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A
Hello. You're about to drift into an episode of the Nightly, a podcast designed to help you unwind and relax. For the full phone free immersive light experience, visit Hatch Co. Enjoy. Hello. Hello.
B
Hello.
A
I'm Jackice.
B
And I'm Josh. Welcome to the Nightly from Hatch, a slumber party for pop culture lovers.
A
What's up, buddy?
B
How are you, Jackice? How's it going?
A
I'm great. How are you?
B
I'm doing very well, thank you. I'm, like, right in the middle of a couple of weeks at home, and it's been really nice. How about you?
A
Yeah, I'm doing well. I'm doing well. I also love home, too, man. I. Home is the most expensive thing we pay for. People be like, you wanna go out? And I'd be like, man, I got out at home. You know what I'm saying?
B
That's it. I already put a down payment down on my evening in the form of rent or a mortgage. Totally.
A
Like, oh, let's go out to eat and spend money. You know how much money I spent today? I spent about $100 for home, like, per day.
B
And when you go out, it's like you're gonna sit at a stool on a bar. I've been my favorite couch in the world, right?
A
At home, I got my favorite couch in the world, you know. And when you out too, like, if your feet start hurting at home, I could take. I don't even gotta have my shoes on.
B
That's right. My dog is at my home. They don't let her into bars.
A
My wife has tried and, you know, like. And at home, you know, all the employees work for you. You know what I'm saying? Like, I'm the bouncer. I can decide who can come in and out of my house.
B
They let you change the temperature at.
A
Oh, that's beautiful. That's beautiful.
B
Yeah, you can keep the lights at any level you want.
A
That's beautiful, man. Let me tell. Let me talk to. Let me talk to some people about that. I love that. I'm so glad you brought that up, because there's this notion that because, like, I live in California, I know you're on the east coast in New York, and so you guys have seasons. But there's this notion that because we're on these west coast, cities or cities that are warm, that we always gotta have the air conditioner on. I was just in Arizona a couple weeks ago, and it was warm during the day in the 80s, that's fine. But by the time the sun goes away, like, turn the air conditioner. What do we got the AC still on for? It's cold in this building. I don't want to be, like. I don't want to be cold. I want to be comfortable and, like. And having the AC on when it's 60 degrees outside just because it was 85 earlier, man, turn that air conditioner up. We need better temperature gauging in some of these buildings in warmer cities, because when it turns to night, we don't need cool air anymore. We're good with what we got, and
B
it's nice to maximize that natural air. Like, I would much rather. Once that sun goes down and it gets dark out and you've got a little breeze and it's nice and cool, I would much rather enjoy that breeze, for sure.
A
Man. Open your roofs up. Open the roof.
B
Open your roofs.
A
Open the roofs.
B
That's right.
A
You know, and if you. If your roof don't open, pay for it. You know, flatten it out. Flatten it out. Put some hinges on it. Put a button that can open it and close it and give more reason. More reason. And then, like, then you know what? Then I'll come out, because then I'm. Because that's money well spent if I'm spending money.
B
That's right.
A
I'll come out for that.
B
Yeah. If you're showing me an establishment where you press a button and the roof opens up like a baseball stadium in Florida, I'll go hang out there for sure.
A
I'll come to that. I'll come to that. I'm like, oh, you put an effort
B
in, especially if you let me bring my dog.
A
Yeah, let the dog in. The roof opened up. I can take my shoes off. It seems like we're already doing this, but how about we talk a little bit about obsessions?
B
I would love that. I think that's a perfect segue.
A
Perfect segue.
B
I've had a Roman empire that has, you know, one of those things that just kind of bubbles up in my mind, and I wonder if. If this is not something that you also experienced as a young person. I'm gonna sound deranged. I'm gonna sound, like, wildly unhinged. So when you were a kid, you go to a mall from time to time. Did you have a Spencer's Gifts nearby?
A
Of course.
B
Okay, so to young people or to people that didn't grow up with, like, the same mall culture, Spencer's Gifts has all manner of, like, little trinkets from, like, a Family Guy T shirt with, like, you know, the whole cast of Family Guy and just says, family Guy. And then. But then on the other end of the spectrum, it has, like, one of those things with all the metal pins, and you put your hand in it, and the hand makes the shape of the metal pins or the thing that's like a sphere with electricity, like static electricity. And you touch it, and it zaps to where your finger is on the outside. So it's all these, like, weird little knickknacks and stuff. And, like, some of it gets kind of crass or whatever. You know, there's some, like. It would be like, who farted? I farted on a T shirt or whatever. It's like, deal with it. So that's all pretty normal. But when I was young, there were. And I think this is true to an extent, but there were rumors that in the back room of the Spencer's Gifts, things got really wild.
