Mini Crush #150

fucking talking about that's that's roll off the tongue. So well, that's hard to Future is a future, and it is starting to feel like we're we're dealing in future e type dates were and we're entering the blade runner type territory. We passed that a while ago, I think true for me. But yeah, when you're in the twenties, like, where the where's that meal that I can just put a little drop of water on a pill and it turns into

a delicious meal? You really want that, Chuck? Yes, Oh, you mean like it actually reconstitutes itself into a delightful roasted turkey or whatever you want, complete with the little footy things on the ends, you know, with the steam rising, because I roasted turkey every night. You ever seen those footy things? What those even four? They keep the ends trying out or something? You think they would catch fire in the story, I don't know. They don't bake it

with those on. They pop them on afterward. And I do not know this at all, but my educated guests would be is that it just covers up that gnarly little leg nub at the end. It makes you feel a little less barbaric. I think so, that would be my guess. It's like, you don't have to look. It's the same reason they don't like, you know, same reason they cut off the head. That's a good point. That's

a good point, chuck, Wow, that's throughout. Yeah. But yet people are some people anyway, We're okay with whole fish with a face on it. That's okay, Yeah, you know, I will uh, I don't need the eyeballs, but I can show down on a brand Xino, that's for sure. Yeah. It's for some reason. I think there's a distinction, because you know how they're like they're pesctarians who will eat you know, fish, but they won't eat, you know, chicken

or beef or anything or anything they see. There seems to be a distinction, like in terms of what's the word cruelty in the minds of some between seed dwelling creatures and land dwelling creatures. Yeah, you know. Uh, everyone has their own internal compass when it comes to stuff like that, and far be it from me to tell anyone else what to do. Where do you stand on a horsemeat? Chuck, where do you stand on horsemeat? Nay? Good,

good talk a dead joke. So no. We were chatting very briefly as we were buzzing into zoom that today is your daughter's twelfth birthday. On this the day of my daughter's twelfth birthday. That's a movie reference prize prize to anyone who can who can name that film? Yeah I can't, Yeah you can. On this the day of my daughters. Oh it was her wedding. It wasn't her birthday,

never mind, it was a misplaced reference. Um yeah, she's twelve, man, and she and her mom and her little sister came over this morning and they brought me a doughnut, and I gave her her present, which is a skateboard. Um. Great, because apparently I do not value her safety. But it's something that she's been not Yeah, we're gonna go get that. I want to make sure they're the right ones. No, I know, and we're gonna go together and do that tomorrow.

But like, it's something that she's been wanting to do. And she was doing dance for a while and she kind of felt like all the other kids in her dance class were sort of like Caddie and she didn't really care for the vibe. And so she needs an outdoor activity and she wanted to skate in the a really good skateparking here. So we're gonna get her to let lessons as well. So well, no, you know, she takes to it a little bit and she ends up

liking skateboarding. I looked into this couple of years ago because I was I was all hot to get Ruby a skateboard, and Emily still like, well, let's wait another year, even though I don't think you have to. But um, you know, I'm giving in on that one and waiting a little bit. But there is a girls skate camp in Seattle, uh in the summer that I was like, man, this looks really really cool. So just put that in

the back of your head. Maybe if she really gets into it, she does next summer or the next she could always go to Seattle skate camp and then you go and you stay there with for a week and just do Seattle. I actually haven't been to Seattle. I was going to actually had it booked with me and Jordan's run Tug my one of my colleagues on my team. We're gonna go to Seattle to do like a sales thing for for work. And then you know, the world exploded. You've never been I've never been to Seattle. No, No,

it's You're kind of town, my friend. I'm excited to go look into that skate camp and then you go just live as a Seattle lite for a week your little airbnb. I'm hoping with these vaccines that we can at least go back to a semblance of our previous lives. Um, Because I have to say, like I think I've mentioned this on the pod before, like I was traveling to kind of an alarming degree where it was almost cutting

into my quality of life in terms of my personal time. UM, but I would like to now I've like kind of gotten comfortable and like I know the balance that I want, and I think I would push for that and I think I've earned it. So so what's your balance, Noll? Like, how many times a month will you fly? And be? Okay? I think twice, but I was doing it once a week sometimes, you know, And I was doing quick trips like sometimes twice a week like it was. It was a lot. Do you ever do the up and back

