Episode Overview

Main Theme:
This episode of The Bert Show centers on Denise, a first-year teacher who feels she's missed out on the carefree side of youth—having spent her academic years focused on schoolwork instead of partying or social experiences. Now at 25, inspired by her students' excitement for summer and her best friend's encouragement, Denise is ready to "go wild" and experience what she feels she missed. The segment is both supportive and playful, with the hosts offering tips, advice, and a bit of creative coaching to help Denise make the most of her summer.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Denise's Story: A Life Less Wild

• Background: Denise calls in with her voice disguised, explaining she's worked hard all her life, skipped parties, and has never been drunk.
  [00:40]
  • "I never was a party girl...I've never been drunk in my entire life...I'm now a first-year teacher straight out of college." – Denise [E]
• Realization: Watching her students prepare for college makes her feel she missed out.
  [01:34]
  • "I see my students...getting ready to go off to college...and I realized that I never really got to have a good time." – Denise [E]
• Desire for Change: Denise wants to "let her hair down," have fun, and experience life outside her comfort zone over the summer.
  [01:54]
  • "I'm ready to kind of let my hair down and be wild and have some fun this summer." – Denise [E]

Hosts' Reactions: Support & Warnings

• Quarter-Life Crisis Comparison:
  [03:13]
  • "It sounds like the quarter life crisis that we talk about." – Host [B]
• Not Too Late:
  [03:27]
  • "You're 25, so, I mean, you're not too late to be able to enjoy yourself, you know?" – Host [D]
• Practical Warning:
  [03:37]
  • "Be careful, because you said you've never even been drunk before...it's not gonna take very much." – Host [C]
  • "You're gonna be with people you trust, right?" – Host [D]
  • "Yeah, absolutely." – Denise [E]

The Summer 'Checklist' Brainstorm

• Encouragement to Make a List:
  [04:41]
  • "I think you could put together, like, a summer checklist." – Host [C]
• Sample Checklist Items:
  • Go clubbing and visit new venues
  • Date or start a summer fling
  • "Meet a hot guy and just do everything that I haven't let myself do since I was 10." – Denise [E] [04:49]
  • Try things like getting a piercing (listener suggestion)
    • "I just felt so naughty. It was great." – Suzanne [G], listener [08:15]
  • Do an all-nighter (not for studying)
    • "No, no, no. That's what we're talking about...going out and partying...then hit a deck bar somewhere or go to a beach and do an all nighter." – Host [B] [08:45]
  • Try day-drinking ("start at noon, get a table outside all day.") – Host [C]

Crowd-Sourcing Ideas & Community Involvement

• Listener Insights:
  • A teacher calls in to say it's better to party after achieving career stability.
    • "It is so much more fun to party when you have money and you have a house and a car and you can pay for it." – Susan [F], listener [06:43]
    • "Don't regret what you didn't do. You did it in the right order." – Susan [F] [06:44]
  • Another listener suggests the "lesson plan" be shared on the website, with crowd-sourced wild ideas.
    • "I think you should put it on your website...for example, I think she should get a piercing." – Suzanne [G] [07:39]

Light Humor & Memorable Banter

• Imagining Denise as a Cliché 'Teacher Gone Wild':
  • "I don't know why, but I'm imagining her in a music video with her hair up in a tight bun and some horn rimmed glasses on..." – Host [C] [00:08]
  • "Are you also imagining it's 1985 and you're watching Van Halen?" – Host [A] [00:18]
• Alcohol Advice:
  • "There's a drink called Jagermeister that'll really help you ramp up without getting too hammered too quickly." – Host [A] [05:58]
    • Denise: "A lot of people get really sick off of that." [E] [06:08]

Planning for Follow-Up

• Check-Ins Promised:
  • "Let us put together Like a wild child 101 list for you, and let's meet back in a couple of days...and then we'll follow you through the entire summer." – Host [B] [09:43]
• Predictions:
  • "One of two things is going to happen. You're either going to love this life and you may never be able to look back again, or you're absolutely going to hate it and realize that you haven't missed a damn thing..." – Host [B] [10:00]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "I'm ready to kind of let my hair down and be wild and have some fun this summer." – Denise [01:54]
• "I just felt so naughty. It was great." – Suzanne, listener [08:15]
• "It is so much more fun to party when you have money and you have a house and a car and you can pay for it." – Susan, listener [06:43]
• "I think you need to get a wild friend. I think that needs to be like on the top of your checklist." – Host [C] [06:57]
• "She doesn't even know where to go...maybe we need to find a virtual listener that can call us every week with a homework assignment." – Host [B] [07:24]
• "I just want to have a good time and not feel guilty about it. Truly." – Denise [05:51]

Important Segment Timestamps

• Denise’s Introduction & Background: 00:25 – 02:58
• Hosts Discuss Quarter-Life Crisis & Offer Support: 03:13 – 03:37
• Checklist Brainstorming: 04:41 – 05:51
• Listeners Share Advice & Ideas: 06:18 – 08:19
• Checklist Ideas Expand (piercings, all-nighters, day drinking): 08:15 – 09:12
• Planning Next Steps & Community Involvement: 09:43 – End (10:12)

Conclusion

This episode is a lighthearted but genuine look at navigating the balance between responsibility and living life fully. Denise’s vulnerability sparks camaraderie, both from the Bert Show cast and their listeners, resulting in real-time brainstorming and support. The hosts promise to follow up with her "wild child summer" and encourage audience involvement, setting the tone for a season-long light-hearted experiment in breaking out of one's shell.

Tone: Authentic, humorous, and empathetic—with audience interactivity and playful coaching at its heart.