Vault: He Stood Her Up, But She Got the Last Laugh

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Bert Show

Episode: Vault: He Stood Her Up, But She Got the Last Laugh
Air Date: April 10, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of The Bert Show centers around listener Pauline, who updates the cast a year after being stood up by a guy she was interested in. The story delves into Pauline’s reunion with the same man, her personal growth, and realizations about self-worth, dating, and the importance of supportive friendships. The show’s familiar blend of humor, honesty, and encouragement shines throughout, with a strong focus on making empowered choices in romantic situations.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reconnecting with the “Stand-Up” Guy

• Pauline recounts her weekend:
  • She met up with the man who stood her up a year ago for drinks and dinner (Outback Steakhouse), noting there was still chemistry but she stayed measured.
    • “I kept my cool...even though I was drunk, like, made the good decision and said, no, I’m sorry. I would love to see you again, I would love for you to come over sometime, but I don’t think right now is the best time.” (Pauline, 01:29–02:35)
  • They parted ways responsibly after a night out, choosing to go to their separate homes.

2. The Aftermath and Her Response

• He hasn’t called since their night out.
  • Pauline is unconcerned, expressing satisfaction with her own choices and growth.
    • “If he calls on Tuesday, great. And if not, then great. I have lots of wonderful friends that I can hang out with and I don’t need him.” (Pauline, 03:31)

3. Introspection and Self-Realization

• Pauline admits to using another guy to boost her confidence, recognizing it as unhealthy, and decides to step back.

  • “...how being with him...even though I’m not really with him, but kind of using him as someone who can boost my confidence...how dangerous that is.” (Pauline, 04:29)

• She credits her evolution partly to the show’s honesty and community.

  • “Talking with you guys on the radio has been my therapy.” (Pauline, 03:31)
  • “You were it. You were totally it.” (Pauline, 05:21–05:23)

4. Honest Reflections from the Cast

• Bert and the team reinforce a key dating truth:

  • “If a guy really, really digs you, it doesn’t matter how busy he is...He’s going to...hit you with a text just to let you know he’s thinking about you...If he does none of that at all...then there might not have been the same connection that you think you had.” (Bert, 07:51)

• Show theme: Once you “stop looking” and focus on yourself, you attract more positive attention.

  • “Once you stop looking...then all of a sudden everybody’s attracted to you.” (Jeff, 10:06)
  • “You come to a place in your life where you’re just excited to be single and excited to have really good girlfriends.” (Kathy, 09:46)

5. Uplifting Caller Connections

• Chanel calls in, relating to Pauline’s breakthrough:
  • “You kind of get to a place where you have to face the heck with all these dudes...Not letting people get us down and get the best of us, but to bring ourselves up, and then we attract the right type of dude when we do that.” (Chanel, 09:06–09:37)

6. A Touch of Bert Show Humor & Support

• The cast jokes about their advice ruining the show if their listeners all get healthy and happy:
  • “If the city gets healthy, we’re screwed. We’re out of a show.” (Bert, 10:15)
• They tease Pauline to avoid listening to cynical callers, telling her to “ride your high” and stay positive.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Pauline’s turning point:
  • “I’m super excited. Like, I don’t care if none of them call me ever again. Like, I’m ready to, like, do something more with myself and be proud of who I am.” (Pauline, 05:43)
• Direct advice from Bert:
  • “If he does none of that at all, zero of that, and just lets you go for a month, then there might not have been the same connection that you think you had.” (Bert, 07:51)
• Listener validation:
  • “I know I’m a good catch.” (Pauline, 09:23)

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Timestamps of Important Segments

• Recount of the Date and Her Decision:
  01:29–02:35
• Pauline’s reflections on chasing versus self-worth:
  03:31
• Discussion of her relationship with the “quasi-boyfriend”:
  04:29–05:23
• Cast’s core advice about interest and follow-up:
  07:51–08:21
• Chanel’s relatable call-in story:
  09:05–09:37
• Group reflection on female friendship and personal growth:
  09:40–10:06
• Humor about show’s “downfall” if everyone gets healthy:
  10:14–10:22

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Episode Tone and Takeaways

Warm, supportive, and a bit irreverent, the episode fosters a “real talk” space where Pauline and callers reflect on modern dating and the importance of personal boundaries and self-esteem. The Bert Show cast imparts practical wisdom amid playful ribbing, encouraging listeners to value themselves and their friendships—reminding everyone that happiness and healthy relationships often start with prioritizing yourself.