in the same day to New York? Not to New York, but I did to Chicago a couple of times for some sales. This are not fun, No, they're not fun. You go to a great city and you can't even enjoy it. You go to a dumb meeting and then you get back on a plane. Yeah. Yeah, although, uh, you know the story when my heart was was circling our network to buy it, they sit down a private jet for me and Jerry and our bosses and uh, never flown in a private jet before. And that was

an up and back and it was pretty great. That sounds pretty cool. It was a bucket list thing. I always wanted to fly in a private jet. It's amazing. And you know the best part about it is the jets. Fine, they're actually kind of really small and not so spacious. It's a little like claustrophobic. But man, the lack of hassle, Oh boy, oh my god, it's so great. You can only imagine. He just walk right on. You can park

at the airport. I walked through the lobby and the guy said are you Mr Bryant, And he was like, we're waiting on you, and you walk right through and get on a plane. Man, I should have smuggled some drugs. Yeah, definitely, That's why they do. That is why they do so when no one checks, nobody checks. But with the skateboard thing, Chuck. Eden is pretty good at like sticking with things that she's really passionate about. But if she's not, she drops

it like a bad habit. So I'm hoping that this is the one that she sticks with because she's well's, she knows what she wants, she doesn't what she wants, and she's like super invested in the things that she she's feeling. But I also like something as a dad, I'm like, you gotta try, don't give up after you know a little try. But also you know, I'm also believe it or not, Like if your kid knows, they know but give it a little give a little effort.

If you don't like it, screw it, right, you are Chuck, right, you are. So I guess it's Christmas now. Huh yeah, so big Happy Birthday to Eden. And uh, this is actually going to be our only Christmas many content Christmas content many that we're gonna do because Christmas movies gonna suck, Norman, did you know that? What do you mean all of them? I mean, you know, there's some nostalgia and some feels, but mostly if you're talking about just great cinema, not

a lot of Christmas Christmas movies in general. And we've talked about this, they do kind of stuff. I will say there's a new one that's out on Netflix that I haven't watched yet, but it's getting a lot of love. It's called Jing Gold Jangle and it's uh um, a kind of new spin on a Christmas like Elf, kind of magical Santa Land, kind of world keeping. Michael Key is in it, and it's got a lot of music

and it's um. I watched the opening sequence and it is pretty grand and delightful, and it seems like it could potentially be like a new Christmas tradition for some families. All right, well I'll check that out. Have you seen the trailer and the buzz about this fucking KFC Colonel Sanders thing with Mario Lopez. My friend sent me it's real a tweet, and I didn't think it was real. And I also didn't immediately get the fact that Mario Lopez was playing Colonel Sanders. I just thought it was

some sort of like schlocky, you know, like cosplay. Oh no, no, like like I just thought it was like a like a period rom dram, you know, presented by KSC. But then the small print it says, marioz as Colonel Sanders. What is this Marlon Sanders the new show? What is the deal? I don't know, dude. It says it's a mini movie, so I don't know how long it is is on Lifetime though, if I'm not mistaken, I think it's got to be. I mean, it's clearly obviously branded

content from KFC, But boy, what a concept. I would do anything to have been in those meetings when they cook this up. KFC is pretty famous for their A lot of these brands are these days for their kind of snarky tongue in cheek, you know, social media presence, so I think they're really starting to lean into this

kind of stuff. And yeah, very funny. And by the way, no, just very quickly, as an asside, I said, I was going to get one uh new game to play now because we wrapped up stuff you should know yesterday for the year. Very big relief, um not. You know, I love doing that show, but it's a it's a lot more work than this show, you know what I mean. So we wrapped that for the year and we're taking our nice, big fat Christmas break and I wanted something to play, and I got that Spiderman game. Have you

ever played that? I haven't. I mean, it's just brand new. I remember the last one that came out was a lot of fun. I never bought it, but I'm talking about the one. Oh yeah, there's a there's an I think there's a Miles Morales that's pretty new. You're talking about the one that I've played, then, Yeah, it's great, Yeah, the one from two years ago. You can like swing around town and like, you know, like it's very open

world and you can kind of do whatever. Right. It's amazing because especially if you have a love for new York City to do like ill like I spent I spent half my time not even playing the game story yet, because I'm like, I want to go perch on that eagles head on the Pricier building like he did in the movie, and you could do that. You can find it? Is it pretty like map accurate? Yeah? Man, that's right there, just look up. I perched on the Empire State Building.

