196: Mannequin For Dennehy & A Party For Adults

Summary

Podcast Title: We're Here to Help
Episode: 196: Mannequin For Dennehy & A Party For Adults
Release Date: August 11, 2025
Host/Author: Jake Johnson and Gareth Reynolds
Description: In this episode of We're Here to Help, Jake Johnson and Gareth Reynolds tackle two uniquely challenging caller questions. From dealing with an unsolicited, provocative mannequin gift to revitalizing community movie nights to include adult participation, the hosts provide their candid and humorous advice, sometimes enlisting the help of friends to enhance the discussion.

---

Introduction and Welcome

The episode kicks off with Jake Johnson and Gareth Reynolds reuniting after a brief hiatus. Their banter sets a lighthearted tone as they discuss recent updates, including new merchandise and social outings with friends.

• Jake Johnson [00:02]: "This is a headgun podcast."
• Gareth Reynolds [00:25]: "And we are back."
• Natalie Hollis [00:28]: "I really feel like what we just did should be part of Patreon..."

The hosts also share personal anecdotes, such as Gareth's upcoming concert plans and Jake's interactions with friends, giving listeners a glimpse into their camaraderie and daily lives.

First Caller: Dealing with an Unwanted Mannequin Gift

Caller: Paige from the western suburbs of Chicago
Timestamp: [20:16] – [28:20]

Paige shares her predicament involving an unexpected and somewhat unsettling gift from her mother-in-law: a large, nude mannequin adorned with a spider web. The gift comes with bizarre suggestions, such as dressing it up for occasions like her first birthday.

• Paige [23:10]: "I have a seven-month-old daughter, and my mother-in-law showed up unexpectedly with this mannequin..."
• Natalie Hollis [24:00]: "It's a very weird thing to see and be like, I know. Who wants this?"

Gareth and Natalie brainstorm creative yet tactful ways for Paige to handle the situation without offending her mother-in-law. Their suggestions range from returning the mannequin to pretending it belongs to a designer friend.

• Gareth Reynolds [28:28]: "Take it back to the Facebook market person or donate it to Goodwill..."
• Natalie Hollis [30:32]: "Dress it up just like Connie. Make it an homage for you and make it look insane..."

The discussion evolves into a humorous role-playing segment where Natalie acts as the mother-in-law receiving the news of the mannequin's "new owner," further illustrating the hosts' playful approach to solving Paige's dilemma.

• Natalie Hollis as Connie [77:30]: "So Will, do us all a favor in this house and let us be..."

This segment not only provides valuable advice but also entertains listeners with its creativity and humor.

Second Caller: Revitalizing Community Movie Nights

Caller: Mark from Kansas City
Timestamp: [41:01] – [62:13]

Mark describes his family's efforts to build community through hosting outdoor movie nights. Initially successful, these events have gradually shifted into "drop-off" parties where parents leave their children without staying to socialize, defeating the purpose of community building.

• Mark [42:19]: "We had no idea if anyone was going to show up. It was a huge success..."
• Gareth Reynolds [43:35]: "This is a big thing with kid parties and that is the no drop off or drop off..."

The hosts delve into strategies to encourage parents to remain engaged during these events. Suggestions include:

1. Setting Clear Expectations: Emphasizing that parent attendance is desired to foster genuine social interaction.
2. Incorporating Adult-Friendly Elements: Introducing themed cocktails or adult activities alongside the kids' entertainment.

• Gareth Reynolds [60:26]: "Get your GNT while you watch ET... Reese's pieces for the little ones and GTs for the big ones."

Natalie proposes practical ideas, such as creating gift bags for adults or incorporating novelty drink themes to make the events more appealing to grown-ups.

• Natalie Hollis [59:25]: "Create a combo where parents have to attend and offer something fun like themed drinks..."

The conversation highlights the importance of balancing activities to cater to both children and adults, ensuring that community events remain inclusive and enjoyable for all attendees.

Interactive Role-Play and Creative Solutions

To assist Mark, the hosts engage in a collaborative brainstorming session, coming up with innovative ways to make the movie nights more appealing to parents without alienating the younger participants.

• Gareth Reynolds [60:00]: "Let's pick a movie and a drink right now. Does that sound good?"
• Natalie Hollis [60:26]: "G and T for ET. Gin and tonics for adults while the kids enjoy Reese's Pieces..."

This playful yet practical approach demonstrates the hosts' ability to merge creativity with actionable advice, offering listeners both entertainment and useful solutions.

Conclusion and Next Steps

The episode wraps up with reflections on the advice given and encouragement for callers to implement the suggested strategies. Jake and Gareth express enthusiasm for the potential positive outcomes of their advice, reinforcing their commitment to helping listeners navigate their unique challenges.

• Gareth Reynolds [61:47]: "We'll pick you up when the movie's over. Have fun."
• Natalie Hollis [59:36]: "Combo where parents have to attend and offer something fun..."

Listeners are left with actionable takeaways on handling unsolicited gifts and enhancing community gatherings, all delivered with the hosts' signature humor and camaraderie.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Paige [23:10]: "I have a seven-month-old daughter, and my mother-in-law showed up unexpectedly with this mannequin..."
• Gareth Reynolds [28:28]: "Take it back to the Facebook market person or donate it to Goodwill..."
• Natalie Hollis [30:32]: "Dress it up just like Connie. Make it an homage for you and make it look insane..."
• Gareth Reynolds [60:26]: "Get your GNT while you watch ET... Reese's pieces for the little ones and GTs for the big ones."
• Natalie Hollis [59:25]: "Create a combo where parents have to attend and offer something fun like themed drinks..."

---

Final Thoughts:
We're Here to Help Episode 196 masterfully balances humor with heartfelt advice, addressing callers' unique problems with creativity and empathy. Whether it's navigating tricky family dynamics or fostering community spirit, Jake Johnson and Gareth Reynolds provide listeners with both laughs and practical solutions, embodying the essence of friendly, neighborhood advisors.

Transcript

[Jake Johnson]

This is a headgun podcast.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And we are back.

[Natalie Hollis]

I really feel like what we just.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Did should be part of do. Will you put that on Patreon? Will you send that beginning to. I just don't want to do the same bits because you know me.

[Natalie Hollis]

Okay.

[Gareth Reynolds]

But all of that. Yes. Will live on Patreon and we are.

[Natalie Hollis]

Back on the live firing. Yeah, well, we haven't recorded in a minute, so now we have. We're probably going to be weirdos. I miss you guys.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, it's fun. It's. It's kind of been nice to take a break.

[Natalie Hollis]

I've seen.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Nice to be back.

[Natalie Hollis]

A lot of we're here to help merch on the road this run. Is that true a lot?

[Gareth Reynolds]

No way.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yes.

[Gareth Reynolds]

The new stuff that Morgan created.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah, some stuff new. Mostly new, honestly.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Natalie Hollis]

Some we heroes hats and Morgan's kind of killing it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And by the way, Natalie, you and Morgan went out and got a little friend date.

[Meredith]

Yeah, we had our own friend date. We just, you know, talk about you and Gareth a whole bunch.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Respect. Respect.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'm going with Morgan to a concert tonight. Nice. We're seeing Gracie Abrams.

[Natalie Hollis]

I'm going to be.

[Nick]

You guys are all adorable.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, well. And with my kids.

[Jake Johnson]

Yeah.

[Natalie Hollis]

When I asked Natalie how the hang was with Morgan, she was like, it was great. We both might start taking Jiu Jitsu. I was like, oh, my God.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, no, no.

[Natalie Hollis]

I was like, the worst takeaway is.

[Gareth Reynolds]

They'Re working with Rudy Garcia. I know.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah, you already do.

[Meredith]

She asked me if I wanted to do a self defense like class with Rudy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You should. I.

[Natalie Hollis]

You should say that's like, this is like your TB12. What's the guy that Tom Brady works with? Your guy. You're in like your little.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I know.

[Natalie Hollis]

You're in your like bargain bin. TB12, by the way.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You're right. And the worst part is I don't even get a cut. I'm the worst Ponzi scheme guy. They're like, you're like you're part of a Ponzi scheme. And I go like. But I'm not even on the triangle.

[Natalie Hollis]

But I could be convicted for being a part of it. But I've made no money off.

[Gareth Reynolds]

This is where you and I are similar with option one. Yeah, this is my version of option one.

[Natalie Hollis]

Option one keeps biting me. Go ahead.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Funny thing that Gareth brought up is we are recording today Volume three with Eric and Stevie, but it's not Aaron. Where this is a regular Monday, but Steve Berg group texted. What are your guys's thoughts on wardrobe today.

[Morgan]

Yeah.

[Natalie Hollis]

Which is a classic zoom, zoom. Well, it'll also. The best was how hard he bombed.

[Morgan]

What?

[Natalie Hollis]

He asked on the text if he should come having had. Which is like when you shoot something and they're like, we're not gonna feed you, so eat. Come having had. Sober's like, should I come having had? And everyone's like, what? He's like, should I come having had? And we're like, confused. Like he's doing a bit, but we're like, what are you talking? Yeah, eat. If you're hungry, eat.

[Gareth Reynolds]

We know you're gonna come having had. You're always had.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah, well. Well, one time we recorded the show and he was cooking the having had during it and he burned it and he had run off.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I had. I was on a plane yesterday and I forget because I've been wearing this hat all the time. A Morgan special. She brought it to the house.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And it says, he knows where the hot dogs are. I don't think about what I'm wearing sometimes. And the flight attendant read it and I couldn't remember out loud.

[Natalie Hollis]

That's hard. But she's like reading it and fathoming it as she's reading.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, he. Sexist.

[Natalie Hollis]

Wow.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sexist. Why don't you throw in a cute little elf at a 20 year old? Because a 20 year old boy would never make that mistake. You know who would make that mistake? A guy born in the 1970s.

[Natalie Hollis]

Chat.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Look, you weird geezer dudes. You're out here sniffing 50. Dress like you're in a boy band from the year 2000.

[Natalie Hollis]

I thought this was for Patreon.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You're right. But only flight attendants could be. She's. Oh, let's do the riddle where the Doctor sees their son. How could it be?

[Natalie Hollis]

And you go, by the way, I think about him, I think about that.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's a woman doctor, you creep.

[Natalie Hollis]

That. That. Because I'm like, it's so insane that there was an era where the answer to the riddle was that the Doctor was a woman. And it was like. I remember being like, what? It's the uncle.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I did.

[Natalie Hollis]

There's two days.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, grandfather, grandfather, twin brother.

[Natalie Hollis]

He's his own brother and father. And then they're like, no, it's the mother. And you're like, the mother.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And I went like. I remember in like 1988 being like, that's impossible.