Final message:
Letting go can lead to new self-awareness and joy; when you focus on your own happiness, positive connections naturally follow.

Transcript

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[Jeff]

The Bert Show.

[Bert]

Hey, Pauline.

[Debbie]

Hello, Pauline.

[Pauline]

Hey, guys.

[Wendy]

Hey.

[Bert]

How are you today?

[Pauline]

I'm good. I'm a little sleepy.

[Bert]

Is that because it was a long weekend of having fun with the dude that stood you up a year ago?

[Pauline]

It was a long weekend of having fun, but not necessarily just with that guy.

[Debbie]

Okay, well, let's start.

[Bert]

I mean, let's start with Friday night. Were you guys supposed to meet up on Friday night or Saturday night?

[Pauline]

No, Friday night.

[Bert]

Okay.

[Pauline]

So, yeah, he called, like, he said he would, and he picked me up at my house, and we went out to Outback. It was really nice. It was actually really fun to catch up. Like, he's been doing some cool things, and, I mean, it was definitely still chemistry and still kind of that connection that we had last year. And it was very tempting to, like, flirt with him way more than I did, but I didn't. I kept my cool. And after dinner, we went to a bar just, like, right around the corner that he, I guess, goes to all the time. And because, like, the bartenders like, hey, what's up? And, like, all these people knew him, and it was really fun, but we drank way too much, and he's like, well, obviously we shouldn't ride home because we're too drunk. So why don't we take a cab to your house because it's closest, and then you can take me to my car in the morning. And at first I was like, oh, yeah. Oh, wait, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. And I totally, like, even though I was drunk, like, made the good decision and said, no, I'm sorry. I would love to see you Again, I would love for you to come over sometime, but I don't think right now is the best time. And we took separate cabs.

[Wendy]

Cool.

[Pauline]

I went to my house and I said, if you need a ride in the morning, I'm sure one of your friends can help you out. They seem pretty cool, but if not, you can call me in the morning and I can come pick you up from your house and take you to the car. I'd love to see you again, but not in the morning from you being at my house.

[Wendy]

Okay.

[Jeff]

Well done.

[Debbie]

Smart decision. Even when you're drunk.

[Jeff]

Is that the end of the story?

[Pauline]

He hasn't called. He's like, all right, cool, I'll call you soon.

[Jeff]

Well, the president's there. He's got 10 months.

[Bert]

So the next morning when you were gonna drive, maybe I missed something. You were gonna drive him to his car.

[Wendy]

She just offered.

[Bert]

You offered and he didn't call.

[Pauline]

Honestly, that'd be kind of cheesy if he did.

[Bert]

Okay. And then he hasn't called the rest of the weekend, so it's sort of open ended. Now, if he doesn't call today or he doesn't call tomorrow, will you get proactive and call him or are you just gonna sort of let this play out on his end?

[Pauline]

I honestly, like, I feel like talking with you guys on the radio has been my therapy. And it made me realize kind of how. How stupid it is to go chasing somebody. Like, if he's not into me and he doesn't want to talk to me, then whatever. So, yeah, if he calls on Tuesday, great. And if not, then great. I have lots of wonderful friends that I can hang out with and I don't need him.

[Bert]

And a boyfriend.

[Jeff]

And he played it so well that he calls you anytime within the next 10 months and goes, sorry for calling you so soon.

[Wendy]

Oh my gosh, We've talked about it a whole bunch of different times on the show. Like, guys will show you their interest level in you. If they're into you, they call you, they come after you. If they're not, they don't. It's like, you know, it's like he's just not that into you. Book or movie or whatever, whatever it is, pick up a copy.

[Bert]

So on Saturday night, what did you do? Did you go out with the quasi boyfriend?