I went over and I was like, I wonder what it's like to sit on top of the radio City Music all sign. Let me swing over there and do that. Let me walk the high line, let me swing above the high line. It's really really fun and you know, and it's accurate with the big, big things like that, but it's not like what I really wanted was ultimate accuracy.

I wanted to go to the West Village and and go buy Magnolia Bakery and see if like they had people walking around eating cupcakes, your favorite little record shop, you know a little bit. But it's a great game that I mean, the visuals, it really feels like you're swinging around. Uh it's I just them having so much fun. And this is when Ruby is watching and I let her climb walls and do stuff like that, and she loves it. If we're having a lot of fun, that's awesome. Man.

I h gaming wise, I just did, like I have a switch. I told you about that I love and I just realized, what is a switch? What? What is It's what's the newest Nintendo console and the just a regular console? Well yeah, but it's, um it's interchangeable between

being portable and being hooked up to your TV. It's it docks in this little station and it has these little little side guys that are kind of click clip onto the side of the screen and they go into this dock and then it goes on your TV and you can take the little side guys off and they become like left and right handheld controllers or they clip onto the thing, and then it becomes like a game gear, like a like a portable thing you can take on

the subway. And it's not like WiFi. I mean, it is WiFi dependent, but the games are on that little portable device, so it's not like streaming from some larger thing. But um, it's just a really fun system and the games are really like designed really cleverly, and Nintendo's this does a great job of kind of like pushing the fun factor. And if you are a member of the online little very minuscule amount of money that it costs to be a member of the online thing, so you

can play, you know, with your friends. You can get like all of these Super Nintendo and Original any S games for free. Um, so i just got all these Mario games and I'm gonna mess with later this week. I'm excited about awesome. No, I want us to start a band just so we can have a record name pushing the fun factor. Pushing the fun factor is not bad. It's a good record name, all right, nol. This is the Christmas Crusher spectacular and uh, you know we've covered it.

You know, it's hard every year because there's only so many questions you can formulate around Christmas movies. So I decided to ask family tradition wise, what holiday tradition do you hate? But you do it anyway because your family expects it and loves it. Mm hmmm, So if you do, you have one. My mom always used to make this uh, really gross jello salad that she she called gentleman's salad, which sounds disgusting in and of itself. Um, and you

get a strip club an exactly a gentleman's salad. And it's like, you know how, like that was such a cliche like seventies thing, like jelly old salad things, and it's like made with lime jello and like horseradish. It's the weirdest fucking thing in the world. I never and nuts, and I never wanted to eat it. And she eventually stopped making it. She realized nobody liked it, but she she made it because her her mom would always make it, and her mom before or whatever, like it was what

she likes. Did she like to eat it? My mom liked it. Yeah, but I just found it, like it's also green and it just looks like like Gilli does. Dude, I just thinking about it now is giving me the cringes. But yeah, fantastic, Oh man, I mean that just crystallizes the holidays with family and stuff like that. That's great, all right. So we're gonna start off with the most recent comment here. Rachel mckeachen says, overspending on a bunch of money that could be saved, but my husband loves it.

There's a lot of those, yeah people saying it's a lot of obligation and I've certainly I've narrowed it down to my immediate family. I'm not like a universal gift giver. And I also because Eden's birthday is so close to Christmas, we kind of have to split them up a little bit. Don't go to ham But yeah, I do agree that, like it's like the parent commercialism, like listen to me, sounding cliche as hell, but the inherent commercialism of the

holidays is kind of a little obnoxious. I would say, yeah, I mean, listen to each their own. I'm not gonna tell anyone how to Christmas, but all I'll say is when me and my siblings decided to stop giving gifts to each other, it was a great year. And now like we'll get together and do something for my mom and then that's it. Besides kids and you know, Emily and I we try to surprise each other with a

couple of little things, nothing extravagant, like thoughtful gifts. Have one thing in mind for her that an artist is going to do that she's really really gonna love and it's going to be special. But other than that, now we kind of go like, hey, listen, you know, if there's something you want, let's just earmark some money and get it for yourself. Like last year I got that new guitar, and this year, I'm getting me some golf clubs because I haven't played golf in twenty years and

he still love playing golf. I think that's the thing to chuck is like, I'm at an age where if I want some thing, I either probably already have it or or I'm thinking about getting it, or I don't

