This Is Important – Episode 265: "Yogurt-Slingers & AI Dead-Ringers"

Podcast: This Is Important
Hosts: Adam Devine, Anders Holm, Blake Anderson, Kyle Newacheck
Released: September 23, 2025
Duration of summarized discussion: approx. 03:06–68:15 (ads omitted)

Episode Overview

On this lively and candid episode, the TII crew—Adam, Anders (Ders), Blake, and Kyle—shift from absurd comedy to sincere social commentary, contemplating everything from hoarder psychology and nostalgia for physical media to the state of entertainment, the creeping influence of AI, the frustrations of modern adulthood, and the moral quandaries set off by AI and pornography. The group weaves humor and personal stories with moments of real introspection about parenting, media, economics, and, of course, their beloved Crocs.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Mental Health Check-in and Personality Quirks

• [04:17–05:15] Adam and Kyle discuss Kyle's naturally "morose" disposition and tendency to expect the worst, with Blake and Adam jokingly psychoanalyzing him.
  • Quote:
    Kyle: "I think I'm naturally just a kind of a more depressed type of person." [04:49]

2. Nostalgia, Hoarding, and Attachment to Physical Media

• [06:41–08:57] The group reminisces about buying CDs, the joy of physical media, and hoarding tendencies versus minimalism.
  • Adam: Remembers a neighbor's classic hoarder house.
  • Kyle: Defends keeping all their tour lanyards and memorabilia.
  • Memorable banter:
    Adam: "You basically have to keep working so you can keep buying, getting bigger and bigger houses just so you can be a hoarder, but it doesn't look like you're a hoarder." [07:24]

3. Hoarding Spiral and Morbid Curiosities

• [08:57–12:14] A funny but dark spiral into hoarder show territory—dead pets, pizza boxes, and smell-o-vision.
  • Blake: Describes the signature hoarder smell ("pee, dust, mildew").
    Blake: "It's just pee. It's pretty simple. It's dust, it's mildew and pee." [12:25]

4. The Rise of Immersive and Artificial Experiences

• [13:00–16:27] Tangent into mini sphere theaters and immersive tech (e.g., Cosm, Las Vegas Sphere), leading into fears about society replacing real experiences with simulations.
  • Blake: "At what point are we swallowed by those experiences? And then the real thing just doesn’t even exist? ... Then we’re just ready player one." [15:46]
  • Group debates experiences as "runoff" for those who can't afford "the real thing."

5. Movie Industry, Economics & The Death of the 'Middle'

• [16:41–20:21] Dissecting movie industry woes: the obsession with "saving the industry," lack of mid-budget comedies, streaming’s impact, and ever-increasing costs.
  • Blake: "...the press has created this whole media [climate where] every week is: is this the movie that's gonna save the industry?" [17:19]
  • Adam: "...used to be able to put a movie out and it just did okay. But then it becomes a huge hit with DVD." [17:50]

6. Modern Adulthood is a Slog

• [20:21–22:01] Lamentations over economic hardships—housing, wages—and generational challenges.
  • Adam: "The math just doesn't make sense anymore. The math doesn't math." [21:47]

7. AI, Pornography, and the Creep Factor

• [43:14–49:00] Adam’s algorithm horror: AI-generated puppets advertising "sad Muppet” masturbation, AI deepfakes, and the future of targeted porn.
  • Adam: "It was this Muppet jerking off alone and then crying ... AI me. And it’s Adam Devine sad jerking off." [43:14, 46:08]
  • Blake describes an AI app that makes “bikini pics” topless.
  • Group debates the ethical and social fallout, especially for kids:
    Kyle: "Porno is the mother of invention, guys." [49:44]

8. Would Women-Run Porn Save Society?

• [56:28–59:41] Sampler of a classic TII philosophical detour: what if, by law, women ran all pornography?
  • Blake: "Do you think we'd be better off if porno by law, could only be run by women?" [56:28]
  • Group debates beta vs. alpha impulses, gatekeeping, and whether power corrupts regardless of gender.

9. Parenthood: The Comedy and Carnage

• [32:00–38:43] Wild tales of kid mishaps—teeth getting knocked out, tongue bites, and the comedic violence of parenting.
  • Blake: "Boys knock, big boy knocks little boy’s teeth out." [32:15]
  • Relating parenting to personal fitness (e.g., "lifting your kids is a workout" [37:30]) and hurting their backs.

