‘Tis The Grinch Holiday Podcast
Episode 5: Oh. What. Fun! with Devery Jacobs
Date: December 3, 2025
Guests: Devery Jacobs (actor, writer, director known for "Reservation Dogs" and "Oh, What Fun!")
Host: The Grinch (James Austin Johnson)
Sidekick: Cindy Lou Who (Anjuli Kunnapaneni)
Episode Overview
In this festive, irreverent installment, the Grinch returns to Mt. Crumpet Studios with trademark snark. With his plan for "Grinch-a-palooza" in full swing, he vents about the excesses of Christmas, debuts a tongue-in-cheek gift guide, and welcomes acclaimed Canadian actor, writer, and director Devery Jacobs—star of Amazon’s new holiday movie “Oh, What Fun!” The episode brims with satirical grousing, sharply witty banter, and moments of genuine warmth, balancing gleeful holiday mockery with celebration of diverse storytelling.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Grinch's Rant: Holiday Clutter & Consumerism
[02:50–06:55]
- Kicks off with a comedic monologue lamenting the “Christmas clutter” epidemic; parallels New York’s infamous hoarders, the Collier Brothers, to today’s holiday decorators.
- Lampoons the over-decoration of homes inside and out, from overloaded trees to “working Christmas villages” with “Chipotle and an EV charging station.”
- Quote: “They fill their homes with all kinds of clickety clackety brickety brackety, tickety tackity Christmas clutter. The kind that makes me shudder. My rhymes are smooth as butter. Why am I rhyming again?” (Grinch, 03:24)
- Skewers the modern ornament trend: “Used to just be delicate shiny balls or icicles, but now it's like, merry Christmas. Here's an ornament. It's a miniature scale model of the palace at Versailles.” (Grinch, 05:25)
- Targets “Clark Griswolding” one's house with excessive lights and inflatables.
2. Satirical Gift Guide from the Grinch
[07:04–09:47]
- Debuts “The Grinch’s Holiday Gift Guide” with humorously grotesque and useless products:
- Elegant Offerings’ Reindeer Poop: “A beautiful pile of red and green reindeer poop. Now that’s a Christmas surprise. It’s Elegant Offering's own version of the Yuletide log.” (Grinch, 08:08)
- Grinch-certified products: Wellness gummies (“Grinchummies") that taste “like salmon left in a glove compartment”, high-calorie “Grinch Greens”, and pungent “J'Adore Garbage” perfume.
- Fake advertisement for “J'Adore Garbage”: “A fragrance so rancid it can seep through your speakers. For when you want to smell like the inside of a beached whale.” (Grinch, 09:36)
3. Guest Interview: Devery Jacobs
Introduced at 13:10
a. Devery’s Heritage & the “Oh, What Fun!” Holiday Movie
[13:10–14:35]
- Banter about Canada: cold, sparsely populated, and "traditional Grinch territory."
- Discusses “Boxing Day” — reveals it's akin to Black Friday shopping, not literal boxing matches.
b. Creative Achievements & Representation
[14:59–18:36]
- Devery discusses being part of “Reservation Dogs,” a groundbreaking show made entirely by Indigenous creatives.
- Quote: “It was the very first of its kind where it was entirely directed, written, and starring indigenous folks. …It's something I'm just so proud to have been a part of.” (Devery, 15:19)
- Grinch comments on his own performance as villain, jokes about lack of awards.
- Playful discussion about “the key to dramatic performances”—Devery suggests the Grinch do a heartfelt drama.
c. “RuPaul’s Drag Race” Segment
[16:39–17:33]
- Grinch pitches drag names for Devery to rate, e.g., “Kandi Pain”, “Sleigh Belle”, “Yuletide Carol”.
- Quote (Devery): “I say contestant number one was the frontrunner.” (Devery, 17:33)
d. On Storytelling & Indigenous Narratives
[17:39–18:50]
- Devery explains why lifting Indigenous voices through film is crucial, referencing “Turtle Island” and the wealth of untold stories.
