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Episode: The Very Bad Horrible Hallacas!
Date: November 20, 2025
Hosts: Bryan Green and Krissy Hoadley

Episode Overview

In this festive, food-fueled episode, Bryan and Krissy dive into the chaotic traditions of the holiday season, spotlighting the Venezuelan dish "hallacas" (ayakas). They riff on cross-cultural culinary customs, swap stories of holiday meals gone awry, and side-eye both fruitcake and celebrity press tours. The episode meanders through the world of holiday foods, the pop culture buzz around “Wicked,” odd celebrity pairing speculation, and finishes with an irreverent takedown of disgraced golfer Phil Mickelson and the drama of Liv Golf. Expect plenty of the duo’s signature tangents, ragged banter, and comedic commentary on everything from deli sandwiches to Broadway musicals.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Hallacas: The Not-Quite-Tamale Holiday Tradition

[03:50 - 08:10]

• Bryan shares his complicated history with hallacas (ayakas): “I love almost everything else about the Venezuelan culture. But ayakas is just something I cannot get on board with. And here's the problem…” (Bryan, 05:04)
  • Hallacas are described as the “Frankenstein cousin of a tamale,” wrapped in banana leaves and packed with everything from meats and olives to the universally contentious raisins and prunes.
  • The chaos of mass-producing hallacas every season leaves Bryan overrun with frozen leftovers for months: “You will have thousands of ayakas frozen in your freezer, like every Venezuelan family I'm sure does.” (Bryan, 06:31)
  • Comparisons to fruitcake – a festive staple nobody really loves, but eats anyway. Krissy and Bryan both note their mutual skepticism about such dense, tradition-heavy seasonal foods.

2. The Great Holiday Food Debate

[09:18 - 10:45]

• The hosts joke about 70s-era gelatinous desserts and their garish appearances and flavors.
  • “Like Pepto Bismol pink.” (Krissy, 09:25)
• Pan de jamón emerges as the real winner for Bryan: “[Hallaca] is not my thing. But there is another dish that sometimes it's Spanish, but it was introduced to me by Venezuelans, and that is Iberico ham.” (Bryan, 10:29)

3. Iberico Ham: A Love Story

[10:46 - 15:46]

• Bryan waxes poetic about discovering and becoming obsessed with Iberico ham in Spain and Switzerland:
  • “Just one slice of Iberico ham and your life will change. … I was like a fiend, like a crack addict. I was like, iberico ham. Iberico ham.” (Bryan, 13:13)
• The technicalities and legalities of importing legit Iberico ham to the US—particularly whether the hoof is attached—become a running gag.
• Krissy and Bryan joke about inferior deli hams, and Bryan’s plan to "paste [sliced deli ham] on a stand and pretend like I'm slicing it up." (Bryan, 18:05)

4. Sandwich Nostalgia: Deli Talk & the Perfect Cuban

[18:17 - 22:51]

• Bryan confesses a newfound obsession with videos of Katz’s Deli’s epic pastrami sandwiches: “I've never seen something so appetizing in my entire life. … How the fuck do you make a buck if you're serving an entire shoulder to each customer?” (Bryan, 18:49)
• Both reminisce about Atlanta’s legendary Cool Corners Grocery and the perfect Cuban sandwich with homemade mojo sauce.
  • “It's not Cool Corners.” (Bryan, 22:45)
• Krissy pitches a field trip episode: “What if we just show up with our microphones and do an episode of the commercial break from Cool Corners?” (Krissy, 23:03)

5. Holiday Movie Chatter & “Wicked” Hype

[28:24 - 33:49]

• The duo look ahead to big holiday movie releases, focusing on “Wicked 2” (or as Bryan jokes, “Wickeds”):
  • Bryan’s musical skepticism concedes with praise: “Wicked one was an excellent movie. An excellent movie. A technical accomplishment, a feat of artistic beauty and grace.” (Bryan, 31:10)
  • Both discuss the surprising “Defying Gravity” effect—how it became a household obsession.
• Tangents: The pair pokes fun at other releases (“Avatar… whatever the fuck that shit is called” [28:24]), and Krissy describes a Wizard of Oz docuseries.

6. Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo & The “Wicked” Press Tour

[33:49 - 40:48]

• The hosts dissect online gossip about Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s “over-the-top” chemistry on their promotional tour for “Wicked.”
  • Notable quote: “Do these two look healthy to you?” (Bryan, 36:32)
  • Krissy is cautious but notes, “I think they're really intense experience together so that they're connected now.” (Krissy, 38:13)
  • They play and comment on viral clips and parodies—“They are on each other, and it is just… They're on top of each other… not how I act with Raphael!” (Bryan, 39:45)
• Anecdote: Bryan recounts a bizarre stunt by a social media interloper at a “Wicked” premiere in Shanghai, tying it into the exhausting nature of the press cycle.

