (reacting): “Oh, that’s a deal breaker.” (37:38)
  • Hosts express concern over bigger issues in the marriage regarding deception and emotional attachment.

Advice:

• All hosts urge Camille to change the name and, when appropriate, explain the decision honestly to her daughter in the future.
• Host (jokingly): “Why don't you name her after her father and call her a hole?” (36:07)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “I hate that the workforce still does not honor the fact that the only way that families are created is if she has this opportunity to do that, you know?” — Melissa, on workplace pregnancy bias (04:07)
• “If you were interviewing… would you edit what you say...?” — Host, pushing for practical strategies in interviews (08:16)
• “It's completely illegal to ask if you have kids or family... that definitely opens up a can of worms in a lawsuit.” — Jess (HR), 09:37
• “So she was in labor and doing business?” — Jen, 04:45
• “You should definitely change the name. Because as a girl, I would be really scarred and hurt that my father disrespected my mother in that way...” — Listener Stephanie, 34:05
• “If she can't say the name without having a... you know, the child will absorb that negative energy the mom is going to give and then the child will take it personally...” — Melissa, 32:16
• “Why don't you name her after her father and call her a hole?” — Host (deadpan joke), 36:07

Important Timestamps

• 01:00-14:06 — Women, Pregnancy, and Workplace Discrimination (calls and panel discussion)
• 13:03-13:48 — Female surgeon shares story of operating while in labor
• 15:56-26:14 — Superficial goals for the year, Melissa’s foray into video game voice acting
• 27:55-38:16 — Listener Camille’s story about wanting to change her daughter's name and robust cast/listener discussion

The Bert Show’s Signature Tone

Consistently conversational, quick-witted, supportive, and non-judgmental even when tackling contentious issues. Hosts tease each other and callers, but always return to a place of empathy and good-natured humor. Listeners’ voices are foregrounded, and practical advice merges with personal anecdotes.

A great episode for those who appreciate real talk about tricky professional and family dynamics, plus a few laughs about personal goals and crazy life situations.