A
Oh, did you.
B
Is this something that you experienced as well?
A
No, Now I do know, like, Spencer's Gifts, at least back then, also had kind of, like, kinky stuff as well.
B
Yeah. You know, there was some freaky stuff, but always, like, kind of as a bit like, there would be like, a party game where it was just dice, and you would roll the dice, and it would have, like, almost like truth or Dare, but with dice. So it would be like, bite butt cheek. And you have to bite the butt cheek. I don't know if those are. But stuff like that. So that stuff was, like, out, and you're like, okay, I see the gradient from, like, a T shirt that has the little chihuahua that was the Taco Bell mascot that says, yo, Kiero, Taco Bell. And you're like, okay, that's right in the front there. That's facing outward to the mall. And then you get towards, like. Oh, it's like a thong made of licorice. Delicious, Delicious. The best shape for licorice. It maximizes surface area.
A
Absolutely.
B
And then you. Then the back was always rumored that it would get a little freakier. And I never. I think by the time I was old enough to, like, be allowed, if indeed there was, like, more to see either, you know, the malls had started to become less robustly populated, and it wasn't as intriguing anymore. But I think back to being a kid and being like, they let you do anything back there. You can, like, hunt a person. You can.
A
It was like the Purge or Hunger Games back there.
B
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's very Hunger Games back there. But it's to me, especially, like, when you're a kid, Stuff that's, like, normal, freaky, normal, sexual. Feels like no way anyone does that. So, like, the rumors get so carried away. And I, like, think about that all the time. Because there was, okay, places, like, we had a chain where I'm from that still exists called Newberry Comics. And it was like a record store. And you can get action figures and, like, it's just like, entertainment DVDs. They would have.
A
Interesting.
B
Yeah, but they would also have, like, you know, in some places you would go, like, to a bottom shelf towards the back, and it would be like, just like a bootleg VHS cassette of, like, guys getting injured doing skateboard tricks. Just like, who put this here and why can you legally sell it? And I'm, like, obsessed with. I guess the Internet just has all that now, right? Pre Jackass.
A
I know, I know. I talk about this in the pillow fort. I talk about this on any appearance that you may find me on, like, the nostalgia. And I know every. Every generation is nostalgic. Like, listening to you talk about Spencer's. I really do think that there is a difference between our nostalgia and, like, the nostalgia of our, like, parents and grandparents and like, the generations before millennials, for instance. Because, like, our nostalgia, like, millennials are this very weird generation where we know very well the world we had before, the world we have now. Right. Like, that we lived in that world, we grew up in that world, and we helped usher in where we are now, which is a very different place as far as just, like, society. Cause, like, Spencer's Gifts, I don't see them too, too often anymore, but they still do exist. And I've been in one recently. Ish. In the past, like, you know, three, four years or something like that.
B
Yeah.
A
And, like, half of me was like, oh, they've tamed this down a lot from what it used to be. But the other half of me was like, no, it's just like we're so much more exposed to the whole world
B
has met the level of Spencer's Gifts,
A
where Spencer's Gifts is like, kind of like, just like. Okay, quaint. Yeah. Yeah. In a very weird way.
B
Yeah. We're bombarded with bite. Butt cheek. Like a thousand.
A
Yeah. Yeah.
B
Do you feel like the world and maybe this is just like every generation feels like this, but I feel like the world changed and how we absorb media changed so much more between, like, the time I was, like, 15 and the present changed more in those years than it did from, like, the time my parents were born until the time I was 15. Yes.
A
Well, 100%.
B
Yeah.
A
How old were you in 2001?
B
16.
A
16. This is perfect because this is, this is crazy because like I always say and this tracks. Because you said 15.
B
Yeah.
A
I always say that 2001 is when like a lot of things changed and like I kind of track it to one device. I track it to the ipod, the ipod and Apple. And that piece of technology changed everything because like it started to show us like what accessibility could be. Also the ipod is how we get podcasts. The ipod morphed into the iPhone, which is how we get like being in our phones all day and social media and all of these things and merging a computer with this thing just in your pocket. It all started with the ipod and technology. From 2001 to 2015, that 14 year gap, technology jumped in such a rapid way more than any other era in that time frame in the history of man. I really think that.
B
I bet it's like it felt like the equivalent of going from not knowing how to use a lever or a pulley to having a pulley. You know what I mean? It's digital versus physical, but it's that seismic. Oh, we can just lift the big, big thing now with just our energy is the same as like, oh, every song is in my pocket and I bring my whole media library with me everywhere I go.
A
I say this jokingly, but I also mean it on the scale of how big I think it actually is in your pocket. Your phone has like 120 gigabytes of data or possibility to have data and processing power or whatever that is. It's funny to think of, but it is not like untrue that if you took that and fast forwarded yourself 5,000 years ago, you could start a new world.