[Natalie Hollis]

Natalie is simply nothing.

[Meredith]

But I wasn't born yet, so.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, that's what. That's what I'm saying. Gareth, you. I You got to realize you're us, they're them. You and I came up Internet, son.

[Natalie Hollis]

I. I don't know.

[Gareth Reynolds]

First of all, you remember when we didn't have cell phones because you were in teens, early twenties? You geezer.

[Natalie Hollis]

I got my own line. Dude, I had a cordless grandpa.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay, fake rich boy with a little cordless shack, bro.

[Natalie Hollis]

Of course. What are you eating? Yes, of course. He had to give your the best for a cordless phone.

[Gareth Reynolds]

How, how great were you? How psyched?

[Natalie Hollis]

Reunion.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You got to go to Sharper Image and sit in the chairs, man.

[Natalie Hollis]

I don't know what that, that store. I was like, how is this even possible?

[Gareth Reynolds]

To me, Sharper Image was the future, the best.

[Natalie Hollis]

I was like, when I have money, I will live.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Same with me.

[Natalie Hollis]

Same. And then now it's just gone.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, cuz it's trash.

[Natalie Hollis]

Don't agree.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's just marble balls that go back and forth and you go like for $49.

[Natalie Hollis]

It was all stuff where I'd be like, when I am a big businessman, I'll have these things on my desk. And then now I'm in an embassy suites and somewhere in Tennessee, the city I can't pronounce, with Ziploc bags of.

[Gareth Reynolds]

My clothes behind me, by the way. I'm traveling for business with a hat that says he knows the hot dogs are fun of.

[Natalie Hollis]

So he, so he's reading the ad. He's like.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So it was. I had, you know, I'd worked and then Oliver Raleigh and I went out and Oliver show theme song, man. And we were out in his stomping grounds, which were Bushwick, which was fun. And we were doing the hard push about doing live shows.

[Natalie Hollis]

He's hard pushing you.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He's. Yes. Well, Oliver and I did, you know, seven years of a two man show. Traveled the country with it. And he was like, let's just go. Let's have some fun. Just pop it. And I was like, everything you're saying is sounding right. And I haven't been drinking. And we were just going drink after drink, so next thing I know, it's.

[Natalie Hollis]

You signing a deal.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I would have signed anything. It's four hours later and I'm at the airport and I don't live this way anymore. I mean, Gareth, you and I, we used to live this way together. On flights, pouring beer on our heads, in on planes.

[Natalie Hollis]

Oh, hungover traveling behavior. You did. You poured the beer on your head. I just spilled mine. You poured. No, on my crotch. And I go, I'm just gonna leave it you're like, buddy, go clean yourself. But then 15 minutes later, you were pouring one on your head. I was like, jake, I don't think we should be on a plane right now. I'll be totally honest.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, I think we were too far. But question for you too. What's weirder? A man on the back of a plane who pours a beard over a beer over his own head or a man who pours a beer on his crotch of his denim jeans and then go, this goes like this. Leave it.

[Natalie Hollis]

That is the weird part. Without question.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Go dab it off.

[Meredith]

I mean, no, it's you pouring it on your head. Why did you do that?

[Natalie Hollis]

Call back, Natalie.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It took call because that's what we did when we first met in a bar. And on the plane, I think he brought it up. Remember when we did that? And in the moment it felt appropriate.

[Natalie Hollis]

He started doing it like, you're gonna join me. And I was like, no, no, no, buddy, this is like a four hour flight. And then he poured, it started pouring. I mean, I was, it was like flight thankfully.

[Gareth Reynolds]

But I was like, well, we had to hold back the plan to ourselves. And the flight attendants were party animals with us.

[Natalie Hollis]

And we're just feeding us bud lights. I mean, feeding us, not charging us. They were like, here you go, let's go.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And mind you going back to being geezers, it was a different era on flights.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah. There was space, there was a little bit more.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Like greyhounds in the sky.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yes, completely agree.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I mean, how about this? Gareth and I grew up in an era when there were ashtrays on the seats.

[Natalie Hollis]

Seriously, smoking and non smoking sections on a plane is one of the, the most absurd things of like thinking about.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It now, it's insane.

[Natalie Hollis]

The whole plane smoking. It's not this. No section.

[Gareth Reynolds]

How about this? When we were growing up, really nice family restaurants had smoking sections. And the barrier between smoking and non smoking, not a glass wall.

[Natalie Hollis]

How about this? Just smoke cigarettes in McDonald's.

[Gareth Reynolds]

How about this? I did for years.

[Natalie Hollis]

How about this? I still have a couple their ashtrays that were made of aluminum.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So. Great. Are they the orange yellow ones?

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah, the ones you'd flip them, they'd be silver.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yes.

[Natalie Hollis]

Anyway, Jake, you're old, so, okay, so you're on the plane. He reads the hat. What does he say? Is he like.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He goes like this, he's like. And I was so out of it and tired. It was one of those moments. I'm like, I just hope I make it.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And he's like, can I get you anything. And I went like, nah, nah. And then he goes, he knows where the hot dogs are. And I didn't get the reference. And I go. I go, say it again. And he goes, he knows where the hot dogs are. And I go, yeah, absolutely, man. And I had the moment where I was like, he's crazy. And I'm not. I'm sweating. I'm not dealing with his insanity. So I just went like, yeah, man, absolutely. And then he walked away. And I thought, like, whatever, dude. Everyone's insane but me. And then I'm like, oh, I'm wearing a hat that says, was the mother. The doctor was the mother.

[Natalie Hollis]

Oh, my God.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, I had the great call back.

[Natalie Hollis]

Now, wait, did any part of you think about having a cocktail on the plane? Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I want. No, because I was coming home at 1 and the family. I was like, coming home into, like, dad duty.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And I was like, uncool to be, like, sweaty and then be. They'd be like, what's that smell in your breath? And I'm like, this Gene. And then my wife being like, you are really loud and jokey. And me being like, I am more than usual. She's like, you haven't stopped talking in two hours.

[Natalie Hollis]

I'm having a good time. Good to see you. And you're dying on the inside.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You guys won't see me bang my head against the fridge for laughs. It's like, no, we want to see you.

[Natalie Hollis]

So you pour a beer on your head. Come on.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I pour lemonade on my head. They're like, just maybe be normal. It's literally Wednesday.

[Natalie Hollis]

Dad's back.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Party's on. Garfan, you had a video you were talking to now.

[Natalie Hollis]

I mean, this is a pretty good intro. We don't have to do it on this, but this.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Should we do another one?

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah, we can do it in another one. I have a personal update on taking some of the show's advice in my personal life. And I think that'll be a fun intro. But this was. This was boisterous enough, I think.

[Meredith]

So you guys want to mention Revenia, though?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yes.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yes.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So what is the. What is the date of Revenia again?

[Meredith]

Ravinia is August 22, which will be in like a week and a half from Monday's episode.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay. And there's a code, correct?

[Meredith]

Yes. Gill sent me for 20 off reserved pavilion seats.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So, guys, Ravinia, which is in Highland Park, Illinois, it's a northern suburb, reached out. They are fans of the show. They are long time listeners. Shout out to everybody who listens at. At Ravinia. We're doing a really fun thing. We are. They are bringing the van. Our van. That's in Chicago. Gareth is going to go to Ravinia. Ravinia offered them free tickets. They're going to park inside and people could take photos with the van. So great.

[Natalie Hollis]

The van is the greatest. I honestly was thinking about the van yesterday. Yes, it's so great.

[Gareth Reynolds]

The van's the greatest. So the van will be at Ravinia August 22nd. Perfect. They're giving our audience a 20% off if you want to go take some pictures, Dan, my brother is going to be there. He's gonna be kind of.

[Morgan]

We.

[Gareth Reynolds]

We're sponsoring it with the website we're creating for our show. We need to pick dot com. Group decisions made easy. How about that tagline? Guess where I found it. The Internet.

[Natalie Hollis]

Wow. Wait, what do you mean?

[Gareth Reynolds]

You still said come up with a tagline. Okay, just stole it. We're just creating this website for the show. It's fun as hell. Group decisions made easy. We need to pick dot com. So he's gonna be there. So go to Ravinia. See, Dan, there's a video I'm gonna actually send to you, Natalie, really fast. It's on my Instagram right now. It's Dan at Ravinia with his shirt off, dancing to Bonnie 10 years ago. So Dan will present very professional. He's a. He's a very smart man. He's a lawyer. He's done all this stuff. You get a couple sea breezes into that king. You get a pineapple vodka in that. Man, that shirt is off.

[Natalie Hollis]

Pineapple vodka is a very specific type of human.

[Gareth Reynolds]

If it ain't delicious, why is he drinking it? So meet Dan. See the van go to Ravinia.

[Natalie Hollis]

Beautiful.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Pretty good.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah. All right, well, let's go into the show without. Further, further.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Hey, everybody. This is just a quick announcement that we are doing another live on Patreon show. It's last minute. We just decided. We have gotten the emails and we've heard people requesting and the Patreon community has been loud about it. So we appreciate it and we're doing it August 18th at 5pm Pacific on our Patreon. We're here to help. We are going to go live for about two and a half hours. We're going to take calls, we're going to take comments. Morgan's going to be running the board in terms of the comments, and we're going to have a lot of fun for every one of our non Patreon listeners. We love you too baby. And that everything that's on there. The episode will be released at different times. Our 200th will probably have two calls and a follow up, but all the calls will eventually make it on the main show. But if you want to hear it live and you want to be part of the fun, go to our Patreon. We're here to help and join the madness. And for all you saying, we say without further ado and then ads. I get it, I get it. But you know, we don't place the ad. So without further ado. This episode is sponsored by Skylight. Skylight calendars are the at home calendar that takes the old school calendar and makes it digital. They became a sponsor because I became a customer. I saw this on Instagram. I knew my wife would love it. We used to have that big calendar in our kitchen where everybody could see it. Now we've got it with Skylight. You could also put kids chores on there. You can do lists. It is very easy to do. I've been a big fan of it and if you're not a hundred percent thrilled with your calendar in the first four months, you can return it for a full refund.

[Natalie Hollis]

It basically syncs a multiple calendar household into one. I've actually started to link calendars with some people that I'm working with. And what Skylight does that is so exceptional is it gives you that kind of united wall calendar vibe. So it can put everything into the Skylight calendar. Jake and I organically were talking about it on the show before we started working with them because Jake was like I could actually see what my whole week looks like, my whole family's week looks like. I just personally like having the fact that I can have a calendar up on the wall. I could see, see my stuff up on the wall. I'm still hooked on the wall calendar. That's just how I am. It couldn't be easier. It syncs seamlessly with my Google calendar. People I work with have Outlook. It's putting it all up there and making it so easy to use. You can assign people colors, whether it's your family members or whatever. So everyone knows what everyone else is doing. You're done forgetting stuff.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Right now. Skylight is offering our listeners $30 off their 15 inch calendars by going to skylightcal.com here to help. Go to skylightcal.com Here to help for $30 off your 15 inch calendar. That is skylightcal.com hereto help. This episode of We're Here to Help is brought to you by Rocket Money. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps lower your bills so you can grow your savings. Hey.

