VIEWS Podcast — "Getting Tickled at TSA"

Hosts: David Dobrik & Jason Nash
Guests: Natalie Mariduena, Ilya
Date: December 23, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode, recorded in the dead of night during the crew’s trip to Sweden, offers a candid, comedic look at life with David, Jason, Natalie, and friends abroad. Jet lag, cultural observations, wild TSA encounters, polar nights, club mishaps, and existential discussions about life, death, and the meaning of “dead ass” are all on the table.

The group jumps from heartfelt reflections to complete goofiness, capturing the unique VIEWS tone. Sweden’s quirks, social protocols, and polar cold become sources of both confusion and entertainment, giving listeners a fun behind-the-scenes peek at the Vlog Squad traveling far from home.

Key Discussion Points & Highlights

1. Recording at 3:30 AM: Jet Lag Hell & Insomnia

[00:57 – 06:35]

• David admits to having “really, really bad jet lag,” earning a barrage of shade from the group for starting the podcast at 3:30am.
• He recounts a night of regret: leaving a party too early, doom-scrolling for seven hours, missing out on vlog content, and fueling his insomnia with late-night phone calls and NyQuil.
• Notable quote:
  • David: “I agree that maybe I have brought you guys into my living hell that I've been experiencing here in Sweden.” [01:25]

2. Meeting Swedish Fans and Dopplegänger Vibes

[03:37 – 04:54]

• The group surprises Tilda, a Swedish fan, leading to a discussion about her unique resemblance to David’s mom and their bond.
• Notable quote:
  • Natalie: “She low key kind of looked like David too… resembled a Dobrik.” [03:55]
  • David: “It's kind of crazy. Like…this is like where my mom grew up. Like here in Sweden.” [04:29]

3. Regret, Vlogging FOMO, and Party Culture

[06:13 – 06:35]

• David dwells on missing viral moments for the vlog, but Jason reassures him: “I think that's really, like, counterproductive and stupid and a waste of your energy and, like, a waste of everyone else's energy. Because now we're up at fucking four in the morning…” [06:16]

4. The Infamous TSA Tickling Incident

[07:04 – 10:22]

• Jason recounts being tickled by a Swedish TSA agent, which the group finds equal parts hilarious and unsettling.
• Notable moments:
  • Jason describes the agent: “Imagine, like a Swedish… track and field star… very tall… like Martina Navratilova.” [07:16]
  • David explains: “I hear him go, david, she's tickling me. She's tickling me. And I looked over and she's fully tickling Jason.” [07:45]
  • Jason: “She goes right for my armpits, and I'm pretty ticklish. And she's just like… I go, okay, you're tickling me. Like, stop tickling me.” [08:50]
  • Discussion of the casual Swedish airport security, lack of ID checks, and general loose protocols:
    • David: “You don't need an ID to fly, which is fucking wild.” [09:58]

5. Swedish Culture: Reserved Locals, Total Darkness & Fika

[10:24 – 11:55]

• The group contrasts Swedish reservedness to American friendliness and talk through cultural oddities.
• Jason: "If you're at a bus stop, you stay far away from the other person, apparently." [10:57]
• Natalie admits wanting to move to Sweden for the daily “Fika” (snack breaks).
• The lack of sunlight is a huge adjustment:
  • David describes, “We've been here, what, four days now? I've seen sunlight three hours.” [11:23]

6. The Ice Hotel Adventure

[15:10 – 18:55]

• The crew visits the world-famous ice hotel in Sweden—literal rooms of sculpted ice, no doors, just curtains, and bare-bones survival.
• They marvel at the artistic rooms, recount an endless string of “imagine fucking in here” jokes, and admit they didn’t have enough material for the vlog.
• Notable quotes:
  • Jason: “There’s no padding on the bed, it’s ice… It’s not a hotel room. It’s an ice.” [18:43]
  • David: “…if we were forced to stay, would have been incredible. So next time. Next time. I know.” [20:31]

7. Sleep, Reindeer Cuisine, and Arctic Elements

[21:07 – 22:53]

• The crew flew deep into Sweden for the ice hotel, immediately braving exhaustion, minus-40-degree weather, and eating reindeer meat.
• David’s camera literally stops working in the cold:
  • “My camera would not work. It was like… your soul is leaving your body. Yeah, that’s how it was.” [22:14]

8. Clubbing Mishaps & Drunk Behavior

[13:18 – 14:59]

