Wow in the World – WeWow on the Weekend (11/15/25)

Date: November 15, 2025
Hosts: Dennis (and Reggie the giant pigeon), with Mindy Thomas & Guy Raz
Podcast: Tinkercast | Wondery

Episode Overview

This episode of “WeWow on the Weekend” is a jam-packed, family-friendly celebration of creativity and science. Hosted with Dennis’s signature exuberance, it kicks off with the long-awaited WeWow Talent Show, featuring Wowzer listeners from around the country sharing their quirky and impressive talents. The show then segues into a relisten of the Wow in the World episode “So Cute, I Can’t Even,” where Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz explore the science behind why we react so strongly to cuteness—delving into "cute aggression," brain science, and the checklist of features that make something irresistibly adorable.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. WeWow Talent Show Extravaganza

Time: 02:05–12:00

• Dennis and Reggie open the show in high spirits, ready for Talent Show Day—an event listeners have eagerly been preparing for by calling in their acts.
• Talents include musical performances (piano, singing), original songs about mangoes and armadillos, jokes, animation skills, and even the ability to say “Wee Wow on the Weekend” in dinosaur.
• The hosts respond enthusiastically to each performance, emphasizing encouragement, support, and the diversity of Wowzer talents.
• The segment ends with more talents on deck for the following day—teasing a “Double Talent Show Weekend.”

Memorable Listener Talents:

• Natalie plays the piano piece "Lily" [04:30]
• Melian performs a classic dance on piano [05:12]
• Vera shares her animation and drawing skills [06:00]
• An anonymous comedian delivers kid-friendly jokes [06:27]
• Ellie & Lila sing original songs about mangoes and armadillos [07:18]
• Abby performs a song called "Free" [09:02]
• Brantley demonstrates speaking “Wee Wow on the Weekend” in dinosaur [10:24]
• Rowan and Lee debut their “Sister Time” song [10:44]

“They’re dancing and singing and juggling chainsaws… The chainsaws are on fire. And the fire’s full of chainsaws! Oh, that… these kids have so many chainsaws. I don’t know!” – Dennis [03:13]

2. Inside Tinkercast Studios: “So Cute, I Can’t Even”

Time: 12:45–36:40

a. Introduction to Cute Aggression

Mindset: Scientific Wonder Meets Comedy

• Mindy and Guy revisit an episode focused on why people sometimes feel overwhelmed by cuteness—it’s called "cute aggression."
• The story uses a humorous, talk-show framing (“The Bruni Soto Show”), interviewing guests (human and animal) who are “victims” of their cuteness.
• Comic scenarios: A child chased by grandmas, a hedgehog making people want to “poke their own eyes out,” and a teddy bear so cute it disrupts yoga classes.

b. What is Cute Aggression?

Key Science:

• Mindy explains the phenomenon as described by UC Riverside behavioral scientist Professor Katherine Stavropoulos: when we see something so cute, we sometimes feel a weird, almost angry urge—to squeeze, pinch, or “eat up” the cute thing, even though we don’t actually want to harm it.

“Cute aggression is… the desire to squeeze, crush, or bite cute things, but without ever meaning to hurt or harm.” – Mindy Thomas [18:40]

c. The Cute Aggression Experiment

How Scientists Studied It

• Professor Stavropoulos invited 54 adult participants, hooked them up with “electrocaps” that measured neuron firing, and showed them images of baby animals, baby humans, and “extra cute” versions of both.
• Participants answered questions about their reactions—measuring levels of cute aggression.

“Her hypothesis was that maybe it could have something to do with the part of our brain that’s in charge of rewards.” – Mindy [21:12]

d. The Results and What They Mean

Key Findings:

• When participants felt overwhelmed by cuteness, the reward centers of their brains “lit up like a disco ball.”
• The emotion-processing centers activated too, suggesting that “cute aggression” balances overwhelming positive feelings with a little negativity to keep us functioning normally.

“The negative emotions, like wanting to smush something that’s really cute, kind of helps to balance out the positive feelings before they get out of control…” – Guy Raz [29:57]

e. What Makes Something Cute? The Kinderschema Checklist

• Guy Raz details the scientist Konrad Lorenz’s “kinderschema”— a list of baby-like features that trigger “aww!” reactions in humans:

  • Large round head (relative to body)
  • Large forehead
  • Big, low-set eyes
  • Puffy cheeks
  • Round, soft body
  • Soft, elastic body parts

• The hosts playfully test if Mindy meets the cuteness criteria, blurring science and silliness.

“Now turn around and take a look in that full length mirror.” – Mindy “Mindy, this is ridiculous. I hardly recognize myself. I’m sorry. So cute.” – Guy Raz [34:16]

f. Live Experiment: Turning Guy Raz into the Cutest Creature Ever

• Mindy creates her own “cute aggression” experiment—suiting up Guy Raz as a tiny panda-puppy-bunny-kitty (with a baby diaper), even using a “shrink wand.”
• Dennis and Reggie react according to plan: with wild adoration verging on over-the-top (“It’s so adorable I might die!”).
• The show wraps up with the observation that not everyone experiences cute aggression (and that’s perfectly normal).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dennis’s Showmanship (Talent Show opening):
  “The glitz of the glamour. The razzle of the dazzle. The hocus of the hocus. The talenty talent ness of talent. Woo hoo. Let’s do it!” [03:48]

• Anonymous Comedian’s Joke:
  “A man knocked on my door and asked for a small donation towards the local swimming pool. I gave him a glass of water.” [06:36]

• Bruni Soto Show (Audience Reaction):
  “You look like a porcelain doll!” [16:12] (Grandma chasing a child for being too cute)

• Science Explained:
  “When she looked at the results… whenever the people showed signs of being overwhelmed with cute aggression, the parts of their brains that had to do with the reward system lit up like a disco ball.” – Mindy [28:53]

• The Balance Theory:
  “So it’s almost like the negative emotions, like wanting to smush something that’s really cute, kind of helps to balance out the positive feelings before they get out of control and you can’t move.” – Guy Raz [29:57]

Timestamps of Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |----------------------------------------------------|------------| | Special episode announcements (Mindy) | 00:12–02:05| | Talent Show musical intro and opening (Dennis) | 02:05–04:30| | Listener talent submissions | 04:30–12:00| | Inside Tinkercast Studios & Re-listen intro | 12:00–13:21| | Opening to “So Cute, I Can’t Even” | 13:21–17:14| | Explanation of cute aggression | 18:18–21:12| | Scientific experiment breakdown | 21:12–26:41| | What happens in the brain (science results) | 28:34–31:12| | Kinderschema checklist (what makes “cute”) | 31:12–33:33| | Mindy’s live cuteness experiment on Guy Raz | 33:36–36:40| | Episode outro, listener call-in instructions | 37:17–38:06|

Episode Tone and Takeaways

• Tone: Hilarious, fast-paced, and packed with playful banter; the hosts encourage curiosity while never taking themselves too seriously.
• Educational Value: Explains actual brain science about cute aggression in a way that’s fun and memorable for kids and families.
• Memorable Message: It’s normal to be overwhelmed by cuteness—and there’s a scientific reason for it! Plus, anyone can have a talent worth sharing.

For New Listeners

This episode is a perfect introduction to the spirit of “Wow in the World”: creativity, inclusion, wacky irreverence, and “wow-worthy” science. If you love hearing real kids on-air, learning about the brain in a non-boring way, and laughing with a side of facts, this is an episode for you.

Want to share your own talent or question? Call 1-888-7-WOW-WOW and you might be featured on the next WeWow on the Weekend!