[Natalie Hollis]

Oh man. We love Rocket Money here. How could you not love the sweet ol Rocket Money? I've told you about numerous times where I've had an app or I've signed up for something and I've forgotten about it or thought I still needed it, and then Rocket Money has held me accountable. People forget. People don't notice.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So I started using Rocket Money when they first sponsored our show, and I was shocked how much money I actually saved. It cancels subscriptions that you have that you don't even think about. It saved me money. I feel like there's no reason not to try it. If you've got a goal you'd like to save for, Rocket Money can analyze your accounts to find the best time to put extra money aside. Get alerts if your bills increase in price, if there's unusual activity in your accounts, if you're close to going over budget, and even when you're doing a good job, Rocket Money helps with your money, which is very helpful.

[Natalie Hollis]

Rocket Money's 5 million members have saved a total of $500 million in canceled subscriptions, with members saving up to $740 a year when they use the app's premium features. Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Go to Rocket Money.com help today. That's Rocket Money.com help Rocket Money.com help and we are brought to you by Kachava. Oh, boy. I love kachava. This is the best protein powder I have ever had. Without question, it has the best taste. It is the highest quality. I recently was doing vanilla, but then I had chai. And just as there it. It is the greatest. I cannot say enough good stuff about cachava.

[Gareth Reynolds]

They also have flavors that taste good. I don't like things that taste like junk because I got the taste buds of a child. You can get chocolate, vanilla, chai, matcha, coconut, acai. I stick to the basics, chocolate and vanilla. I'm not against the swirl. Taking me back to my tcby days. Throw some M and Ms. On that. Now I'm getting hungry.

[Natalie Hollis]

I put it in with like greens. So I put it in like with a green smoothie. And it goes from a green smoothie where like, I'd rather, you know, drown than drink this to being like, this is delicious. I mean, this, it is as good as it gets. I am addicted To Kachava. Kachava's called me and have been like, hey, you need to stop. And I'm like, hey, you need to stop. So there's a bit of friction there, but it's only because I love the product. So fuel your daily adventures with Kachava. Go to kachava.com and use code here to help for 15% off your next order. That's Kachava K A C H A V A dot com code here to help for 15% OFF. Hello.

[Meredith]

Hi.

[Natalie Hollis]

Hi. Welcome to the show.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Hi.

[Jake Johnson]

Oh, my gosh. Thanks.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Great.

[Natalie Hollis]

Thank you. What's your name, please?

[Jake Johnson]

My name is Paige.

[Natalie Hollis]

Paige. Where are you calling from, Paige?

[Jake Johnson]

I'm calling from the western suburbs of Chicago.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, the girl. Paige, you're a Cubs fan.

[Natalie Hollis]

Here we go. Yeah, yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Your Bears fan.

[Jake Johnson]

Yep.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Your Bulls fan.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yep.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What about the black axe?

[Jake Johnson]

Oh, sure.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You care about the Chicago sting, the old soccer team from when I was growing up.

[Jake Johnson]

Oh, deeply.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What do you think about Brian Dennehy as an actor? You think he's the greatest?

[Jake Johnson]

Absolutely.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I agree. Honey, you're the best. What's your call, Paige?

[Natalie Hollis]

How old are you roughly? Just so we know, Brian, 31. Going to a Chicago sports bar, be like, hey, how good is Brianny Paige?

[Gareth Reynolds]

I don't know if you know this, but if you don't, you need to pass it around. Chicago. There is an unthinkably funny comedic rap song a guy does about Chicago, and it's like, bears bowls, cubs. And then one of them is like, favorite drink, old style. Favorite actor, Danny.

[Natalie Hollis]

He.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And it just says, walking around, playing softball, going to Jewel. There's a line where he's like, going to Jewel for the damn wife. It is on YouTube. Go, Dennehy. Rap Chicago. It is so funny. And I've listened to it a thousand times, at least. And then I worked with Brian Dennehy, and it was before he passed. And I go, favorite actor, Danny. And he goes. And I go, the rap song. And he goes, what rap song? And I go, there's this rap, and you're like, the thing. And I tried to tell him, and he found no comedy and it. No charm in the back and forth. And I went, I could play it for you. And he goes, nope. And I went on, right on. And then I sat there trying to eat. Like, not eat while I was eating, where I was like, favorite act of Dana, he's the bone.

[Morgan]

More.

[Natalie Hollis]

Paige sitting next to him, trying to pretend like nothing happened.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Scene with him to ander father and son. Ah, the dynamic Was right.

[Jake Johnson]

Well, I'm excited to listen to it after this.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, you're gonna love it.

[Natalie Hollis]

All right, go ahead, Paige. What's going on?

[Jake Johnson]

All right, so back in October, I was like about two months pregnant, and I have a. I have a seven month old daughter. And my mother in law showed up just like very unexpectedly with this 5 foot 8 mannequin that she bought me. And she's very frugal. And so just the fact that she spent money on this thing in general was kind of out of left field. So it's tall, it's like life size. It has makeup on, full face, big boobs. And the expectation was that I would dress it up seasonally and put it on display in my living room.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What the.

[Jake Johnson]

I don't know.

[Natalie Hollis]

Oh, my Lord. Did you say, by the way, put a spider web on it? What?

[Gareth Reynolds]

She sent this to you?

[Meredith]

Yeah.

[Jake Johnson]

So since it was October, she put that spider web on it in the picture that I sent.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Wait, Paige, this was unsolicited.

[Jake Johnson]

Very unsolicited. I have never had any sort of desire for a mannequin.

[Cat Reitman]

This is.

[Jake Johnson]

I don't know where it came from.

[Natalie Hollis]

This is your mother in law or your mother. Sorry.

[Gareth Reynolds]

In law.

[Jake Johnson]

My mother in law.

[Natalie Hollis]

Weirder.

[Jake Johnson]

Super creepy. I know. Some other suggestions were that I would put my wedding dress on it and put it in the living room and like.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Why would you want a mannequin in your living room?

[Natalie Hollis]

You got two young kids nowhere.

[Jake Johnson]

Yeah, absolutely nowhere. Completely just out of the blue, you saw it on Facebook, Marketplace, and I guess thought of me and. And purchased it and then just came and dropped it off and set it up like that with the spider web on it.

[Natalie Hollis]

For anyone listening when she says put a spider web on it, the mannequin is totally naked and big boobed, and there's just kind of like a lacy spider web over it. So you're still seeing the mannequins boobs.

[Morgan]

Yes.

[Natalie Hollis]

It's like.

[Jake Johnson]

Yes, very much so.

[Natalie Hollis]

It's not like. And it's bald. And so you. At Halloween, you wouldn't be like, ooh, scary. You'd be like, is Paige okay? Yes.

[Gareth Reynolds]

This is weird stuff. I also see other photos that sweet Jesse has building up towards. Are those gonna be reveals sweet Jay or can we see him now?

[Natalie Hollis]

Jesse's learning about pictures.

[Jake Johnson]

Well, so those come later. They're actually not tied. Oh, did you see them?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Natalie Hollis]

What's going on?

[Jake Johnson]

Okay. Yes.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Why do you have these? Paige, what is happening with this call?

[Jake Johnson]

I don't know why I have them. I don't know why she. My mom in law gave me both of them.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Your mom gave you dick slippers?

[Natalie Hollis]

Slippers, yes.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And a naked mannequin.

[Jake Johnson]

Yeah. So the mannequin arrived in October, and then with the spider web, with all these suggestions, one suggestion was that she was gonna sew matching outfits for the mannequin and my daughter to wear on her first birthday, which we avoided. She wanted my husband to somehow create custom, like, shoes for it because it doesn't have, like, all sorts of weird suggestions. Like, and I'm getting these very frequently weekly, like, weird, weird suggestions on what I should do with the mannequin. So I needed it out of my house, and so I was able to sneak it into. Back into their house. Yeah. So they were out of town. And this is weird. I'll admit it. They were out of town, and I put it in their bed.

[Natalie Hollis]

Okay. At least you were open about how you felt about what you did, because you're right. It was weird.

[Jake Johnson]

Super weird. But I mean, like, I kind of wanted to show, like, hey, this. This in general is just a strange thing to gift somebody. I'm gonna one up you and.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Natalie Hollis]

Did you say it? Were you like, I. I mean, you had to underreact, but when you put it in the bed, you're clearly. I mean, you're trying to send that message. Did she receive that message?

[Jake Johnson]

Not super well. So they didn't see the humor in it. And it was just kind of like, that was creepy. And don't you want your mannequin? And I was like, well, I mean, the mannequin is creepy. I thought what I did was a little bit funny. I'm not gonna lie. But I don't want the mannequin back. But I didn't say that. I couldn't tell them that I didn't want it back. I didn't want to. My fear is hurting her feelings.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah, of course.

[Jake Johnson]

Because she spent money on this thing. And, like, from her perspective.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah.

[Jake Johnson]

Yeah. Not. Not much.

[Natalie Hollis]

It's a very weird thing to see and be like, I know. Who wants this?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Agreed.

[Natalie Hollis]

And to be so wrong.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's aggressive.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yes.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Paige, what's going on over there? This was a weird call.

[Natalie Hollis]

This is nuts.

[Jake Johnson]

Yeah, it's super weird. I don't know. But. So the mannequin is out of my house right now.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Jake Johnson]

My fear. Well, it's not really a fear.

[Natalie Hollis]

It's very real.

[Jake Johnson]

She's trying. Wants to it back to me pretty bad. Like, she's been bringing it up a lot. The baby is born. So when she gave it to me, I was pregnant. The baby is born. So now we're back on the mannequin grind of frequently being her mentioning. Okay, you need.

[Morgan]

Do you want the mannequin back?

[Jake Johnson]

I have the mannequin for you. I can drop it off. Giving suggestions of what to do with it. So my specific question is, how do I not get this mannequin back into my house? How do I get rid of it without hurting her feelings? Or how do I do something funny with it so I can be rid of this mannequin and I don't understand my house.

[Gareth Reynolds]

This is an interesting one, Paige.

[Natalie Hollis]

That there's.

[Jake Johnson]

Well, there's a.