[Pauline]

We met for a little bit Saturday day, actually, like around 4 or 5 o', clock, which is so funny. And it was really interesting. I don't know, everything has just been totally coming into perspective lately. I feel like a New person. And I wouldn't say we've broken it off, but I definitely saw him in a different light and I definitely saw what decisions I was making and how that was affecting me and how being with him, even though I'm not really with him, but kind of using him as someone who can boost my confidence when I need it, like, how dangerous that is. So I was just kind of like, you know, I think we need to see each other less often. And I don't feel. I don't want you to call me when you're horny. You know, basically, I'm just.

[Debbie]

I'm stunned that this sounds like this introspective, like, really trying to make strong decisions. And I'm shocked that we were a part of that, to be honest.

[Pauline]

You were. You.

[Chanel]

You guys were.

[Pauline]

You were it.

[Jeff]

That's how we were.

[Pauline]

You were totally it.

[Bert]

We apologize.

[Debbie]

We have a reputation to protect.

[Jeff]

Thank you. Thank you for coming to the light. That is the bird show. We are like Confucius.

[Bert]

Hey, Pauline, now you're not giving up on this dud because your heart says you want to be with stand up guy. You're doing it because you'd be doing it anyway.

[Pauline]

Everything happened at the right time. The really good looking guy came in kind of at a perfect time. Like, I needed that call. I needed that Facebook. I needed. I needed you guys to kind of, you know, poke at me and say, hey, what are you doing? Why are you doing that? Why are you acting trampy? Like, what's going on? I don't know. It's. Everything happened for a reason at the right time. And I'm just, I'm super excited. Like, I don't care if none of them call me ever again. Like, I'm ready to, like, do something more with myself and be proud of who I am.

[Wendy]

Wow, Good for you.

[Debbie]

Yeah.

[Bert]

There's an obvious question that none of us have asked. Debbie, go ahead. You're on Q100.

[Pauline]

Hey, guys.

[Bert]

Hey.

[Pauline]

Why did this guy not call her back?

[Jeff]

Oh, yeah.

[Pauline]

Why did he never call her?

[Bert]

That must have come up on Friday night at one point or another. Like, dude, why didn't you ever call me back? Yeah,

[Pauline]

he just said that he got really busy with work and that he was super focused, happened with his family and an ex girlfriend had come back into his life. And like, between all three of those things, he just, he felt like after a month, he waited too long to call and so he didn't call. You know what I mean? He's like, well, I wanted to call and then it got really crazy and she came back into my life and Lalala. And so after the month, he just felt it was too long. And then, like, after 10 months or so, like, it was long enough that it shouldn't be awkward anymore. Like, any sooner than that would have been weird and almost, like, disrespectful.

[Bert]

I'm torn here because I don't know if I want to let you go and you're on this high. You've got a great introspection to the whole thing. So I'm not sure if my brutal honesty will help that, and I don't. If you want to jump off now before I say something that may taint your attitude, then you should just. You should go now.

[Pauline]

No, give it to me. I'm ready.

[Chanel]

I'm.

[Pauline]

I'm.

[Debbie]

Give it to her first.

[Jeff]

All right.

[Bert]

She's ready to have her ready for

[Jeff]

honesty, touch or taint.

[Wendy]

Well, we've just.

[Bert]

What?

[Jeff]

Is that what you just said?

[Pauline]

What?

[Debbie]

It would taint her perspective, Jeff, what

[Bert]

does it matter with you? Seriously?

[Jeff]

What? That's what you said.

[Bert]

We have said on the show before that if a guy really, really digs you, it doesn't matter how busy he is. It doesn't matter what's going on in his personal life for the most part, or for work. He's going to. It's so much easier now. Hit you with a text just to let you know he's thinking about you or just to say, hey, things are kind of nutty right now. I'll give you a call or I'll hit you at the end of the week. If he does none of that at all, zero of that, and just lets you go for a month, then there might not have been the same connection that you think you had.

[Debbie]

But I think, though, that it's news because Friday night she made the right decision, you know, she did not fall for it. And she's like, I don't even care if he calls me anymore, you know, because he hasn't called since Friday.

