The Bert Show – Full Show PT 2: Wednesday, March 25 [Vault]

Original Airdate: March 25, 2026
Cast: Bert, Kristin, Abby, Cassie, Tommy, Bubba Wallace, Melissa Carter, Jen, Mandy, Dolvette, Yancey, and guests

Episode Overview

This episode of The Bert Show dives into authentic, laugh-filled conversations touching on relationships, cross-cultural and racial questions in a humorous, open, and educational way, and personal anecdotes that expose the quirks and vulnerabilities of the cast. Standout segments include a heartfelt interview with Mandy about her relationship crossroads while traveling, an honest round of "Ask Anything About Race," the cast's wild Ambien stories, and a revealing group exercise on personal confessions (“25 Things About Me”).

Key Segments and Discussion Points

1. Mandy and Brian: Love at the Crossroads (01:01–11:43)

Background & Emotional Check-In

• Mandy and Brian, an Atlanta couple, had spent almost a year traveling the world together, sharing both travel and relationship highs and lows with the show.
• Recently, they separated due to diverging life plans (Mandy wanting to return home, Brian wishing to keep traveling).
• Last communication was via Mandy’s emotional email, full of regret and second-guessing.

Live from Venice: Mandy’s Update

• Mandy reports in from Venice, Italy, having delayed her flight home to meet Brian and his parents in a few days, hoping for a face-to-face talk.
• “There are worse places to kill time than Venice.” – Mandy (03:07)
• She’s hopeful but unsure, describing the difficulty of resolving such deep issues over email.

Insights into Their Breakup and Potential Reunion

• Mandy describes initial relief from solo travel, followed by pangs of regret and longing.
• The original reason for the breakup: irreconcilable life plans, not a lack of love.
• Mandy admits wanting reconciliation more, sensing Brian’s hesitancy due to past hurt.

Future Possibilities

• Mandy proposes a compromise: both continue traveling together until fall, then return home to start school.
• Mandy reflects that time apart highlighted the triviality of their arguments:
  “Now that I've had distance, I feel like the things that bugged me were really stupid...and I would rather be with him than not.” – Mandy (08:20)

Breaking Up on the Road

• Mandy’s dad traveled with her recently, witnessing her emotional swings in internet cafes as she awaited Brian’s emails.
• She looks forward to the in-person conversation and promises the show an update.

2. Honest (and Hilarious) Race & Culture Questions (13:58–33:59)

Setup: Creating a Safe Space for “Ignorant” Questions

• The hosts encourage candid questions about race and culture, emphasizing education over judgment.
  “You have to have a friend from another race that is tolerant of your ignorant questions...It's simply, why don’t black folk get in the water?” – Radio Host (13:58–15:26)

Standout Questions and Answers

• Why do white people wear sandals or flip-flops year-round?

  • “It's lazy. It's easy. It provides coolness under the warmth of your clothes.” – Radio Host (16:23)
  • Black callers admit preferring socks with sandals.

• Black people and the ocean/swimming:

  • “It's not black people in general. It's just black Americans...I think a lot of it probably has to do with the slavery trade.” – Yancey (17:31)
  • “If you grow up in inner city Atlanta, you don't need to learn how to swim…If you grow up on an island, you're swimming to get food. Like, it's a completely different situation.” – Yancey (23:44)

• Why do black men wear pantyhose or stocking caps on their heads?

  • “It protects the hair…So since they're going for [waves], they keep the pantyhose to protect the hair.” – Yancey (24:29)

• White people and embracing coffee mugs:

  • “For me it’s deeper…There’s so much comfort in that coffee. It's like when you kiss somebody passionate about it. So I'm gonna take your face in both my hands, and I'm gonna bring you in. That’s how it is with coffee also.” – Radio Host (19:25)

• Why do black people back into parking spots?

  • “We miss the spot…instead of turning all the way around, just back in.” – Yancey (20:28)

• Are black people scared of dogs?

  • “That is the stupidest, most absurd thing I've ever heard in my life.” – Dolvette (21:25)
  • Discussion about cultural differences: black people less likely to let dogs sleep in bed; white people treat pets like family.

• Why do white people wear shorts and t-shirts in cold weather?

  • “We're a simple race. We don't like to put shoes on our feet, we'll put sandals on, we'll dress down in the wintertime just because it's easier to put shorts on.” – Radio Host (28:09)

• Why do black (especially women) repeat themselves for emphasis?

  • “It's a passion thing...You're making sure that you're heard. That's all that is.” – Dolvette (30:22)

• Why do white people ask strangers what they do for a living immediately?