[Natalie Hollis]

There's a couple things. The first is clearly the mannequin is the most obvious problem because of its size and I would say the mother in law. But the problem, I really think, is that she now thinks that this is that you run a goodwill from, you know, Facebook market, and she's just going to bring. I mean, she gave you dick slippers.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Natalie Hollis]

Don't sleep on the dick slippers. For a mother in law to give someone with children dick slippers.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And it's also graphic.

[Natalie Hollis]

It's graphic. And it's like, to do that as a joke is like, yeah, whatever. Okay, I'm gonna throw it away or I'm gonna get donated. But to do that and be like, you're not wearing.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Just imagine all of a sudden, she walks in and you're sucking your own slippers.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah, you suck that huge slipper, dog.

[Gareth Reynolds]

She's like, what? You're like, ma, do you mind if I call you my. You're my mother in law. What'd you give these for? You want to walk in and I got one slipper in my butt, one in my mouth. What are you giving these for?

[Natalie Hollis]

That's. That's. If your reaction was that, I think you might have been okay.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And then get this mannequin out of here. What do you try to get me divorced? I got every hole full of my slippers, and I'm on top of this goddamn mannequin.

[Natalie Hollis]

Come on, I got work to do.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I got two young kids.

[Natalie Hollis]

Come on.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Trying to get my life in order here, honey.

[Natalie Hollis]

Well, I. I think it's true, though, that, you know, she's kind of. You've kind of just. It's just open now, so she's gonna bring stuff. I do have a pitch on the mannequin.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's got to be crazy.

[Natalie Hollis]

Okay, well, my pitch on the mannequin would be take the Mannequin back. Be like, take it back to the.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Facebook market, person or no. From mother in law.

[Natalie Hollis]

From mother in law. Okay, Take it back. You know, end that saga. Then say, go donate it to the Goodwill Salvation Army. And say to her, I had a friend who's a designer come over. She saw it and was like, oh, this is perfect. I can really use this for my studio. And she gave you 50 bucks for it. And then just give the mother in Law 30 and be like, there we go. We're splitting the profit.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay, I got another pitch.

[Natalie Hollis]

Go.

[Gareth Reynolds]

But I think Gareth's pitch is very solid. What if you take it back and you dress it up exactly like her and you put the slippers on and you literally go to her house and take her clothes. So when she has to come over, she has to see the type of woman she is. And that is, she's a weird mannequin in your house with dick slippers on. And then she could go, this is odd in your living room. And you go, this is your gift. This is. You get a wig that looks like her hair. Just make a replica of her. Put it in a closet. Whenever she comes around is right in the middle of the living room. Don't put it in a corner. Make it so you can't move around it. And then she'll go, what, what is this? And you go, let's call her Connie. You'll go, connie, this is you. This is you in my life. You're a mannequin with dick slippers.

[Natalie Hollis]

I, I what? I like, I like a version of that. Maybe where you are. You take it back, ask her for a dress or go buy a dress, put a sign on it that says, connie, put a wig on it. And then have one of your kids help you sort of design Connie and make the face kind of crazy and just be like, yeah, we're just going to turn it into, like an homage for you and make it look, look insane looking so that she now feels that it just hates it. She, she, she's gonna, she's gonna ask you to take it out of there.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. She's gonna say, okay, oh, you know what you could do? I have an idea going off of that. I think we're onto something. Paige. Dress it up just like Connie. Make it like you. And then tell the kids, you got to get rid of it because it's scary. Tell your mother in law because it's scaring the kids.

[Natalie Hollis]

It's not bad either.

[Jake Johnson]

That, yeah, honestly, it probably would because my, my oldest daughter, she's 16 months. And then the baby is a newborn. And so the baby might not notice, but I feel like my 16 month old daughter, she will probably most definitely be scared of it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. And then you could also say, give her the socks back, the slippers, and go, why? And go. I'm just afraid of my young children playing with these. What are we teaching them?

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And I go, you disgust an animal.

[Morgan]

Yeah.

[Natalie Hollis]

So children, they're dick slippers. I'm a mother.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's not a bachelorette party in Nashville, for fuck's sake. I'm a mother in the western suburbs. My favorite actors, Dennehy.

[Natalie Hollis]

If someone gave me dick slippers, I'd be like this. Inappropriate. I don't have kids around. Dick slippers are crazy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Hold on.

[Natalie Hollis]

No, don't pick.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You said it would be inappropriate because I don't have kids around. The reason it's inappropriate is because you have kids around.

[Natalie Hollis]

It's. Yeah, I'm just saying I wouldn't wear them.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So, Paige, when you're hearing all this stuff, where do you think and where are you at?

[Jake Johnson]

So, okay, I'm liking. I'm liking a lot of what I'm hearing.

[Meredith]

I feel like, wow.

[Natalie Hollis]

I feel like we're about to get let go.

[Jake Johnson]

No, you're not.

[Natalie Hollis]

You're not. Okay.

[Meredith]

I think the thing that.

[Jake Johnson]

My concern about having Connie in the house at all is the fear of her seeing it and liking that I am paying homage to her in my home on a regular basis. So, I mean, I feel like we could still. We could still probably go down that line. But I just. That's the only thing I see with that one is her kind of like, you know, enjoying it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It.

[Jake Johnson]

And so. And so I'm kind of thinking that maybe we. We run down the line of some designer, bought this beautiful mannequin and is wanting to purchase it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Do you have a friend you could use who's your designer? Or do you want us to be one of the designers? We could. It could be Roy. It could be Sweet Jesse. Or do you want somebody in your life?

[Jake Johnson]

If you guys could be the designers, that would be incredible.

[Gareth Reynolds]

All right, so how much did. Do you have any idea how much mom paid for this on Facebook Marketplace?

[Jake Johnson]

$50.

[Gareth Reynolds]

50. Are you willing to go sideways 50 bucks on this?

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So say a dear friend of yours begged for this because she's a designer. And do we.

[Natalie Hollis]

Do we want to say she offered a hundred, so you're giving her what she paid? So there's no angle for her to be like, I'm at a loss.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, she paid 50 bucks, Gary.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah, but if you're split, I guess. I guess you give her all. Okay.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What are you talking about? You're splitting with yourself, Gareth.

[Natalie Hollis]

No, I'm like, no, no, with. If I'm her. I'm like, hey, let's split it, right?

[Gareth Reynolds]

But it's okay.

[Natalie Hollis]

You're right.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So you did. You know, I heard this thing about a CIA agent who said the. The tricks about lying. He was a spy, and they said, you got to keep your story simple. He said, just keep it simple. So, designer friend, sweet Jesse. 50 bucks. We're even.

[Natalie Hollis]

Do we want to do a rehearsal? I don't understand what I'm doing in this.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Buying the thing. You're the. You're the designer.

[Natalie Hollis]

I don't want it. The character.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Jesse wants Jesse. You're missing the point, okay? You're getting it, and you're getting the dick slippers.

[Natalie Hollis]

I don't want any of it. I don't want any of it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You're missing the point. Your nickname is not I don't want it. Jesse. It's Sweet Jesse. Okay?

[Natalie Hollis]

Okay.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sweet Jesse gets a mannequin and dick slippers. Okay.

[Natalie Hollis]

Okay. He's leaving. He's like, I'm out of here.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, we just need. We need your home address.

[Natalie Hollis]

Oh, my God.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Steve Burke.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yes. Let's send it to Steve. Even though he knows.

[Gareth Reynolds]

By the way, he would love it. This is gonna be a pain in the butt to ship it.

[Natalie Hollis]

I know. It is. That's the problem.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's big. It's expensive. So here's what. Here's what I think. Paige, give her 50 bucks. Say sweet. A guy you know named Sweet Jesse bought it. He's a designer. And be done with it. And then follow up with us with what she says. What do you think?

[Natalie Hollis]

Should we have her run through this situation once just to make. Get the butterflies out?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Do you want to do that page?

[Jake Johnson]

Yeah, sure.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Gareth, you want to be the mother in law?

[Natalie Hollis]

Sure.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Don't say sure.

[Natalie Hollis]

It's killing me to not be the mother in law, so thank you.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You're welcome.

[Natalie Hollis]

Thank you. I haven't acted in ages. Okay. All right, Paige. Three, two. Connie, go.

[Jake Johnson]

Hey, Connie, I have some exciting news. There's a designer named Sweet Jesse who saw a picture of that mannequin that you got me, and he's super interested, and he was willing to pay $50 it.

[Natalie Hollis]

Oh, gosh. What did you say?

[Jake Johnson]

I gave it to him. I sold it to him.

[Natalie Hollis]

I thought you'd be excited for the $50?

[Jake Johnson]

Yeah.

[Natalie Hollis]

There. A gift.

[Jake Johnson]

You're so right. I'm so sorry.

[Gareth Reynolds]

By the way, even though you're now out of it, even still, you're out of it.

[Jake Johnson]

You're right. You're right.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So then you go, oh, I'm so sorry, but here's the 50 bucks. And she's like, hey. You go like, I'm so sorry.

[Jake Johnson]

Yes. I feel terrible, but here's $50.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And then you go, I really sorry. I thought you would have been into it. I'm so sorry.

[Jake Johnson]

Yeah, I'm so sorry. I really misread that. But here's 50 bucks.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, sorry, but I.

[Natalie Hollis]

Bucks.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I think that's great.

[Natalie Hollis]

Look. I think. Look. It gets the goddamn mannequin out of your house.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That's what we're looking for. And then let's send the dick slippers to Steve.

[Natalie Hollis]

Ah, there we go. There we go.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What do you think of that?

[Jake Johnson]

That's so perfect. That's perfect.

[Natalie Hollis]

All right. Everybody wins. Yeah. I can't wait. I can't wait for the group text where Steve says this. Did you guys send me dick flippers?

[Gareth Reynolds]

You know what I'm gonna get on this one? I'm gonna get Steve to get that to do. List his P.O. box.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And then we're gonna reach out to you with his P.O. box, and we will send him the dick slip. And you know what's gonna be? Here's the side bet with Steve. And, Paige, if you're uncomfortable about this, speak now or forever hold your peace. Okay, the side bet with Steve is gonna be, did you smell him?

[Natalie Hollis]

Did you try him on?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Nope. They're gonna be too small. But he's gonna go, a woman in the western suburbs that mother of two sent me were they used. I'll go, yeah, then you'll go like, jesus. And then he'll get stoned and go, like, do I wonder what those little piglets smell like?

[Natalie Hollis]

I had a sniff.

[Gareth Reynolds]

He's eating the chocolate from another country. Can I say sniffing the slippers?

