Podcast Summary: The Nightly – "Giving Gordo w/ Joel Kim Booster"
Date: December 11, 2025
Host: Hatch Podcasts (kp & Sophia)
Guest: Joel Kim Booster
Overview: Cozy Pop Culture & Bedtime Vibes
This episode of The Nightly invites comedian, actor, and writer Joel Kim Booster for a lighthearted, bedtime-friendly slumber party. The hosts and their guest dive into musical habits, sleep routines, pop culture games, and nostalgic wardrobe debates—all aimed at helping listeners unwind for the night. The tone is playful, intimate, and full of banter, making it feel like listeners are hanging out with friends before bedtime.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Slumber Party Kickoff: Games, Ghost Stories, and Gags
[00:33–01:16]
- The hosts, kp and Sophia, welcome Joel Kim Booster to a playful slumber party, referencing classic sleepover games like "Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board" and "Bloody Mary."
- Jokes about classic pranks: “Tonight, whoever falls asleep listening to this, we will put your finger in some warm water.” (Joel, 01:04)
- Kp: “You’re going to wake up with profane images all drawn on your face.” (01:11)
2. Spotify Wrapped and Musical Habits
[01:16–02:37]
- Discussion of yearly Spotify Wrapped:
- Joel predicts his most-played artists are SZA, Frank Ocean, and Solange—“Because that’s what I listen to when I have sex.” (Joel, 01:26)
- Admits he’s “so much more of a podcast person,” listening when working out or driving.
- Writing music:
- Joel: “When I’m writing, I tend to listen to the same album over and over and over again… and it’s mostly Maggie Rogers.” (01:46)
- Wrote his Fire Island script to Maggie Rogers’ second album—hosts joke she should’ve gotten writing credit.
- Hosts share their own writing music picks: Russian vinyls on YouTube, SoundCloud house sets, and “crazy flute music.”
3. Sleep Struggles & Sleep Apnea
[04:05–06:10]
- Joel opens up about recently being diagnosed with sleep apnea.
- “...on an average night… I would be waking myself up upwards of 60 times a night and be getting roughly two hours of restful sleep.” (Joel, 04:11)
- Realized the problem when partner moved in and noticed gasping at night.
- Adjustment to using a sleep apnea (CPAP) machine:
- “If this is how prolific I’ve been on two hours of sleep, it's over for everyone when I start sleeping eight hours again.” (Joel, 05:11)
- Sleep routine confession: Both he and his partner fall asleep to reality TV, most often to the sounds of “housewives screaming.”
4. Would You Rather: Pop Culture Game Segment
[06:31–18:12]
Movie Roles: Hallmark vs. Christmas Action
[06:46–10:26]
- “Would you rather star in a Hallmark movie or a Christmas action movie?”
- Joel prefers Christmas action for career longevity and iconic potential: “You have a better chance of tripping into iconography with a Christmas action movie than with a Hallmark movie.” (Joel, 07:02)
- Referenced films: Die Hard, Krampus, David Harbour’s “reverse Home Alone.”
- Hallmark movies praised for being low-effort and quick to shoot—a “get-rich-quick scheme of sorts.” (B, 09:03)
- Noted that the “Hallmark vibe” extends beyond the official channel (Netflix, Hulu, Lifetime).
Romance Tropes: Enemies to Lovers vs. Messy Love Triangle
[10:26–13:46]
- “Would you rather be stuck in an enemies-to-lovers arc or a messy love triangle?”
- Joel advocates for the love triangle, unless “stuck” means perpetual romantic limbo.
- “If you’re stuck, then in a will-they-won’t-they situation, then... I don’t know how to help you.” (Joel, 10:53)
- Sophia leans toward messy love triangle for the excitement.
- Joel quips: “As a queer person, it is sort of our birthright to be in messy love triangles.” (Joel, 11:51)
- Kp, as a straight person: “You kind of just, like always, are gonna hate your husband and your husband’s gonna hate you.” (A, 12:19)
- (“Being married to a man, in a way, is enemies to lovers.” – B, 12:30)
- General consensus: Love triangles win for messiness and drama.
- Joel advocates for the love triangle, unless “stuck” means perpetual romantic limbo.
Nostalgic Style: Lizzie McGuire Wardrobe vs. What Not to Wear Makeover
[13:57–18:12]
- “Would you rather trade wardrobes with Lizzie McGuire or get a makeover from What Not to Wear?”
- Nostalgia for both properties; Joel and kp pick Lizzie’s early 2000s colorful style over What Not to Wear’s “Kohl’s cash” and blazers.
- Joel: “I’m already halfway there with the Lizzie McGuire option... obviously it’s not something I’d want to wear every day, but that’s where I’d want to live.” (Joel, 14:13)
- kp and Sophia joke about What Not to Wear’s harsh approach: “Your family begged us to come here.... Your family thinks you are so chopped.” (A, 15:10)
- Sophia briefly considers the “What Not to Wear” option for gender euphoria/dysphoria, but is “allured back” to the Lizzie/Gordo side.
- Everyone ends up opting for Gordo’s understated, slightly quirky wardrobe as a safe, nostalgic choice.
5. Joel’s Upcoming Projects & Good Night Ritual
[18:12–19:43]
- Joel plugs his work:
- “Loot Season 3 is airing now. I believe by the time this is out, the entire third season will be out for you to binge and catch up on. I’m in a small part of K Pop Demon Hunters... and I’ll be on the Scrubs revival, which is premiering in February of next year.” (Joel, 18:22)
- Gentle bedtime send-off from Joel:
- Describes winding down with his fiancé and sleep machine, ending with:
“That’s my favorite part of going to bed and waking up is waking up next to him.... Good night everyone.” (Joel, 19:36)
- Describes winding down with his fiancé and sleep machine, ending with:
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “The dulcet tones of Ira Glass soothing me into orgasm. No, I... mostly listen to podcasts or books on tape.” – Joel (01:42)
- “If this is how prolific I’ve been on two hours of sleep, it’s over for everyone when I start sleeping eight hours again.” – Joel (05:11)
- “Would you rather star in a Hallmark movie or a Christmas action movie?... You have a better chance of tripping into iconography with a Christmas action movie.” – Joel (06:58–07:02)
- “As a queer person, it is sort of our birthright to be in messy love triangles.” – Joel (11:51)
- “Being married to a man, in a way, is enemies to lovers.” – Sophia (12:30)
- “I’m already halfway there with the Lizzie McGuire option... obviously it’s not something I’d want to wear every day, but that’s where I’d want to live.” – Joel (14:13)
- “Your family begged us to come here.... Your family thinks you are so chopped.” – kp (15:10)
- “That’s my favorite part of going to bed and waking up is waking up next to him.... Good night everyone.” – Joel (19:36)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- 00:33 – Show start & slumber party intro
- 01:16 – Spotify Wrapped/music habits
- 04:05 – Joel’s sleep apnea journey
- 06:31 – Pop culture “Would You Rather” game
- 10:26 – Romance tropes: enemies-to-lovers vs. love triangle
- 13:57 – Lizzie McGuire vs. What Not to Wear wardrobe debate
- 18:12 – Joel’s upcoming projects
- 19:03 – Bedtime wind-down & special goodnight
Overall Tone
The episode is warm, silly, and comfortingly conversational, full of pop culture nostalgia, inside jokes, and gentle camaraderie. It’s perfect for winding down, with a relaxed—but quick-witted—energy, and a soft ending that gently ushers listeners toward sleep.