- Quote: “So many stories from my community haven't even begun to scratch the surface. …On Turtle island, we're the original storytellers.” (Devery, 18:06)
- Grinch jokes about his “heart swelling,” prompting a classic Grinch moment:
- Quote: “No compassion zone.” (Grinch, 19:02)
e. “Oh, What Fun!” Movie Details
[19:19–20:55]
- Corrects Grinch’s pronunciation of Michelle Pfeiffer (“silent P”).
- Devery describes her character Donna/DJ Sweatpants, who finds out her girlfriend’s mom (Pfeiffer) is missing and discovers she’s not the first girlfriend brought home (there have been 14!).
- Quote: “I am coming to Claire’s home for the first time… and I am not the only girlfriend who has come home for the holidays...” (Devery, 20:14)
f. Wrapping Up the Interview
[20:55–21:17]
- Grinch thanks Devery for braving the mountain and lugging packages.
- Devery thanks in Mohawk (“Nyawakoa”).
4. Countdown to Christmas Featurette
[21:17–25:31]
-
Grinch preps for his grand “Grinch-a-palooza” entrance with increasingly disastrous schemes:
- XL slingshot (catapult gone awry), human cannon (gets stuck and nearly burned), skydiving (nearly misses the festival entirely, lands in a cab bound for Mt. Crumpet).
- Quote: “Okay, prepare to be wowed...here we go, here we-–oh, my face is getting all stretched out from the wind. Ah, my lips are inside out—wait!” (Grinch, 24:27)
-
Cindy Lou Who reveals she’s using Grinch’s money to help fund Whoville’s rival tree lighting, poking at his oblivion and competitive nature.
- Quote: “You’ve been doing it all day. Didn’t you notice the cannon was from Cindy Lou Caboom’s Cannon Rentals?” (Cindy, 24:27)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “I kinda like being miserable. It’s my equilibrium… Do what you love, right? And the cashola will follow.” (Grinch, 02:26)
- On Christmas clutter: “A tree so thick with our damage, you swear it’s gonna fall?... What is happening?” (Grinch, 04:50)
- On Grinch-themed gifts: “Do I have my own line of wellness gummies? Like a Kardashian? Of course I do. They are called Grinchummies… they do smell and taste like salmon that's been left in a glove compartment.” (Grinch, 08:50)
- On Indigenous storytelling: “On Turtle island, we're the original storytellers… I'm from a very large community of filmmakers.” (Devery, 18:09)
- “No compassion zone.” (Grinch, 19:02)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 02:50: Grinch’s anti-Christmas clutter rant begins
- 07:04: Satirical Grinch Gift Guide
- 13:10: Interview with Devery Jacobs begins
- 15:15: Discussion of “Reservation Dogs” and Indigenous storytelling
- 16:39: RuPaul’s drag name mini-game
- 17:39: On why telling Indigenous stories matters
- 19:19: “Oh, What Fun!” film summary
- 21:17: Interview wrap-up
- 21:17–25:31: Countdown to Christmas featurette—Grinch tests grand entrances for “Grinch-a-palooza”
- 24:27: Cindy Lou Who’s reveal about funding the rival Whoville event
Tone & Style
The episode is packed with sharp, offbeat humor, pop culture satire, and slyly warm moments, thanks to the Grinch’s dry wit and Devery’s charm. The banter is rapid-fire and filled with in-character quips, meta-references, and satirical commentary on holiday culture.
Summary
This episode of ‘Tis The Grinch Holiday Podcast expertly blends Christmas mockery with genuine appreciation for storytelling and holiday tradition. The Grinch’s signature grumpiness shines as he lampoons holiday excess, presents absurd gift ideas, and engineers epic entrance fails. Spotlight guest Devery Jacobs brings earnestness and insight about creative empowerment and Indigenous filmmaking, gamely trading jokes and cultural notes with the Grinch. The episode both pokes fun at and honors the spirit of the season—reminding listeners there’s room for both merry mischief and meaningful narratives.