[Bert]

And if. And if he doesn't call and he doesn't text or anything, you're good about just like cleaning your hands of this whole thing and moving on, right?

[Pauline]

Absolutely. It was just like the most eye opening experience. This whole weekend has just been awesome. Like, I went out with my girls Saturday night until Sunday morning. It was so fun to be with them and just to realize, like, I kind of forgot how to connect with these girls. But I always been flopping around, you know, with this other guy. I don't know. I'm just so happy.

[Bert]

Good for you. Chanel here can totally understand where you're coming from. Chanel, go ahead.

[Pauline]

Hey.

[Chanel]

I'm driving home from work right now, and I'm so sleepy. But then I heard her and perked me up because I'm in the exact same place as her. It's just like, you kind of get to a place where you have to face the heck with all these dudes, and, you know, me feeling bad about myself that they're not showing me their attention. It's.

[Pauline]

I know I'm a good catch.

[Chanel]

So it's, like, really cool to hear somebody else say that and just kind of, like, reaffirm. Like, that's where we need to be. Not letting people get us down and get the best of us, but to bring ourselves up, and then we attract the right type of dude when we do that.

[Bert]

I think Wendy is sort of going through the same kind of epiphany right now.

[Kathy]

Oh, yeah. No, I'm really at a great place in my life. I'm enjoying my girlfriend time and being single and on the scene.

[Debbie]

I'm not.

[Kathy]

We just don't care about looking for anybody right now. But, I mean, that's where you get your dudes. I mean, like, all of a sudden, here comes all these dudes, and we're like, oh, no, we're just hanging out. We're just having a good time. But, yeah, you come to a place in your life where you're just excited to be single and excited to have really good girlfriends, and I'm at that place in my life right now.

[Bert]

Isn't that the mojo we were talking. We've been talking about for months and months and months?

[Jeff]

It's the wedding band mojo. Like, once you stop looking, once you don't care anymore, then all of a sudden, everybody's attracted to you. That's what it is.

[Chanel]

It's great.

[Bert]

I don't like this theme, this trend, because if the city gets healthy, we're screwed. We're out of a show.

[Wendy]

What we talk about.

[Bert]

Yeah, we'll have to manufacture something. Well, congratulations, Pauline.

[Debbie]

Yeah, thank you.

[Pauline]

Thank you so much for all your help. I really. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

[Debbie]

We fussed at you last week about not standing up for yourself. And you. I mean, you know, you obviously didn't confront him about what he did in the past, but you didn't, you know, let him come home with you. And so, yeah, good.

[Jeff]

Way to go. Way to make responsible decisions.

[Debbie]

Told your boyfriend yeah.

[Jeff]

Wrap this up. That's really cool.

[Pauline]

Yeah.

[Bert]

It didn't help us.

[Jeff]

Don't worry about us. Tomorrow, we'll be fine.

[Bert]

All right, Pauline, I'm gonna let you go now, and I'm gonna urge you not to turn your radio on because we've got a bunch of cynical Burt show listeners, okay?

[Pauline]

Oh, okay, I will. I'll listen because it. No, no, no. Do not listen.

[Bert]

Everything is. Don't listen to the show. Don't listen to the show.

[Jeff]

Seriously, save yourself.

[Kathy]

Don't listen.

[Debbie]

Ride your high and turn off the radio.

[Kathy]

Be happy.

[Bert]

See you later, Paul.

[Pauline]

B.A.

[Jeff]

she's so listening.

[Pauline]

She is?

[Debbie]

Yeah. She turned off.

[Pauline]

No.

[Bert]

Hey, Kathy. Go ahead.

[Pauline]

Hey, I'm not trying to be me, but if the guy didn't call her back, don't you think he might have

[Chanel]

just wanted a one night stand?

[Debbie]

Of course he did.

[Wendy]

Sure, she told him.

[Debbie]

No, she knows that.

[Wendy]

What guy doesn't?

[Pauline]

Oh, well, she didn't really talk like she knew it, so I just. I wish her the best of luck. I hope her high lasts, you know what I mean?

[Wendy]

For at least five more days.

[Debbie]

These are our true Bird show listeners.

[Jeff]

Yes, the Bird Show.