[Natalie Hollis]

Can I say this? This is what. This is what's great. Get the P.O. box set up, and we tell him it's for chocolate. And sure, we'll be sending him some chocolate and stuff like that, but we can also be inundating his P.O. box with things like this, with our dick slippers, with our things that pop up on the show, with our stuffed lizards, with our, you know, novelty ships in a bottle. Whatever it is. We'll just sort of turn Steve into the we're here to help trash bin. And his P.O. box expecting chocolate. He'll be getting dick slippers.

[Jake Johnson]

Can I put anything else in the box, or should it just be, like an anonymous dick slippers?

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's up to you, Paige.

[Natalie Hollis]

Where I don't put more stuff in the box, but go for it. Any stuff you want to get rid of.

[Morgan]

Cool.

[Natalie Hollis]

All right, Paige, keep us posted.

[Jake Johnson]

I will. Thank you.

[Natalie Hollis]

All right, thanks. Talk to you later. Bye. Bye. Hello.

[Morgan]

Hi.

[Natalie Hollis]

Hi. How are you?

[Morgan]

I'm good. How are you?

[Natalie Hollis]

We're good. Things are. Things are good. Natalie just told me to put a on my wall.

[Morgan]

Oh.

[Jake Johnson]

All right.

[Natalie Hollis]

Can we get your name?

[Morgan]

Yeah, I'm Mark.

[Natalie Hollis]

Hi, Mark. Where are you calling from, Mark?

[Morgan]

I'm calling from Kansas City.

[Natalie Hollis]

Awesome. How old are you, Mark?

[Morgan]

41.

[Natalie Hollis]

41. Mark, what's going on? What can we help you with?

[Morgan]

Oh, boy. Okay. So a few years ago, my family and I. So I'm married, we have two kids, we moved to a new neighborhood, and we didn't really know anyone in our neighborhood, so we were trying to come up with, like, a fun way to meet all of our neighbors. So we decided to host these big outdoor movie nights. And we went all out, like, have a big projector. We bought, like, a movie style popcorn machine. We have coolers of beer and, like, drinks for the kids, all this stuff. We picked the movies, we picked the dates. We made these flyers for them. In fact, we, like, put them on magnets so people could put them on their fridge and remember when the event was going to be. So it was this whole thing. It was the first night. We had no idea if anyone was going to show up. And it was, like, a huge success. It was awesome. We had neighbors from all over come in. There was, like, over 20 people there. Kids met a bunch of friends. We got to socialize with their parents. It was awesome.

[Natalie Hollis]

We're looking at the setup and the posters and both look great.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

Oh, well, thank you. Yeah. Yeah. So it's like a really fun thing that's kind of become a tradition in our house. We love doing it, but what has happened over the last few years is, like, more and more often, parents are now just kind of like, sending their kids up to movie night, but they're not coming to drop offs.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

It's becoming a drop off, which. Which kind of presents, like, two problems. One of them is. Is not a huge deal, but the kind of. The two issues that we're running into is one, like, it does help to have some extra supervision because we've got kids ranged from, like, 14 to three running around. And then the second one that I think is probably more important is like the whole point of it is to just be social and hang out with our neighbors. And so we don't really see them a ton outside of this event. And so, you know, it kind of stinks for my wife and I were like, well, shoot, like part of this was for us to, to meet people in neighborhood too. So our question for you is like, how can we encourage the parents in our neighborhood to continue to attend our movie nights?

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah, some kind of babysitting now. Go ahead.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It would. So this is a big thing with kid parties and that is the no drop off or drop off. Sure it. But it is Gareth. It is a major shift.

[Natalie Hollis]

Do you have to say yes, you have to attend?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, you don't know. You say when your kids are young, there's no drop off.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

If there's a pool party, that means on Saturday I'm going to a pool party.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So if there's a bounce house, you got two hours at a bounce house. And so then there becomes an age, you know, depending on the, the group. But around 7 to 10 where it starts saying drop offs are okay, but you're also welcome. Well now the in Eva, the invites are drop off party, which means they don't want to host the grown ups, which means they don't want to buy the beer and entertain. They're throwing a kids party. So you're doing the opposite, Mark. So I would just write in bold, no drop offs.

[Morgan]

So, so it's funny. So we, we, like this was kind of becoming a little bit of an issue at the, toward the end of last summer. Like the last movie we hosted last year, we had over 40 people in our backyard.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Pretty great.

[Morgan]

No, and there were, there were, there were adults running around as well. But like we were chatting. We're like, okay, well you know, how can we encourage, you know, more parents to stick around? Because I hear you, like, and we are all about the drop off party too. Like if we're doing a birthday party, please drop them off. I don't have to worry about small talk or any of that. So what we did this year when we passed out our magnets was we, we added a little like note to it and it was somewhat passive, but we were like fun for all ages, young and old. We didn't want to say like, hey, get your butts to you to the party. But obviously that was not like, I.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Think that was too Mark. I think it was too coded.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I would Say, do you have. Is everybody in the community part of an email thing or is it just the advertisements up?

[Morgan]

It's really just. No, there's no, like email chain or text chain or anything like that. Like, we have, we have phone numbers from a lot of the parents because, like, our kids are now great friends. Like, they'll run down and they'll hang out with them and, you know, like, their kids will come up and they'll hang out at our house all day. And we are totally cool with that. It really is just. We want to change the culture of this, like, one event.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay. And how old are the kids?

[Morgan]

So our children are like 10 and 12.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay.

[Morgan]

But again, the age range of kids is pretty wide. Like, like as old as 14, 15 and as young as probably three.

[Jake Johnson]

And.

[Morgan]

And like, we get the, we get the. You could send a note that says no drop offs come, but we kind of. We. We're. We're too subtle for that. We want something fun like, oh, you know, they hear it. They're like, oh, we want to go. Not. We don't feel like we're being. That's forced to go.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I guess what I.

[Natalie Hollis]

Why not throw in. Why not throw in an R? Throw in an R. I mean, if, you know, more adults will show up. Yeah. So you can do a bunch of kid ones, but you can get. You throw an R in. That gets the parents out of the house. Then you can kind of tell them why you did. They get there, they show up. They, like, some of them will be like, yeah, my kid can watch Terminator, whatever it is, you know, or whatever movie it is, whatever you think, you know. But then there's like an age restriction or a PG13. Then they show up. When they're showing up, they have a couple beers and you go, well, we wanted to do a more adult one just because it kind of just turned into like a babysitting service. So we just want to make sure the parents are still kind of active in it because we want to keep doing it, but it's just a little difficult if only the kids show up and you can kind of do it a little more on one. One on one after a couple of pops.

[Morgan]

Okay, I'm liking this. So, yeah, we, you know, we do like Halloween themed ones in the fall. And we have talked about when everyone gets older, we can kind of go beyond just Casper the Friendly Ghost, which is kind of where we're at right now.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, absolutely. So what movies are you showing, Mark?

[Morgan]

Oh, well, they're all. They're all kid movies, right? Like the whole, the whole point was we want to make sure that families can show up. So we've, we've really kept it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, you're doing Matilda, Matilda. Super Mario Brothers.

[Natalie Hollis]

Homeward Bound.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Isle of Dogs is a good one, babe. Oh, so you do once a month?

[Morgan]

Yeah, yeah. So we, we've done quite a few of these and we try to.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Charlotte's like, yeah, Chicken run.

[Morgan]

The theme this year is dogs. So we did like Homeward.

[Natalie Hollis]

Reservoir Dogs. Boom, there we go.

[Morgan]

That would mix it up for sure.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I, I think Gareth might be right here. I think you got to, I think you got to go PG 13.

[Morgan]

Okay, so let me ask you this then. So we are often babysitters for each other, right? And so if one family's going on a date night, the other families are taking care of business. If all of the parents are out of the house watching Reservoir Dogs, what do we do with all these, these munchkins?

[Natalie Hollis]

Well, I think that's why Jake saying PG13 is, is probably the right balance.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'm also a little confused with the problem Mark. Give me. So are. So you are friends with the other parents? They just don't want to come to this movie night?

[Jake Johnson]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

So our, our problem is when this started, we had a pretty good mix of like adults and children.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Right?

[Morgan]

And over the years, like the last time we looked around, my wife and I, there was like 20 kids running around and like her and I, and we're like, wow, we have just become like the neighborhood babysitters. You know, like date night trumps free beer. And so we wanted to get the, the parents coming back without them feeling like we're tell. I don't like telling other adults what to do, you know, so.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Well, have you ever friends.

[Morgan]

They're like, they're like, well, just tell them. Just say no drop offs. Like, yeah, then I'm telling a parent what to do.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Hey, Mark, you ever considered they don't want to come to your house to watch a movie in the backyard?

[Morgan]

Well, yeah, so that we're like. We were wondering if we, if we offended them or something. No, this just isn't their jam.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I don't, I wouldn't say offended, but I'll tell you this. I don't want to go to my neighbor's house on a Thursday night and watch Casper the Friendly Ghost. Now if my kids want to run around and have fun, great. I gotta spend two hours in the kitchen.

[Morgan]

No, you're not in the kitchen, man.

[Jake Johnson]

You're.

[Morgan]

You're watching the Movie, but I don't.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What if I don't want to watch the movie?

[Morgan]

Well, that's the. That's the question, Jake. How do I get you in my backyard?

[Gareth Reynolds]

I respect it, Mark. So the real question is, how do we get moms and dads in your backyard? Because it's not the question.

[Morgan]

How do I get you to come over? It's not. They don't want to watch.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No.

[Morgan]

When We're Bound. They saw that 100 times.

[Gareth Reynolds]

They've seen it a hundred times. Also, they don't want to sit in the lawn chair, watch the thing. This sounds okay, but they all. You guys all like each other.

[Morgan]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So there could be a. You could do different activities where it's like kids are watching the movie and it's not going to be like beer pong, but some version of a adult game or something happening that that community might like.

[Morgan]

Okay, I'm.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I'm thinking here, Gareth. What are you thinking?

[Natalie Hollis]

I almost think, like, you could put together this. I mean, this might be stupid, but you could put together like a. A gift bag for adults and put on their free gift bag for adults who attend. Like something that is like a little bottle of wine. A. Yeah, like a couple of things. Yeah, if you want. So weird. That's so. I know, but I hear what he's on me today.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, but I heard. Yeah, on me, but he's trying to figure out a way to get. Here's where I think the rubber meets the road on this one, Mark. If you guys all in the neighborhood know each other and like each other, and you babysit each other's kids and yours can run over there and, you know, others can run to your house and the parents have a system.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Maybe the movie night isn't as much fun for everybody as it is for the kids. Maybe that's just a kid's night.

[Natalie Hollis]

I got one.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So you could say to everyone, like, could everyone pitch in and we'll get like two babysitters? Gareth.