really want it that bad. And I think the reason Christmas and stuff like that is great for kids is because they don't have like agency to get things for themselves, so they really depend on like you know, Santa Claus or mom and dad to like get them that dream thing, otherwise they'll never have it, So that I think is neat. But for adults, it's like, come on, what are we like eight, Like, let's just come on, let's let's be real. Yeah, And then that's stuff fun like it. It is genuinely

fun when you have a young child on Christmas. Uh. So I'm not gonna knock you know, gift giving altogether, but I'm sorry, didn't mean to sound completely like, oh, adults getting presents because to your point, the thoughtful aspect is the way more important aspect when you're in a it's like, oh, I know a little something about you and have gotten you this thing that I think you will appreciate that you never in a million years would

have thought of for yourself. And it's just like maybe something decorative or like a sock subscription, because you know what, turns out adults love socks. Yeah, and nimally less. You got me those socks with the ruby's face on it and my two dogs in her And those are the socks that were when I go on the road. Combination of functional and thoughtful, choking yeah and not not expensive. Um. And looking through these posts, I look through them last night.

There's a lot of people I will just say that have parents that like just still makes such a big deal about all that stuff, and they're like enough already, like please don't make us open these gifts one at a time and then remark about the gifts and talk about the gifts and then you're next. Like I think a lot of people on this thread, I just want to be with family and have something kind of low

key alright. So having said that, one of our oldest pals, Rebecca Robe, I'll be honest, there used to be a lot that I couldn't stand. But life has a way of making you appreciate all the joys and annoyances that the season brings. But if I had to pick one thing, it's the shopping. Love the giving hate the shopping. I get it. Robes I haven't. I mean all my shoppings online, even there wasn't a pandemic at all. I'm not going into a mall kill me, you know, I like a mall. Chuck.

I'm not gonna lie I do. It's an nostalgia factor for me. I don't know, there's something about it, like I just you know, as a kid, one of the first places you could kind of go hang out. You know. It's like before you could get into bars, you'd go hang out at malls and arcades. And I just said something about that that gives me the warm fuzzies. See. I was never allowed to just go hang out at the mall. That's why I think I have an aversion.

I would go to some arcades, but that it was never like my mom never dropped me off at the mall. I wanted to be that kid. Yeah, I was a total latch key kid, a little more, a little more strict. You're lucky guy, Brianna Rossi says buying gifts. Honestly, I just want to spend time with the people I love bacon, cook and eat with them. And I always feel too bad to say something when I'm really tight on money. And a lot of people replied and loved that. Um,

it's a common sentiment. Well, a lovely meal is a great gift in and of itself, wouldn't you think gift? And so much thought and care goes into that. That's a me thing. I love cooking for people. I love cooking for just one person, you know, like it. It gives me a lot of joy. So cooking for like a group and then feeling like it's reciprocated and people are having a good time because of the work that I put in, that's a gift that gives both ways. In my opinion, it does, it doesn't know. Uh Anna

Gwen says making our gingerbread house. The kids love it, but they're always fights, and my need for things to be right drives me nuts because the kid has decorate the house thatselves. John Hewitt says all of Christmas. Jason Devonshire says celebrating Christmas. We got some scrooges on here. That's yeah. You know, if you're not into it, you're not into it. Jason Mansell says over decorating, I'm all for a tree and a few cute displays, but like

maybe a snowman cookie jar in a wreath. Simple. But my mother is a Christmas fanatic. This year we built a house and moved her and my octogenarian grandparents in, so we have three households and four generations worth of stuff. Oh boy, that stuff. My mom is actually pretty tasteful about it. She's she's got a pretty good minimalist sense of of Christmas decorations, and there's some cute little things

that she does. But like, how do you feel about the massive, ridiculous yard displays Chuck, Well, they're an awful lot of fun to drive by with a child, but not for me. We have a uh Christmas tree. We have about probably thirty five little crafty wooden santas of different shapes and sizes that Emily's grandfather made every year, and we have the whole collection, so they'll sit around the house. We got our stockings and Emily loves the little mercury trees. We have those on our mantle and

that's it. And then I do a one strand of the little icicle lights on my front porch and we got a little light up, blinking snowman on the front porch. I'm sorry, Mercury trees. I think you buried the lead there, Chuck, What the hell is Google that ship? No, look it up Mercury Christmas tree and you'll see it's like, uh, it's like a mercury glass. Oh yeah, okaya, I never I never heard it described that way. Yeah. They're they're classy,

they're cool looking. Yeah, they're cool. I like him, all right, Uh, this is great. One of our old buds, Robert Paulson, his name is Robert Paulson, says this. It used to be going to the Nutcrack. God, Paulson, this is so great. It used to be going to the Nutcracker Ballet. But then I convinced my daughters that they hated it too once they got older, and now we don't have to go. I'm sorry, man, No, no, I'm not sorry. I mean we're we're on the same page. It sucks. I wouldn't

