Transcript

A (0:00)

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B (1:12)

And I am Jared Freed. It is so good to be back here with you, Jordana. The week between Christmas and New Year's.

A (1:21)

Yes.

B (1:21)

Where time and space and calories don't exist. Does work happen? Does it not happen? This is that week that feels a little weird, like you should be doing a little bit more. You might be on a walk just to get away from it all.

A (1:37)

Yes.

B (1:38)

And you got us in your ears. We want to thank you for making us a part.

A (1:41)

It's a big reflective week.

B (1:42)

I feel like huge reflective week. How am I going to. What's going to be new for me in the new year? How. This is the week where you start making your list. What is the. What are the changes I need to make? And a lot of people. It turns into, you know, the biggest download day of the year.

A (1:58)

Yes. Once we get to January. We'll talk about that next week.

B (2:01)

We'll talk about next year. Next week. As a next year. Next week. I hate those people.

Summary

U Up? Podcast Episode Summary

Episode Title: Is Saying Your Dog is your Kid an Ick?
Release Date: December 26, 2025
Hosts: Jordana Abraham & Jared Freid

Main Theme & Overview

This episode dives into dating ick/picky moments, authenticity (and lack thereof) in online dating content, and the performative trends of modern dating advice, with a hilarious and pointed analysis of a viral "high standards" video. The hosts dissect social media rage-bait in the dating world and answer a listener question about a dog-dad who jokingly passes his pet off as his child in early conversations. The episode is witty, reflective, and pokes fun at performative vulnerability and annoying dating behaviors.

Key Segments & Timestamps

[00:00-03:50]: New Year's Week Reflections & Banter
[16:06-32:31]: Reaction to "Never Lower Your Standards" Viral Video from Ricky Canuck
[34:02-43:32]: Icky or Picky? Listener Story—Dog Dad Pretends to Have a Kid

Highlights & Notable Quotes

1. New Year's Limbo & Reflecting on Change

The episode opens with witty, light banter about the weirdness of the week between Christmas and New Year’s. The hosts joke about lost time and the false pressure of last-minute achievements.
- “If there’s anything you wanted to accomplish in 2025, it’s probably too late.” – Jordana [02:17-02:20]
- “You’re not gonna lose 50 pounds today, it ain’t happening. Sorry to inform you.” – Jared [02:21-02:22]
Brief personal check-in about Jordana’s upcoming baby, with playful speculation about Jared joining in the delivery room for “content” and the meta-ness of living for content as podcasters.

2. Rage-Bait & Performative Vulnerability in Online Dating Advice

[16:06-32:31]
The hosts introduce and live-react to a viral video from Canadian influencer "Ricky Canuck," who declares he’s chronically single because his standards are so high he’s out of his own league, and refuses to "lower" those standards.
The video’s main points:
- Ricky claims to be self-aware, acknowledges wanting women “out of his league”, and concludes he must “work harder” rather than lower his standards.
- Insists he won’t teach his kids to aim lower, and equates self-improvement with deserving higher-value women.

Hosts' Live Analysis & Breakdown

Both hosts immediately spot the contrived, manipulative, and performative nature of the video:
- “This is a manipulative person. That’s why he has a following. He is manipulating the audience.” – Jared [20:50]
- “He’s trying to pretend to be vulnerable… Just like all you losers, I’m a loser. And you know, I’m not.” – Jared [21:25]
Jared coins it as “rage bait,” referencing the 2025 word of the year, meaning content engineered to provoke arguments in the comments section.
- “This video is made specifically to gain two sides of a debate – he doesn’t believe any of this.” – Jared [22:20]
Jordana points out the hypocrisy and the unhealthy mindset:
- “All this says is, there’s a problem with you. Not that you’re aiming too high, but what you’re looking for are these extremely superficial things.” – Jordana [26:44]
- “How you see yourself is how you see the world.” – Jared [27:05]

Societal Reflections & Gender Dynamics

They discuss genuine societal pressures on men and how attraction and “value” are assessed, but critique the packaging of these truths in viral content.
- “Do you have a job, are you able to provide – those are old school, but they’re true today.” – Jared [26:11]
- “It makes it more about him than about you—the point is, he thinks he’s not enough.” – Jordana [31:08-31:22]

Authenticity vs. Grifting

The hosts draw a line between honesty and online grifting:
- “This is the male side of dating that takes over the internet conversation, that I think is a bad actor.” – Jared [29:24]
- “A good manipulator uses truth and then weaponizes it.” – Jared [32:03]
- “I wouldn’t date someone who liked that video.” – Jared [32:27]

3. Icky or Picky: The "Dog Dad as Kid" Incident

[34:02-43:32]
Listener writes in: At a speed dating event, she connects with a man (32) and plans a date. He texts her saying he has a 6-year-old son, which she responds to with “dealbreaker.” Next morning, he reveals it was a joke—his “son” is actually his dog.
Jordana and Jared role-play the exchange and break down what feels off and what’s just a dating quirk.

Hosts' Opinions

Both hosts agree the woman's initial response (“dealbreaker”) was blunt—perhaps unnecessarily so:
- “There’s a classier way to say that than like ‘dealbreaker, out.’” – Jordana [36:53]
- “She was quite harsh.” – Jared [36:39]
On the man’s joke, consensus emerges: it’s a “bit” that doesn’t land well over text, especially with time elapsing between the “I have a kid” confession and the punchline. He made things unnecessarily weird:
- “If you tell someone you have a kid, you’re in a position of power… you’re using that to test them.” – Jared [38:24]
- “You’re putting them in a weird position. He seems just like a kind of annoying, weird guy. That’s more the dealbreaker.” – Jordana [41:16]
They note that done differently (in person, with an immediate reveal), it could have been cute, but delayed over text, the joke was a miss.

Conclusion: Both sides a little off, but the man's delivery of the “dog/son” joke is the true ick.

  - “The more we know, the more I’m icked out by him.” – Jared [41:40]
  - “We started off one way, changed it around… This guy’s being icky.” – Jordana [43:29]

4. General Reflections on Modern Dating and Vulnerability

The episode as a whole repeatedly returns to the tension in online discourse between genuine vulnerability and “content for content’s sake.” They encourage honesty, self-awareness, and humor in dating—but emphasize that performative, manipulative behavior (online or on dates) is always an ick.

Key Timestamps

Ricky Canuck Video & Discussion: [16:06 - 32:31]
Listener Ick/Picky – Dog Dad Joke: [34:02 - 43:32]
Best Quotes:
- “This video is made specifically to gain two sides of a debate.”—Jared, [22:20]
- “All this says is, there’s a problem with you.”—Jordana, [26:44]
- “A good manipulator uses truth and then weaponizes it.”—Jared, [32:03]
- “You’re putting them in like a weird position. He seems just like a kind of annoying, weird guy.”—Jordana, [41:16]
- “This guy’s being icky.”—Jordana, [43:29]

Episode Flow & Tone

Conversational, irreverent, and probing.
Hosts balance empathy (for listener dilemmas and dating insecurity) with sharp, comedic critiques—especially for attention-seeking “dating coaches” online.
Throughout: emphasis on realness, vulnerability (the unself-congratulatory kind), and the necessity of being forthright but kind in dating exchanges.

Summary

This episode is classic U Up?: hilarious, sharp, and honest about dating ick moments and the real dangers of performative self-improvement on social media. The breakdown of viral influencer dating advice spotlights how internet “vulnerability” can be weaponized into rage-bait—contrasted with genuine, sometimes messy, dating vulnerability as displayed in the listener’s story. The episode closes with a reminder that in both love and content, authenticity wins out over grifting—“We solved dating… again.”