7. Celebrity Relationship Gossip

[43:36 - 44:32]

• Brief rundown of Ariana Grande’s surprise relationship with her “Wicked” co-star Ethan Slater, and general musings on celebrity marriages and fallout.
  • “Sorry, Ethan. That was your one shot, bud.” (Bryan, 48:59)

8. Phil Mickelson: From Golf Legend to Scandal Magnet

[46:12 - 58:15]

• Bryan provides a crash course on Phil Mickelson’s highs (legendary shot-making) and lows (gambling, insider trading, and cozying up to the Saudis for LIV Golf).
  • “When it comes to business and it comes to money, he is an ultra complicated human being who is always trying to get the inside track and take crazy chances like he does on the course.” (Bryan, 52:11)
• The saga includes tales of huge debts, sponsor bailouts, and Phil’s knack for jumping at every lucrative or shady opportunity.
• LIV Golf is savaged as an “absolute sham,” and Bryan admits cutting his fandom:
  • “When you went to live golf, I decided I can't root for Phil anymore. And by the way, has anybody ever watched a round of live golf? Let's be honest, I have not.” (Bryan, 57:24)

9. Wrap-up Rants: The System, the Swamp, and Senior PGA

[58:40 - 61:47]

• Bryan and Krissy riff on the minor leagues of golf, the “build back better” tagline, and the revolving door of political and celebrity relationships.
• Bryan’s final advice to Phil Mickelson: “Phil, stop being a dick. Stop it. … You've got a couple more years to turn things around here.” (Bryan, 61:04)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On holiday culinary strains:
  “The tradition is that you make 1000 ayakas per person that may or may not be attending your house anytime during the holidays.” (Bryan, 06:06)

• On fruitcakes and festive foods:
  “You gotta be a fruitcake to give a fruitcake. You know what I'm saying?” (Bryan, 08:36)

• On Iberico ham addiction:
  “You couldn't get me away from the Iberico ham. … I was like a fiend, like a crack addict.” (Bryan, 13:13)

• On pop culture marketing fatigue:
  “The PR machine is in full roar right now. Of course they have to. That's what it is.” (Bryan, 33:18)

• On the ancient deli sandwich quest:
  “I'm not afraid of a sandwich in a bag. Used to be a place here in Atlanta, Cool Corners grocery store.” (Bryan, 20:11)

• On the “Wicked” press tour dynamic:
  “They are on each other, and it is just… They're on top of each other…” (Bryan, 39:45)

• Mickelson takedown:
  “Phil, stop being a dick. Stop it. … You've got a couple more years to turn things around here.” (Bryan, 61:04)

Important Timestamps

• 03:50: Hallaca (Ayaka) season and holiday food drama in Bryan’s household
• 06:31: The great ayaka freezer stockpile anecdote
• 10:46: Ode to Iberico ham; Spanish culinary adventures
• 18:49: Katz’s Deli pastrami sandwich obsession
• 20:11: The legend of Atlanta’s Cool Corners Cuban sandwich
• 28:24: Holiday movie preview: “Avatar,” “Wicked 2,” and streaming drama
• 31:10: Bryan admits loving “Wicked” (film & musical)
• 33:49: In-depth “Wicked” press tour gossip; viral Ariana-Cynthia clips
• 43:36: Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater relationship recap
• 46:12: The Phil Mickelson LIV Golf/investigation saga
• 52:11: Phil’s love affair with risky business and gambling
• 57:24: The downfall of Mickelson’s fan base and LIV Golf critique
• 61:04: Sage (and exasperated) closing advice for Phil Mickelson
• 62:30: End-of-show sign-off and show plugs

Tone & Vibe

Irreverent, rapid-fire, tangential, and infused with self-aware humor. The banter is rooted in decades-old friendship and is as much about teasing each other as dissecting cultural oddities. No sacred cows (or hams) here—the tone is proudly unfiltered and endearingly “just fine.”

For Listeners

This episode is a must-listen for anyone who loves the messy side of holiday traditions, has strong sandwich opinions, or relishes the spectacle of pop and sports culture melodrama. As always, expect the journey to be as off-course as a Phil Mickelson approach shot, but twice as fun.