I've never been I don't want to go. The first part is is charming because the first part I've maybe mentioned before. I used to work at a theater um and was a sound guy and we would do the Nutcracker every year. Two different companies would do it, kind of like back to back. It's that popular. So they'd be like the local ballet theater company that would do it, and then this other ballet theater company from like a

little out of town would come and do it. And so I had to sit through like weeks of Cracker Um. And the first half is like the part where I keep wanting to call her Clarice, but that's I think it's Clara Um as the girl. And it's like the Christmas Miracle thing where the world turns into you know, Christmas Land and like you know, the creepy grandfather with the eye patch makes the Nutcracker come to life and

the rat king and all that. And then the second half it's just all these fucking weird dance routines with no like drags. Oh my god, is it ever drag? It was just I know nothing about it, nothing to know. I just literally literally told you the whole thing. Yeah, I never it wasn't a thing in our house. So I was spared the Nutcracker growing up. I know that song. Obviously I'm not. You know, I didn't grow up under a rock, so I know that. You know, dun is

that sugar Plum Fairies? No, that's not sugar Plum Fairies. Is d doo d dee doode doo doo doo doo doo. Do do do do do do do do? Do you know that one? Yeah? I know that one too, But yeah, I was spared it. Emily watched it and saw it growing up and likes it, I think. But I've made it quite clear that I really don't want to go. I will really quickly say though, before we move on, there is a really cool kind of alternate nutcracker tradition.

It's like a dance company, I want to say in New York, but it's called Hot Chocolate Nutcracker, and it's like, I think, it's a much more um African American centered approach to the Nutcracker and kind of like more fun. Exactly, it looks like a lot more fun, and it's it's become like a real tradition in like in terms of like the kids that do it every year and there's a Netflix documentary about it called Dance Dreams Hot Chocolate Nutcracker that's put up by Shonda Land Production, which is

a company that we partner with podcasts. So that might be an interest. If you're bored with the Nutcracker and you want to but you have a little fundness to nostalgia for it, maybe give Hot Chocolate Nutcracker a tribe. All right, that's the only one I'll see. I'll say that if I ever see anything. Clay Strider says pretty much the entire Christmas thing. I'm a fairly devout guy. Find no reason for the orgy of excess that my entire extended family does in the name of the one

we worship. Sorry, not trying to be a downer, just not feeling the season right now. Well that's the thing, though, Chuck, Right, the whole religious side of it just seems totally glossed over and basically made up, and the idea of balancing those two things like seems really off. Like what I mean is no one really thinks Jesus was born on Christmas Day. I mean, whether you believe in God or not, are there the Bible? Like I think that's all pretty

much understood to be arbitrary. Uh not real connection there, right, Uh, Genevan Valen one of her would you say that hot take? I guess, but I don't know. Maybe Gennevan Valance? Is this the way my in laws drag out gift giving for hours, one person at a time to open gifts and time to reflect and discuss the gift. It's so paidful. Jackie Warren says, we always wish Stuff Should Know would cover the origin of Christmas lights, fourth years, the charm.

I think we've done that, Jackie. Maybe, well, I don't know. We just recorded our Christmas episode yesterday, so it's uh, it's coming. Oh look at that cat in the background. No, hi, kittie. You see my kiddie and I see your kiddie. See that's so. I was about to say something because she's literally been circling my legs this whole time. And it's the most comfy because I'm wearing my COVID shorts, um and it's the most comfy, like sweets uh interaction. Ever,

She's so cool, dude. She's really taken to the house and like it's just like a curler. She'll just get right. What's what's the cat's name Karom, which is an anime character of some sort or another. I love it very nice. I'm really happy to have her. She's such a chill, good girl. Uh did ever tell you the story of when I house set for my friends many many, many many years ago and their cat called up my boxer shorts.