• Alex Ernst gets kicked out of a Swedish club—not for being too drunk, but for standing in the corner fully dressed like an “Arctic adventurer.” The group laughs at his lack of customary drunken antics.
  • David: “The weirdest thing he did was stand in a corner…He stood like that the entire time. And I think…they kicked him out because it looked like he was so drunk. Because who the fuck does that?” [13:58]

9. Deep Dives: Avatar, Australia’s Cocaine, and Hair Loss

[22:54 – 28:34]

• Natalie and Ilya explain the plot of “Avatar” to a bewildered Jason, leading to a group realization about the movie’s title and its meaning.
• Ilya shares a bizarre fact about cocaine being “cut” with lightbulbs in Australia to speed absorption.
• The conversation randomly spirals into Ilya’s ambition to be the “face of hair loss” for a new campaign.

10. Observations on Swedish Society: Cleanliness, Economy, Life Expectancy

[31:44 – 33:11]

• The group marvels at the absence of homelessness and the cleanliness of Sweden.
• David notes, “You can't be homeless here.” [32:05]
• Discussion on generous social policies: free higher education, government-paid study abroad, and low crime rates.

11. Life, Death, and “Dead Ass”

[35:21 – 39:11]

• The crew discusses the “dead ass” code—David’s almost religious attachment to being truthful when invoked, and the hilarious negotiations with Ilya about how often he can go out.
  • Jason: “You’re a grown man… but dead ass is so important to you that you have to have, like a proper sit down with Ilya.” [36:22]
  • David: “That word is so fucking powerful to me that it could… I mean, yeah, it does anything.” [38:08]
• Reflections on aging, mortality, and family:
  • Jason: “You have limited time left, you know? ...I had a really, really good friend lose their dad... and she was like, ‘go. You don't have a lot of time.’” [43:39]

12. Podcast Future, Personal Moments, and Listener Input

[41:12 – 42:20; 45:47 – End]

• David teases Jason’s possible absence in coming episodes, encouraging listeners to write in topics or suggest Jason's temporary replacements.
• Anecdotes about accidentally using fragrance instead of hand sanitizer, and Jason’s “Orphan Annie” hotel room compared to David’s grand suite.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On insomnia and regret:
  • “I’ve become an insomniac. Okay, so we’re in Sweden…full blown, like really really bad jet lag.” — David [01:44]
• On Swedish TSA:
  • "She goes right for my armpits, and I’m pretty ticklish… I go, you’re tickling me. Like, stop tickling me. And that made her want to do it more.” — Jason [08:50]
• On Swedish culture:
  • “Everyone walking around…keeps to themselves...Swedes are like, yeah, we just keep to ourselves.” — David [10:44]
• On the ice hotel:
  • “There’s no padding on the bed. It’s ice…It’s not a hotel room. It’s an ice.” — Jason [18:43]
• On clubbing with Alex:
  • “The weirdest thing he did was stand in a corner.” — David [13:58]
• On “dead ass”:
  • “Dead ass is so real. It’s so goofy…For how much it means.” — David [39:03]
• On family and mortality:
  • “You have limited time left, you know? ...I had a really, really good friend lose their dad... and she was like, ‘go. You don't have a lot of time.’” — Jason [43:39]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Jet lag & insomnia confessions: 00:57 – 06:35
• Meeting Tilda, their Swedish fan: 03:37 – 04:54
• TSA tickling story: 07:04 – 10:22
• Swedish social quirks, Fika, lack of sunlight: 10:24 – 11:55
• Ice hotel adventure: 15:10 – 18:55
• Alex kicked out of the club: 13:18 – 14:59
• Avatar explanations & lightbulb cocaine: 22:54 – 28:34
• Observations on Swedish society: 31:44 – 33:11
• Dead ass code and partying negotiations: 35:21 – 39:11
• Reflections on family & mortality: 43:39 – 45:24
• Podcast future and wrap up: 41:12 – end

Tone & Language

Reflective, sarcastic, high-energy, and peppered with classic VIEWS-style banter. The episode is equal parts storytelling, self-deprecation, and inside-joke riffing. Authentic, candid, and true to the hosts’ voices.

A must-listen for fans who want to hear the unfiltered, behind-the-scenes adventures (and misadventures) of David, Jason, and the crew as they freeze in Sweden, ponder life, and still manage to get tickled at airport security.