B
Totally. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
A
You could, you could, you could start a civilization.
B
Yeah.
A
With what's in your pocket right now. Like it's, it's is wild.
B
You have more raw information than most whole societies had in aggregate, I think 100%. It's really interesting. And it's like so not take it for granted is like the wrong way to put it because it's like I don't attach any like value to it. Right. Occasionally now even at my age, you meet an adult who was born in like 2002 and you're like, oh, I guess that's when the 24 year olds came out, you know what I mean? Like that's when they made that new batch and you're just like out on the town and you meet someone's like brother or sister. Or friend or co worker. And it's so interesting that there are adults who grew up with that being their whole experience of the world.
A
Yeah. So interesting. I think there are five pivotal inventions, I should say, in man's history.
B
Yeah.
A
The wheel.
B
Big.
A
Pretty big. Fire.
B
Fire. Huge. I'm a big fan of both.
A
Big fan. The printing press. Pretty big. Seismic electricity. The computer. The ipod.
B
Big. Okay, I'm gonna go one more. I'm gonna add one more, which is like a little. A little more. Okay, I'm gonna go. Soap.
A
Soap. Yeah. You know, boy, people were stanking boy.
B
And just being able to not have diseases on your. And now my hands are clean, and I don't. I'm not inviting death into my mouth every time I open it.
A
Can you imagine the first person who was, like, just looking around at his homies, like, grock was just sitting there like, you stink.
B
It's disgusting in here. This cave smells like ass. Huge. This is a huge. A huge moment in human history.
A
Yes. So I agree. Soap was big. Soap was big. I do have one. I will do it. We'll talk about it quickly because I, you know, it's not as big of a Roman empire, but I do love that one. Spencer G. That's a good nostalgic throwback. I often think of karaoke songs.
B
Yeah.
A
Like, what are my karaoke songs? And I've had, like, set ones in my life. But what I really think of is, what's my next big karaoke song? The one that, like, I know I can go in and people would be like, hell, yeah. And I can sing it.
B
Yeah.
A
And I think about this often when I'm having my concerts at home or in the shower, you know, and things like that.
B
How do you test. How do you test one out to know, Is it a shower testing situation?
A
It's a shower testing situation. I also have a friend where we, like, do karaoke together sometimes. Just throw it on YouTube and pop it in, you know, before, you know, and that lets me know, like, maybe I can take this to the masses. Right. And I think about this often. So I think, like, in the past few months, I've come up with what my next karaoke song is gonna be. I have not debuted it to the public yet. I debuted it in private amongst, like, close friends or by myself.
B
And it felt good.
A
It felt good. I think I can do it. I think I could do it well. And that song is Kenny Loggin's Heart to Heart.
B
Ooh, this is good.
A
It's so good. And it has, like, A fun moment in it, too, where he's like, I can't sing it. Cause I'm pretty sure we don't want to get sued. But, like, he has a part where he's, like, falsettoing like, baby. And then he just, like, falsetto, falsetting. And then you can kind of hear the ramp up, and then it just hits you with full Kenny Loggins voice, and I'm like, whoo. And it's just so good. It just hits. It feels like the perfect amount of 80s is great. I think that's my next.
B
That's great. I think people will be excited to hear it because there's. Sometimes you can overthink and go too obscure, and you're doing a deep cut that people go, hey, he seems like he's having a good time. I've never heard this before in my life, but it's nice when you're like. When you remind people of something where they go, oh, you know what? I haven't heard this in a minute,
A
and I'm excited in a long time. And even if you haven't heard it, you'll hear it, and you'll be like, it's a pretty good song.
B
Like, pretty good song, totally.
A
Where it's not just good in your own mind. Like, I feel like anybody can hear Heart to Heart and would say, like, yep, that sounds great.
B
That's a good song.
A
That's a good song.
B
Yeah, that's really nice. It feels so good to add something to the repertoire, too.
A
Do you have a karaoke song, and do you think about next ones?
B
You know, I don't think ahead enough. My wife Maris is a very good singer, and she looks at the app for the karaoke place in our neighborhood, and she'll see when they add new songs.
A
Okay.
B
Yeah. So she really stays on top of it, and she'll go like, oh, they put the new Sabrina Carpenter record on there. So I'm gonna get on board with some of the lyrics to her new songs. And I, like, always, we're going out next week with a bunch of friends. It's been like, three separate friend groups going, oh, we should do karaoke soon. And so I'm starting to just think now about, ooh, do I want to introduce something new? My friend Jaya had the best idea I've ever heard, which is we're gonna get a small group together. Everyone is going to write a new song, parody of an existing song that's available in karaoke, and then bring lyrics for everyone else. And so we're gonna have a little song parody. Songbook of everyone's original parody songs.