[Morgan]

Yeah, yeah, I think. I mean, that's. I think that is part of it. Is it? It is. It is certainly shifted to where I think parents are. Like, okay, we've met the parents. We trust these people with our children. Now we can just send our kids up. But you know, like, you. You mentioned Iowa dogs. You know, Wes Anderson. That's not gonna necessarily entertain like a four year old. So when you got the four year old who's like, I want to go home, you look around, you're like, well, mom's not even here. To take you home, you know, which.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Is crazy for you.

[Natalie Hollis]

It's crazy. What if you did crazy? What if you create an imaginary injury that happened to a kid and you just put on poster. You just put on the poster. Due to like, whatever. A child injury. At the last event, parents must attend with their children.

[Morgan]

Wow. Okay.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I don't hate that, Mark. I also don't hate the. Due to a misunderstanding slash misplaced child for 45 minutes.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And guy. And then. Right. Like, only because it is night and there are 40 kids to 2 adults. If your kid is under 9 years old, please attend with them. All are welcome. And then you could write like, we would love all the parents to come, but if you're. If you have a kid under 9 or 10, we're asking you to please also attend.

[Morgan]

Okay, so, like, type that up and deliver it with the magnets. The next.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Delivering it with. And make it very clear. All are welcome. But like 10 and under, it's mandatory to have at least one adult with the kids.

[Morgan]

Okay. You know, it's funny you say that, because we all go trick or treating as a neighborhood and we did lose a kid for like 25 minutes last year.

[Cat Reitman]

Right.

[Morgan]

No idea.

[Natalie Hollis]

Happened again at movie night. You don't want to get into specifics. And don't forget in all this, Mark, what they're doing is pretty insane. So this is not. You're not asking a lot. You're putting on a whole event. You know, you're just being like, don't make me watch your kid.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I don't think it's insane what they're doing. I think they're real game.

[Natalie Hollis]

I think they're gaming the system a little bit.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I think Mark might have built a system that had gray area.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yes. But now it's like, now you got.

[Gareth Reynolds]

To change the system and say there's no gray area.

[Natalie Hollis]

Like, yeah, go to Mark's yard, hang out colors. Perfect. Yeah, that's.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's.

[Natalie Hollis]

It's a lot.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It. Just go watch the movie amongst them when you're done. We'll pick you up when the movie's over. Have fun.

[Natalie Hollis]

I. I would put a disclaimer. Do you hand out all these movie posters door to door? Is that how this works?

[Morgan]

Yeah. So it's kind of like. It kind of sounds creepy. We didn't know anyone when we moved here. And so we've printed a bunch of these up. And I kid you not, like, if we saw kids, like, playing in the front yard, we're like, oh, kids are there. So that's how we got to know families. We're like, oh, you know, go deliver when he's up to their door. So we just walked around and that's how we got to know the. The families in the neighborhood.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And how long ago did you do that? How long has this been going on?

[Morgan]

This is the. This is the third summer that we've been doing this. 20 movies.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Wow.

[Natalie Hollis]

I got one more. I like that one. I think. I think we're good with a disclaimer. Here's one more. You're saying you only went door to door with the fan people with families. You know, you got these other places you haven't hit up where it's just people with no kids. Hit them up and tell them you do a movie night with free beer.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Terrible. Gareth.

[Meredith]

Gareth, no.

[Gareth Reynolds]

How. Christ, how real. I don't hate it.

[Natalie Hollis]

Gareth. I don't hate it. Really?

[Morgan]

Right, yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You got a three year old without parents and a weird 50 year old drunk.

[Natalie Hollis]

Well, we're vetting a little bit.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You're just going door to door going, dude, you want to go to my yard and watch a free movie with beer? There's also kids without grown ups.

[Natalie Hollis]

I'm gonna. Here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna knock on your door. I'm gonna knock on your door.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah.

[Natalie Hollis]

All right. You're the weird 50 year old in a bathrobe who clearly is high as. Okay, okay. So I knock on your door, answer. I have. I have flyers behind my back.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay, first of all, the door stays closed to begin. Yeah.

[Natalie Hollis]

Hey, how are you, neighbor?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Can I.

[Natalie Hollis]

Can you open your door for a second?

[Gareth Reynolds]

What do you need?

[Natalie Hollis]

Never mind. I don't want that.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay, next house.

[Natalie Hollis]

Okay.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Hello?

[Natalie Hollis]

Hey, is your door open?

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's closed.

[Natalie Hollis]

Well, can you open it?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Cracked, but I got the chain still up. Yeah.

[Natalie Hollis]

Oh, never mind. Sorry. I think I got the wrong address.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What do you want?

[Natalie Hollis]

Nothing. My guy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What's. What are those little magnets?

[Natalie Hollis]

Huh?

[Gareth Reynolds]

That I open the gate.

[Natalie Hollis]

No.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I pull you in.

[Natalie Hollis]

No, no.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You're in a world of.

[Natalie Hollis]

Oh, my God.

[Jake Johnson]

Oh, my God.

[Gareth Reynolds]

This is where all the boys and girls from the village go.

[Natalie Hollis]

Wait, what?

[Gareth Reynolds]

So I think inviting random adults is a terrible idea.

[Natalie Hollis]

Personally, I. I said I think.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I truly think I wanted to get it out there. Mark seemed to like it. So. Where are you at, Mark?

[Morgan]

Well, I liked it until. Until the. The role playing maybe shed some more light on how that.

[Natalie Hollis]

Mark, let's be honest, he didn't create. He didn't create the easiest Environment for a pitch.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, but here's what I really feel, Mark, you know, and I've just got to be honest. No, I think what you've done is really great. You've created a sense of community which is really fun. You created event for the kids all to hang. I think what is really happening is the other parents in this area don't have as much fun at these things and don't want to socialize at this event. But the kids are all going, can I go to the movie naked? And they're going like, yeah, I guess just go. So if what you're saying is I want all the parents to have fun at my party, we can't guarantee that. If you're saying I want to keep doing this, the kids are really liking it. I don't want to break the tradition, but I can't have a three year old running around. That is fair. And that is just another flyer going around saying if your kid's under 10, you got to be with them or don't come to the movie night. But we can't get grown ups to want to come to this party unless you're going to like, you know, do jello shots and create a whole different thing. But that's not what you're looking to do. You've created a great event. It's a movie night, but it's just become a kids movie night.

[Natalie Hollis]

How about this? This is what I would do. I would lose the 10 year old thing because it's like it's not even about. He wants the parents to come out. I would say parents must attend. And maybe each time you do it you have like a novelty drink, an adult beverage that is sort of like themed along with the movie a little bit. So like a Casper White Russian or something like that. Something where you, there's kind of a tie in. You could do it in a way where it's not a huge deal. Mark likes the host, he likes the event. It's a way to maybe just entice him out a little bit more.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What do you think, Mark?

[Morgan]

Yeah, I mean we, we love hosting get togethers. That's no issue at all. So yeah, maybe the next time we, we pass out our flyers we could on the, on the flyer include some different like drink options or something to, to just try to bribe them to come. I think you're right, Jake. It's hard to convince adults to have fun. You just have to find the sweet spot.

[Natalie Hollis]

I, what I would do is do a combo. I would be like, parents have to attend. And this week we're doing this because that way they're forced to go and they will have fun. If you make it a little more. More, there's a little more novelty, I think.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So let's do this. What's the next big movie you're doing?

[Morgan]

We're hosting a movie, like, in the beginning of August. Now, those have already, like, all those magnets. They've already been passed out. But then we always do, like, Halloween fall ones.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay, so let's worry about September.

[Morgan]

We're gonna pass out some more.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay, so let's worry about September, and let's pick a movie and a drink right now. Does that sound good?

[Morgan]

Yeah, let's do it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay, so give me.

[Morgan]

I can tell you the movie. Can I tell you what. What we think we're gonna put on there? Yes, because we. We're thinking E. T. Might be on the docket for an October movie.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I love it. So ET Obviously, you got Reese's Pieces for the kids. What cocktail would work well with the Reese's Pieces for adult. For adults. GT E, T, G, and T. Gin and tonics.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, fine.

[Jake Johnson]

Oh, okay.

[Morgan]

All right.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So get. Get your GNT while you watch ET we will have Reese's pieces for the little ones and gts for the big ones.

[Natalie Hollis]

I love it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That's on the fire.

[Morgan]

Yeah, I got it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So then you just get a couple big bottles of gin, some tonic. So they go like, oh, fun. They're P. This is a great idea, Mark. Because then they go, oh, fun. You know what? Let's go. Why? I guess Mark's doing a gin and tonic thing. We'll all have a couple of drinks. It'll be fun. We'll walk over. But then you're not saying only parents. G and T for E, T. E, T for the kids. GT for the. The adults.

[Natalie Hollis]

The kids. ET for the adults.

[Gareth Reynolds]

G and T. And then put a slash or bring or B.Y.O.B.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

Okay. Hey, we got there.

[Gareth Reynolds]

We got there out there. And you're gonna put those on the magnets.

[Morgan]

We'll either put it on the magnet or we sometimes put, like, a little note with the magnet, you know, when we pass it out.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Then will you. Will you. When you make the thing and you make the note next to them, will you send it to us?

[Morgan]

Yeah, of course.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And then will you follow up and we'll see if this thing worked? But I think this is actually gonna work.

[Morgan]

Yeah, I think so, too. Actually, Garrett, we're. My wife and I were gonna go see you in Kansas City in September. So I'll just, I'll just show you the picture.

[Natalie Hollis]

Great. Bring all, bring all the kids from the neighborhood. It's gonna be fun.

[Morgan]

Yeah, we'll bring 40 children. It'd be wonderful.

[Natalie Hollis]

That's a dream of mine to perform in front of 40 kids. All their parents are hammered. Appreciate it, Mark. All right, buddy. Good luck. Let us know.

[Morgan]

Thank you. Appreciate it.

[Meredith]

Thanks, buddy.

[Natalie Hollis]

Sweet Jesse here. This next call is a follow up to episode 119, the Queen's off Duty. Hello.

[Meredith]

Hi, how are you?

[Natalie Hollis]

Good, how are you?

[Jake Johnson]

Good.

[Meredith]

This is Meredith from Washington dc. I'm a follow up call.

[Natalie Hollis]

Meredith, can I congratulate you on just taking the reins? No banter, no chat. Do you have, do you have somewhere to go?

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, but I like it.

[Natalie Hollis]

I do too.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I think the callers to be bosses.

[Natalie Hollis]

I think you'll eat those words. Eventually.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I will. Hey, Gareth, do you remember Meredith? If so, what's your guess?

[Natalie Hollis]

Ooh, Meredith, D.C.

[Gareth Reynolds]

God.