  • “I think it's how white people define themselves.” – Melissa Carter (31:14)
  • “Black people...Get to know the person. Then it comes up.” – Mandy (31:00)

• Why do white people put their hands in food at parties?

  • “We just grab at it like it’s a bowl of M&Ms.” – Bubba Wallace (27:00)

Memorable Moments

• “I'm Jeff, I'm white, I'm stupid.” – Radio Host’s self-deprecation during discussion of storm chasing and extreme sports (34:43)

• Laughter and agreement over stereotypes, but no malice—participants repeatedly remind listeners that it’s about learning and openness, not judgment or superiority.

3. 25 (Embarrassing) Things About Me: Facebook Chain List Game (37:04–46:19)

How the Game Works

• The team shares quirky, unexpected facts about each other, some based on Facebook’s “25 things about me” meme trending at the time.

Notable Revelations & Quotes

• “I have no idea what my real hair color is.” – Jen (revealed through group guessing, 38:35)
• Melissa wrote a detailed wedding plan in elementary school and still has it.
• “I was on the Queen Latifah show to meet NSync…because I wrote every talk show back then to meet NSync.” – Wendy (40:42)
• Radio Host faked an emergency phone call at the gym to skip cardio (41:27)
• “I always look at the clock at 11:11 and 1:11. And when I do that, I say 1:11 or 11:11 out loud.” – Jeff (42:17)
• “I have never impulsively splurged on anything.” – Melissa (42:54)
• Radio Host pretended to love U2 more than he does for his wife: “I sort of have faked how much I like them because she loves them so much. Sweet Bono kind of bugs me.” (43:42)
• Wendy belts out The Little Mermaid’s “Part of Your World” alone at home.
• “I often mistake shy people for being snobby.” – Jen (45:12)
• Radio Host joked about considering lift-shoes to appear taller.
• Wendy admits to watching Full House reruns at noon daily.

4. Wild Ambien Stories: Medication Mishaps (48:10–54:13)

Personal & Listener Experiences

• The team discusses Ambien’s infamous side effects, especially sleep-eating and strange behaviors with no memory the next day.
• “My mom was on it for a while…there was food and knives all on the kitchen counter and she had no idea what she was eating.” – Radio Host (48:10)
• Mandy recalls hallucinating her “Tranquility Buddha” jumping off the mantel, chasing her around the room (48:51).
• Listeners share even wilder stories: sending inappropriate messages, sleepwalking, attacking partners in sleep, “medieval” roleplay without memory, bidding on eBay for items they don’t even like, and fast-food sleep runs.

Memorable Quotes

• “I had a fireplace in my bedroom and on the mantel I had a Tranquility Buddha. And the first time I ever took Ambien…this Tranquility Buddha jumped off the mantle and chased me around the room.” – Mandy (48:51)
• “Apparently I beat the ever living crap out of him and wouldn’t give him a blanket and wouldn’t give him a pillow and didn’t even let him in the bed.” – Listener Tanya (51:09)
• “He said his odds are working out really good for him right now with Ambien.” – Listener recounts husband’s reaction to wife’s night activities (52:00)

Notable Quotes & Moments

On Relationship Closure:

“Are we going to be together? Are we not? Can this work? …I don’t really know what’s going to happen, but we’re at least going to get together and talk about things face to face.”
– Mandy (03:31–04:12)

On Discussing Race

“As soon as we get to that point, we could just ask stupid questions of each other and we can both show some tolerance on both sides…And then we’ll start to understand about each other. Maybe some of this fear goes away, you know?”
– Radio Host (33:59)

On Facebook’s 25 List Trend:

“Anything you read is Bert’s.”
– Melissa Carter, group banter (38:17)

On Ambien Side Effects:

“Makes you go medieval man.”
– Radio Host, after stories about Ambien-induced medieval fantasies and online shopping (53:16)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Mandy & Brian Abroad/Relationship Segment: 01:01–11:43
• Race & Culture Candid Q&A: 13:58–33:59
• 25 Things About Me / Personal Confessions: 37:04–46:19
• Ambien Stories: 48:10–54:13

Overall Tone and Takeaways

The Bert Show balances humor, vulnerability, and genuine curiosity, especially when discussing cross-cultural questions. Even “awkward” or “ignorant” questions are approached with a mix of self-deprecation and openness, making the conversations both entertaining and enlightening. The episode’s throughline is empathy—whether in mending a relationship, demystifying racial stereotypes, or sharing embarrassing personal stories, the cast roots everything in honesty and community.

For listeners:
If you missed the episode, expect real talk, unfiltered laughs, a bit of therapy, and a safe space for “the questions you were too embarrassed to ask.”