10. The Endless Subscription Economy

• [28:34–29:22] Tirade on toothbrush subscriptions and designed obsolescence.
  • Adam: “I want to have my crusty-ass toothbrush for three years.” [29:00]

11. Healthcare Woes—Insurance and Outrageous Dental Bills

• [31:07–31:40] Adam and Blake share stories of getting hit with massive out-of-network dental charges.
  • Adam: "They go, we don't take your insurance anymore ... It was $500 for just a teeth cleaning." [31:13]

12. Media Consumption, Discovery, and Algorithms

• [39:54–42:41] Nostalgia for linear TV, channel surfing, and the heyday of DirecTV.
  • Blake: "I like clicking channels. ... I watched a bunch of Columbo in Wisconsin." [41:15]
  • Discussion of algorithms stifling organic discovery.

13. Workaholics Legacy, Hollywood, and The Industry

• [64:05–65:22] Reflections on not taking Workaholics to 10 seasons and the sad state of Comedy Central.
  • Adam: "Do part of you guys wish we would have taken Workaholics to season 10? 10 is such a solid number." [64:05]

14. Farewells, Cruise Plugs, and Final Riffs

• [65:27–67:59] Announcements on their upcoming cruise, industry shout-outs, and ambling into take-backs and accidental missed DMs.
  • Blake: "If you thought we were smart, slide in Blake's DMs and tell him yes." [63:21]
  • Kyle: "I got some free Oscar Mayer hot dogs the other day and they went through me. So that feels pretty good." [67:49]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kyle on mental health:
  "I'm very much our biggest hater." [05:11]
• Adam on hoarding:
  "The issue is... if you're a hoarder in the way that you are, but then you can afford a big house, then you're just in a small house with all the... that's when the state comes and takes your children away." [07:37]
• On immersive tech:
  "At what point are we swallowed by those experiences? And then the real thing just doesn’t even exist? ... Then we’re just ready player one." —Blake [15:46]
• AI and hallucinated ad:
  "It was this Muppet jerking off alone and then crying ... AI me. And it’s Adam Devine sad jerking off." —Adam [43:14, 46:08]
• On dental bills:
  "They go, we don't take your insurance anymore. ... It was $500 for just a teeth cleaning." —Adam [31:13]
• On parenting mishaps:
  "Boys knock big boy knocks little boy’s teeth out. ... Just playing with pool rings." —Blake [32:15]
• On pornography and invention:
  "Porno is the mother of invention, guys." —Kyle [49:44]
• On the future of "female-led" porn:
  "You think it’s the girl who grew up with five brothers. ... She’s like, I can play just as dirty as the boys, right?" —Adam [59:00]
• Workaholics and Comedy Central:
  "Now that Comedy Central truly isn’t even a network... but you don’t even go to Comedy Central to watch that anymore. It’s just streaming to watch South Park." —Adam [65:04]
• On missed opportunities:
  "Budweiser’s like, ‘Hey, we'd love to do something together.’ ... Jesus Christ." —Blake [67:34]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:17] – Gentlemen’s mental health check-in
• [06:41] – Nostalgia, CDs, physical media
• [08:57] – Hoarding stories and neighbors
• [13:00] – Immersive movie theaters and societal consequences
• [16:41] – Movie industry woes and DVD nostalgia
• [20:21] – Economic challenges for current generations
• [28:34] – Subscription everything (toothbrush rant)
• [31:07] – Healthcare, dental insurance pains
• [32:00] – Parenting mishap: teeth and blood
• [39:54] – DirecTV, linear TV nostalgia
• [43:14] – AI-generated ad nightmares and the invasion of AI porn
• [56:28] – Philosophizing: should women run all porn by law?
• [64:05] – Regrets and reflections on Workaholics, Comedy Central
• [65:27] – Cruise announcement, DMs, and closing riffs

Episode Tone and Takeaways

The episode oscillates between the absurd (AI Muppets with existential crises, brutal parenting mishaps, and riffing on "yogurt-slingers") and the poignant (lamenting economic anxiety, generational disenfranchisement, the loss of analog joys, and the sneaky encroachment of technology and greed). The chemistry and love between the hosts is palpable, with their signature blend of riff-heavy hilarity, self-deprecation, and unfiltered honesty.

For listeners, this episode delivers:

• A raw, funny, and surprisingly reflective discussion of the modern condition
• Cautionary tales about AI, parenting, media consumption, and societal change
• Nostalgia for simpler times with lots of relatable, down-to-earth comedy
• A reminder that, despite the chaos, it’s still possible to laugh at yourself and at the world

Missed the episode?
You’ll want to check it out for the AI Muppet riff [43:14], the parenting horror stories [32:00–35:00], and their takes on movies in the streaming age [16:41]. For TII fans, it’s a classic mix of decades-long camaraderie and cultural chaos.