A
That's fun.
B
So I'm excited for that.
A
Yeah, I love that. I love that.
B
This is great.
A
Yeah.
B
Heart to heart. Also, to tie it all together sounds like something you might roll at a Spencer's Gifts dice game where you're like, oh, I put my heart on someone else's heart. Okay.
A
Kinky.
B
Oh, thank you for sharing that with me. I can't wait to hear how it goes when you premiere the new song. I think people are gonna flip it.
A
I love it. I love it. And thank you for sharing your Roman empire with me. It was a was a nice little stroll down memory lane and a nice little opening into nostalgia, so I appreciate that. And that nostalgia has got me feeling pretty nostalgic for some sleep, so I'm gonna take this opportunity to do just that. Buddy, time to turn in.
B
I'm feeling very much the same. I'm gonna take off my shoes, crack the window, and drift off. Good night, Jackies.
A
Good night, Josh. Sa. To learn more about our phone free light and audio experience, head to Hatch Co. You can also follow us at Hatch Podcasts.
Podcast Summary: The Nightly – "Spencer's Gifts & iPod Paradigm Shift"
Date: March 30, 2026
Hosts: Jackice (A) & Josh (B)
Podcast: The Nightly by Hatch Podcasts
This episode of The Nightly is a cozy, late-night, pop culture sleepcast centered on nostalgia and technology. Jackice and Josh reminisce about the legendary mall staple Spencer’s Gifts and explore why the early 2000s felt like a turning point in how we experience the world, largely accelerated by the iPod and the internet. The episode is threaded with playful banter, quirky observations on home life, and a winding digression into karaoke obsessions.
Home as a Luxury: Both hosts joke about how expensive it is to simply stay home, yet how worthwhile and comfortable it is. Home is described as an environment where you’re in total control—of temperature, lighting, and company.
Comfort & Control: Other perks to being at home include being able to take off your shoes, being surrounded by pets, and controlling the environment.
Mall Culture & Urban Legends: Josh fondly recalls rumors about the risqué back room at Spencer’s Gifts, a store known for odd trinkets, cheeky t-shirts, and novelty items with a risqué edge.
Pre-Internet Wildness: Discussion about other stores with hidden oddities and the pre-Jackass era of bootleg skateboarding injury tapes.
Nostalgia: Millennial vs. Previous Generations: Jackice reflects that millennial nostalgia is unique because millennials straddle both the pre-digital and digital worlds. The world “caught up” to the shock value of a store like Spencer’s.
Media & Technology Leap: Josh and Jackice agree the media landscape changed more between 2001 and now than in previous generations—due in large part to the iPod’s 2001 release.
Magnitude of Change: Comparison of the jump caused by the iPod to foundational leaps like fire, the wheel, or the printing press.
Millennial Perspective: Observing that people now in their early 20s have always had this tech—highlighting the generational gap in experience.
Biggest Inventions: A playful list of humanity’s “big five” inventions: the wheel, fire, printing press, electricity, the computer, and the iPod—with an added mention of “soap.”
Karaoke Song Selection: Jackice shares his search for the perfect next karaoke song—testing new picks in the shower or with friends; recently settling on Kenny Loggins’ “Heart to Heart.”
New Takes & Group Karaoke: Josh discusses his wife Maris’s vigilance for new tracks at their local karaoke spot and a friend’s idea for a parody lyrics party.
Karaoke & Spencer’s Callback: Josh ties the “Heart to Heart” pick back to the earlier Spencer’s Gifts bit.
On Staying In:
“Home is the most expensive thing we pay for...I got out at home.” (A, 01:09)
“If your roof don't open, pay for it...Put some hinges on it.” (A, 03:36)
On Spencer's Gifts Urban Myths:
“It was like the Purge or Hunger Games back there.” (B, 07:42)
“Our nostalgia...is different...we know very well the world we had before, the world we have now.” (A, 08:44)
The iPod's Impact:
“The iPod…changed everything because, like, it started to show us what accessibility could be.” (A, 10:57)
“If you took that [data & processing power] and fast forwarded yourself 5,000 years ago, you could start a new world.” (A, 13:07)
On Human Inventions:
“Soap was big. Soap was big.” (A, 15:05)
“This cave smells like ass. Huge. This is a huge moment in human history.” (B, 14:52)
Karaoke Wisdom:
“Sometimes you can overthink and go too obscure...It's nice…when you remind people...oh, you know what? I haven't heard this in a minute.” (B, 17:18)
The Nightly in this episode perfectly blends nostalgia, humor, and relatable musings on pop culture and technology in a way that feels like a relaxed, friendly conversation—ideal for winding down at the end of the day.