[Natalie Hollis]

I don't. Do you.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Can you give us a clue? I don't either. Will you go clue by clue and see if we can find it?

[Natalie Hollis]

Sure.

[Meredith]

So this is one of the few calls that Jake actually did not take the caller side. And it involves animals or replicas of Jesus Christ.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Those are great clues.

[Natalie Hollis]

Now okay, wait a minute.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I didn't take the caller side. It's about animals and replicas.

[Meredith]

I was calling from a different city.

[Natalie Hollis]

FYI, this city's not gonna matter. I. Part of me thought it was going to be the dinosaur one, but that was the guy called for us.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That's Rob.

[Meredith]

No, this is an aquatic animal.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, is this the swordfish?

[Morgan]

Yes.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Ding, ding, ding. Remember the guy wanted to put a swordfish on the wall and she didn't want it. Is that right? And then we decided to do like a swordfish bath.

[Natalie Hollis]

We decided to theme it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay, Meredith, wow. Walk us through what the original call was for any of these maniac listeners who have not gone back and listened to the back.

[Natalie Hollis]

We have to now.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And also sweet Jesse always says where the original one was before. But Meredith, what was the original call?

[Meredith]

Yeah, the original call was I was, I was moving with my boyfriend in D.C. and he, the only thing he wanted in the apartment was this nine foot replica swordfish that his grandfather caught. And so we talked about it and we ended up on a compromise because we have two bathrooms and one bathroom is a guest bathroom. So we wanted to make that like nautical theme and I wouldn't have to go in there if I didn't have to cool.

[Natalie Hollis]

However, I had this. It sounded like the tents of. This was strange.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Before you go, Meredith. Meredith. Gareth. What's your guess?

[Natalie Hollis]

I don't think they're together anymore.

[Meredith]

The swordfish ended it all. No, we are still together. However, we measured the bathroom wall, and the bathroom wall wasn't big enough for the fish.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Respect to the fish.

[Natalie Hollis]

I mean, it is big. I already have a pitch on that, but go ahead.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Cut the fish in half.

[Natalie Hollis]

Lengthwise.

[Morgan]

I.

[Meredith]

That actually was brought up, him wanting to cut it in half and hang one half from, like, the ceiling. And I vetoed that. But the. We did end up so. Remember I told you we have, like, a really long hallway?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Of course.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah.

[Meredith]

So you can't actually, like, see it from the kitchen. You can only, like, see it when you come in the front door. So I compromised and allowed him to hang it on the wall when he comes in a door. And that. That way, if I don't, you know, I don't have to see it if I don't leave the apartment. And if I do, I only see it, like, twice in a day. So that's been okay with me and.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Sounds great.

[Natalie Hollis]

You guys want to see a picture? Yes.

[Meredith]

And we did find out that her name is Beth. I don't know where the name came from.

[Natalie Hollis]

That's the whole wall. Huh. Wow. Holy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I gotta tell you what's crazy about that. Gareth and Meredith Garadeth. You. If you guys were a couple.

[Natalie Hollis]

If we were a couple. If it hadn't worked out, and if.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Jesse and I were, it'd be sweet. Jake, I gotta tell you what I like about this is that thing once existed in the sea and it still does.

[Natalie Hollis]

Crazy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That's crazy.

[Natalie Hollis]

Crazy.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You imagine being an underwater explorer. Different life for me. And coming across that son of a. Back in the day, Jake. Still you, Steve and Eric on the boat with me.

[Natalie Hollis]

Steve just handing us, like, fresh tuna, like boys. It ain't gonna get fresher than this.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Eric constantly trying to run the boat, and me going, it is the wrong direction, buddy. We go north.

[Natalie Hollis]

There's no wrong direction on the ocean, brother.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Okay, so, Meredith, that's gorgeous. But what I think it's what you think it's.

[Meredith]

So I have to tell you, I'm actually. She's really grown on me, and I've even, like, taken to, like, decorating her for holidays. So, like. Right. Yeah. Right now she has, like, the Fourth of July gear still on. But we did, like. We did, like, Christmas gear. We did.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What'd you put on that girl For.

[Meredith]

Christmas we did a Santa hat and then we also put. My boyfriend's Jewish, so we also put the menorah on the desk underneath a Jew fish.

[Natalie Hollis]

Hey, Gareth, I'm pushing.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You can't say that.

[Natalie Hollis]

Jew fish, like Jewish but with an F. Go ahead.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You can't say that.

[Natalie Hollis]

I'm allowed to.

[Gareth Reynolds]

No, no, no, no, no. Meredith, you think so, but your boyfriend doesn't it. A bunch of non Jewish people can't laugh about that. You know what I mean?

[Natalie Hollis]

I'm. I'm a 64th.

[Meredith]

That's great though, you guys, I have.

[Morgan]

A different problem now.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Holy. Wait, hold. But stop for a second. Meredith first. Problem solved.

[Meredith]

Yeah, yeah, Yeah, I would say so.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Ring the bell for our stats. For the people doing stats, which will be revealed soon. We. We have some real animals put stats together. Morgan is running point on it and it's going to get interesting. That is definitely a victory.

[Natalie Hollis]

Perfect.

[Gareth Reynolds]

But now, Meredith, is this a real problem?

[Meredith]

It is, because.

[Natalie Hollis]

Do you want to guess? I have a guess.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What's your guess?

[Natalie Hollis]

I think they now want to know what to do with that bathroom. I think they now want a new pitch on the style of the bathroom.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Interesting, Meredith, from them. What can we help you with today?

[Meredith]

That is not correct, but a good guess. So technically, Caleb failed to mention that this fish is technically his brother's because he got it from his grandpa, but he couldn't fit it into his house. But now his brother has moved to like a real house in Virginia. They have lots of space and he wants it back. And like I said, I've grown accustomed to seeing her every day when I, you know, walk in and out of the door.

[Gareth Reynolds]

She's part of your family?

[Meredith]

She is, yeah.

[Gareth Reynolds]

So Caleb's brother, What's his. Let's get Caleb's brother's name.

[Meredith]

His name is Will.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And what does Caleb think about Will take in Beth?

[Meredith]

He doesn't love the idea, but apparently he had made an agreement with him that we were allowed to take the fish. If Will moved any time, we would have to give it back.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Fuck, Meredith. He signed a bad contract.

[Meredith]

I didn't. He did.

[Natalie Hollis]

I can't believe we've gone from your first call where you were like, I hate this fish, to now you're like. Like, I don't know what to do. I can't let go of her.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's called. It's called love.

[Natalie Hollis]

It is love. Yeah, that's.

[Gareth Reynolds]

That's what always happens. You ever been with a woman who wants you from the start?

[Natalie Hollis]

Nope.

[Gareth Reynolds]

It's not how it works. We gotta chase. We are, Beth, baby.

[Natalie Hollis]

We're chasers, babe. They always say we're the fishermen.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah, they always know we're not the fishermen. We're the swordfish, baby. They go, I don't want you. You're too gross for my house. I'll put you in my bathroom. And I go, go, I don't fit. And then I'll put you in the hallway. And then they start dressing me up like a Jew fish. I can say it. My dad, even though he didn't raise me, I could say it. It's in my blood.

[Natalie Hollis]

Lucky.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Thanks.

[Natalie Hollis]

Well, I don't know. I mean, that. That is a tough one. I mean, if he's asking for the fish back, the only thing you could do is come up with some. I mean, is this definitely happening?

[Meredith]

I think it is. He hasn't pressed on it too much, but it has been mentioned a few times, like, oh, when can we come over and get the fish?

[Gareth Reynolds]

I have an idea.

[Natalie Hollis]

Okay, go.

[Gareth Reynolds]

What if we made a audio recording from Beth's point of view asking to stay?

[Natalie Hollis]

Oh, I like that.

[Meredith]

I really like that.

[Natalie Hollis]

I like that.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And then we just send it to him cold, and you say, hey, I hate to say this, but I was hanging out with the swordfish, and she's got something she wants to tell you.

[Meredith]

I love it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

And then tell her. Tell him Beth has split personality and Gareth will both do it at the same time.

[Natalie Hollis]

You want to. I. Here's. I was gonna pitch. You have a familiar voice. You could just do Beth as you and just do a plea as Beth, but I don't mind doing the both, obviously. I love to work.

[Gareth Reynolds]

I got one.

[Natalie Hollis]

Go.

[Gareth Reynolds]

How quickly could you try to get Cat Reitman to come on?

[Natalie Hollis]

Oh, my God.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Just to see if she's available. Just hop on one quick second. We might have to. If she can hop on and just do the swordfish, because then it's a totally different voice anyway. Meredith, you think this swordfish is going to go? Why don't you think these. The stance is. Where's everything?

[Jake Johnson]

I.

[Meredith]

You know, it's a lot to come over to us and, like, I mean, that thing is on the wall secure, you know, so it's. It also comes in two pieces. The fin comes out from the fish.

[Natalie Hollis]

Okay, Meredith, just because I wasn't on the call. Is the first call.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Is the.

[Natalie Hollis]

Is this a. Is this the actual fish or this is a replica of the actual fish? That's the fish.

[Meredith]

Well, it's a replica of the fish.

[Natalie Hollis]

It's the replica.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Got it.

[Meredith]

Yeah.

[Natalie Hollis]

I mean, that's so cool.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, it's a replica of the fish.

[Meredith]

Does that change things?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Get rid of it.

[Natalie Hollis]

No, I was just kidding. I mean, we were kind of like talking about how great it is in the ocean.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Meredith, honey, it's a piece of trash. I thought this was what that Jew grandfather pulled out of the sea.

[Natalie Hollis]

All right, Jake, I can say it.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You can. By the way, I'm happy it was a Jewish grandfather. I imagine it's Ernest Hemingway. I didn't imagine a guy going like this. Jesus, it's deep over here.

[Natalie Hollis]

The waves are killing me.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Oh, wait, hold on, hold on. Meredith, we might be winning.

[Natalie Hollis]

Cat, this is what it is. I have you on air for. We're here to help right now. Can you. Can you do something for us real quick? It's. By the way, it's not good, obviously.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Obviously not good.

[Natalie Hollis]

Okay, I'm gonna tell you the problem. Basically. Buckle up. Okay, so. So this is a follow up call. This woman Meredith called and her original problem was that she didn't want her boyfriend's huge replica marlin in their house. Her grandpa caught it or his grandpa caught it. Yeah, Marlin. Like a big swordfish.

[Cat Reitman]

Fish. Fish.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Natalie Hollis]

So. Morning, by the way. I hope you're well. Hi. So. So he. He. He puts. He wants to put this swordfish on the wall. Meredith's like, no. So Jake and I pitch. Hey, why don't you put it in the bathroom? They have two bathrooms and theme. The guest bathroom, like a nautical theme. Meredith likes that. They go back. The marlin is too big. So they decide. Welcome to the show. So they decide they're just gonna put it kind of in the back hallway where guests can't really see it, but you sometimes might see it, but it's nicely hidden. Anyway, they kind of start liking it. Meredith kind of starts liking it. She. They start dressing it up for, you know, Christmas and July 4th. They're kind of. They're having fun with it. It's becoming enjoyable to Jewish fish. It's. Jake wants me to point out that it's a Jewish fish again. I'm not going to get into any of that right now, but that's just what Jake's. No, no, no. Catherine, you're. You're live on air. Katherine. Catherine, you're live and Jewish, by the way. So, so, so offended. So, so then. So then the guy's brother moves into a house and he can now fit the fish, the swordfish, and he wants it back. And now Meredith's like. Well, I actually like the swordfish. So we've gone back and forth on a couple of things, but we think the best thing to do right now is to send the brother a voice note from the POV of the fish, who we've been calling Beth and kind of pleading to stay in the house with Meredith and Caleb. So we were wondering, would you be okay if we went straight to offer and offered you the role of Beth, the swordfish, asking to remain in the house with Meredith and Caleb?

[Cat Reitman]

Okay, first of all, I'm extremely busy.

[Natalie Hollis]

Yeah, I know. Okay, great.

[Nick]

Thank you.

[Natalie Hollis]

Thank you so much. I know you're busy. We all know you're busy. Okay, so. So whenever you're ready, I'm sure you need a minute to sort of get again. I can give you a light direction here. There you go. Free up the. Free up the diaphragm.

[Cat Reitman]

Can I warm up?

[Gareth Reynolds]

Put her thing really close to Mike so we can for sure.

[Cat Reitman]

Here this fish path is a marlin. Again, she's living with Caleb and what was the woman?

[Natalie Hollis]

Meredith. Meredith. Meredith.

[Cat Reitman]

And she loves the holidays. And she's in the back hallway.

[Natalie Hollis]

Correct. And Caleb's brother is now requesting the fish. And Meredith and Caleb want to keep the fish. The brother's name is is Will.

[Cat Reitman]

And Will caught death, correct?

[Natalie Hollis]

No, Will and Caleb's grandfather caught it, but it's also a replica. I don't know if that plays into any of this.

[Cat Reitman]

Okay, well, she doesn't think that. She thinks she's the real deal.

[Natalie Hollis]

I agree. You are so right for this role.

[Cat Reitman]

I must speak with my husband, by the way, who thinks this whole situation is totally normal.

[Natalie Hollis]

Hi, Phil. When you're ready, Gareth, I'm ready. Whenever you're ready, Catherine. No need to slay late. And no need to say that you'll shave or show your hands.

[Nick]

You're fine.

[Natalie Hollis]

Ready whenever you're ready.

[Jake Johnson]

All right.

[Cat Reitman]

Five seven. Coming in at about 125. Okay. First of all, I'm not going anywhere, all right? I know what I like, and what I like is this back hallway. Would I love to be in the kitchen? Sure, I'd love to be in the kitchen. I'm a fish. Fish like to be around other cuisine. Do I like the heating instruments, the oven, the stove? I don't. I do not. But the back hallway suits me just fine. I'm not going anywhere. Okay. Do you know what they dressed me up for for Halloween? Do you know what they dressed me up for Halloween? I was a whale. I was. I was a whale. I was Moby Dick and it was hilarious and I made people laugh. Christmas time. Christmas time. I am Santa Marlin. Do we celebrate Hanukkah? No. Even though, for the record, I'm a Jewish fish now, I am not going anywhere. I'm staying where I am. And if I have to bite Will.

[Natalie Hollis]

It'S great.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Bravo. That's.

[Natalie Hollis]

Can you do. Just so we piece it together, can you do one thing where you just say, so Will, do us all a favor in this house and let us be. Or something like that? A direct plea towards the brother who's. Who's requesting the fish back. You got it.

[Cat Reitman]

So again, I'm not going anywhere. And Will, if I can even call you, Will, will you let us be?

[Natalie Hollis]

Perfect.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Everyone clapping.

[Natalie Hollis]

Catherine. 10 out of 10.

[Nick]

Perfect.

[Natalie Hollis]

Unbelievable.

[Jake Johnson]

Thank you so much.

[Natalie Hollis]

I'll see you at the premiere.

[Morgan]

Perfect.

[Natalie Hollis]

Thank you. Bye, Phil. Thank you so much, Kat. Bye.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Incredible. Meredith, what do you think we will cut just her stuff. Will you send it to him in a text so that we can hear his. We. You can get a screen grab of his response?

[Jake Johnson]

Absolutely, yes.

[Meredith]

Or I can even go over. They live close by, so I can.

[Jake Johnson]

Go over because I wanted to see.

[Meredith]

Their new house and I can play it in front of them and maybe get his reaction.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Great. If you could film that reaction or get video of the audio of the reaction, that'd be great. And if it becomes a back and forth, maybe we'll have Kat come on and talk to Will as Beth.

[Meredith]

Okay. I appreciate it. Thank you so much.

[Natalie Hollis]

Continues.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You're very welcome.

[Natalie Hollis]

Thank you.

[Gareth Reynolds]

Welcome.

[Natalie Hollis]

Appreciate it.

[Meredith]

Thank you.

[Nick]

Hey, guys, this is Nick from Utah giving a quick update on my second butt wax. It. It went really well. The first one grew back pretty well. I. I read on the comments a lot of the horror stories of what could happen with ingrown hairs and different things like that. I didn't have any of that, fortunately, so. Did seem like it was growing back pretty quick, though. Go a lot quicker than I thought. So I was overdue for my next one, but luckily I got it today, so. Yeah, it. I mean, it hurts a lot, but it felt good. It feels good. Now. She put a little bit of Icy Hot down there afterwards, which the first one did not do. So that being said, I did go to a new esthetician this time because the first one I went to no longer works at that company. I also learned that when she did my. The first one, when she did my butt wax, she was brand new. And yeah, now she's like, either quit or Fired or something like that. I don't know. But I. I wish I knew that she was brand new.

[Natalie Hollis]

That.

[Nick]

That would have freaked me out a little bit. I actually ended up going to an entirely new location, one that was closer to my work. And after I booked my appointment, my wife told me that this girl I went to high school with actually works at that location. So I was like. Like, oh, shoot. Like, what if it's. What if I get matched with a girl that I went to high school with? That would be, like, the worst thing in the world. So I was gonna text them and say, hey, what's the name of the esthetician that's waxing my butt? And my wife told me that that is probably the creepiest thing I could do. So I did not text them. And luckily, it was not the girl that I knew waxing my butt. So definitely dodged a bullet there.

[Gareth Reynolds]

There.

[Nick]

But the. The new girl that helped me was awesome.

[Gareth Reynolds]

She.

[Nick]

She walked me through the whole thing. She was a little bit more aggressive, and she kept saying, oh, this isn't gonna hurt as bad as the first one. And so she just kind of went for it. She, like, you know, didn't give me a countdown, didn't ask if it's. If I'm ready or anything like that. She just poured it on and ripped it off. But, yeah, she was. She was very helpful. I. I kind of of talk to her briefly. I. I didn't bring up my wife as much. I. I did mention, you know, my wife once or twice, just so she knew. Just so she knew I wasn't a pervert. She did tell me that she does have other patients. She has, like. She said she has, like, five other patients. Five or six other patients that come to her for the same issue. So I'm not alone in this. And it was. Honestly, it was very. It's very nice to know that I'm not the only one experiencing these issues. So she was very helpful. I went into it not knowing if I was gonna ask her to be my esthetician the whole time or not. I know we had talked about that. I honestly was like, I'm just gonna see, you know, how the vibes are, see how it feels. Maybe I'll ask her, maybe I won't. But then she. She wrote down her name on a business card and was like, hey, if you're coming back every month, let me be your esthetician every time. Like, I'd love to do this.

[Gareth Reynolds]

You.

[Natalie Hollis]

For.

[Nick]

For you. So I thought that was awesome. So, yeah, it was Great. So I'll probably just plan on going back to her every single time. Overall, great experience. Esthetician was awesome. I think we've solved the problem of, you know, go. Whether or not to go back to the same one every time. So far, it solves the. The main issue every time. So. So that's been helping a lot. I will say. When I walked into the clinic, she. She kind of looked at me and she's like, are you just doing the crack?

[Natalie Hollis]

Crack?

[Nick]

And I gotta be honest, like, I, you know, it was hard for me to say, yeah, I'm just doing the crack because I know that my fellow backdoor boy, Gareth, he. He did the whole Brazilian. So I'm like, man, can I. Can I truly call myself a backdoor boy if I'm not gonna get a full Brazilian if I'm just gonna do the crack? So I, you know, it's something I've been pondering, and I think next time I might need to. I might need to go all the way in and just do the full br.

[Gareth Reynolds]

We're Here to Help is hosted by Jake Johnson and Gareth Reynolds. If you'd like to be on the show, please email us your question@ HelpfulPod gmail.com. and if you want to watch video episodes of We're Here to Help, you can go to our [e-mail] hereto help pod to see our entire catalog.

[Natalie Hollis]

We're Here to Help is produced by.

[Nick]

Rabbit Grimm Productions Executive producers Rob Hollis.

[Natalie Hollis]

Jeff Porter and Natalie Hollis.

[Nick]

Associate producer Jesse Thurston. Editing, mix and master by Chris Faller.

[Natalie Hollis]

Theme song by Oliver Raleigh. The COVID artwork is by James Fosdike, animations by Andrew Strelecki. And if you'd like to see Gareth do stand up on the road, go to garethreynolds.com Remember, all the advice given on We're Here to Help is for entertainment purposes only, and all listeners should be adults and make their own decisions.

[Cat Reitman]

All video episodes of season one are available now on Patreon, and season two video episodes will be available every Monday starting January 20th. Go to patreon.com forward/heretohelpod.

[Natalie Hollis]

Hey, I'm Gareth Reynolds and I have a new podcast on Headgum called Next. We have now, this show is for people with short attention spans, which is everyone. I mean, you're probably trying to skip this ad right now, but don't, because you now legally have to listen to the show. Show. That's how law works. Next we have is very simple. Each episode has three short segments. For instance, Lisa Gilroy and I write insane revenge Yelp reviews for callers who had bad experiences with a business. The Doughboys play a game called Meal or no Meal and Steph Tolov and I go head to head on a thought provoking game called Guess that Sound. The show is as dumb as it sounds, and we probably have more fun than we should, but it's a great time and you should listen or watch new episodes of Next we have every Thursday on YouTube or your favorite podcast, Apple.