I was house sitting for my friends in their loft and cat sitting and Memers, who just recently passed away. Memers lived to be like eighteen or so members. In the middle of the night one night, crawled under the bed sheet. I didn't know this, I was asleep and crawled. I had these really big loose like sleeping boxers, and members crawled up the leg of through the leg of my boxers, like right there next to my junk, and crawled through my my pants and started to poke his

head out the waist band. And that's when I woke up with literally a cat inside my underwear. And it was to wake up in the middle of the night with a live animal inside your underwear. There's really no way to describe that feeling. Noll. That was one of the funniest, weirdest things that's ever happened to me. I am processing this right now, Chuck, and I'm trying to put myself in your shoes or boxers. And I don't

know if I would be terrified or delighted. King a combination seems like it would be a lot to take it. That story has gone down in friendship lore with all of our friends. When Memers crawled up my pants. Uh, let me see here. Deb Sanders says, I hate pretending to hate Christmas stuff when I'm around Christmas cynics. I fucking love Christmas. The horrible presence of music, the cookies, a lights, the Jamie's, all the movies except the Chevy

Chase one, the family everything. So Deb is up with Christmas. Get out of here with that Grinch stuff. I'm with her. I like Christmas. I think it's I think it's fun and I like it. It's something I don't know, like I said, despite the problems that are obvious, but I think it's nice. I like Christmas a lot, nol and I am really ready to be done with Christmas when that time comes. Let's a month, is that's it. I'm not that big. That's I'm surprised no one said like

they're beef with Christmas. Is that the stores are immediately Christmas affied, like day one after Thanksgiving, or not even a Thanksgiving, a Halloween. It's just the season is extended far too long, so it tends it can it has the potential of wearing it. It's welcome. Uh So this one, no, I'm not gonna read in full, but Hailey wells, uh, Christmas triggers some very bad childhood memories for Haley, and so I'm not gonna get to get in all the details. It's on the page if you want to go read it.

But Haley, I'm sorry to hear that. And that's true for a lot of people, I imagine, and it happens every year, and it's kind of shoved down your throat anyway. So we are always thinking about the people who don't like Christmas for reasons that are very personal to them. You know. Let me see here, Julie Rutherford. Hello, Julie says, putting up a tree. I do it because of societal expectation. All right, I like the tree. I like the tree too. Don't have one, but I like you didn't do one

this year and do on this year? No? Why not? I should have? This is my first time like having my own like not my first time having my own place. But you know, it's December ninth, and ol, I guess I could do it. I should do it. I'm gonna do it. You know what. I'm gonna do it. You don't have to. I'm not pressuring you. If you don't want to do it, don't do it. No, I do want to do it. Um. And then here's the thing.

Casey um was going to give me a little a small tree because they were going to get a big one um. But then they realized they didn't want to get the big ones and they kept a small one. So I kind of have to have to go my own way now and get my own tree. So and that is Casey in your family, not Casey Pegg. Casey and my family, my beloved mother of my child, who is a lovely human being and a dear, dear friend

she is. I saw those uh portraits that she posted online the other day of you and your big extended family and you and Eden, and they were great. They were lovely, lovely pictures, nice, very nice. Do you want to plug who took those? Is there a Courtney Goldman Um? She is in Atlanta based portrait photographer, and you can check her out at Courtney Goldman dot com. If I'm not mistaken, she's lovely, good, good friend of the family. Cindy Decker says, a big sit down meal, I would

much rather have finger foods, all right. Vanessa Lopez her dear friend who loves all the holiday things. Yes, I'm one of those people, and I'm not sorry. You shouldn't be, uh. Lennia Barnette, one of our old pal, says, I love all things holiday related. But every year my husband asked if I want to go to the Christmas Eve Mass, and every year I have to remind him who he married.

That's really great. Yeah. Do you think you can casually go to a mass just like you know, to appease somebody, or do you do you need to stand by your guns if you're like super a religious like well, I mean it's up to the person. Like I don't think there's anything wrong with an agnostic or an atheist going to a mass or a church service if they want to appease someone, that's a nice thing to do. I'm not into it, but and Lenny is not into it.

I don't have any because we're both right, yeah, exactly. My thing is I don't really have any kind of like religious anti religious soapbox about not going. I just find them intensely boring. Yeah, like, why would you want to ruin Christmas? I could be drinking hot Toddy and watching a Christmas story and yeah, looking at nuts. That's what I'm talking about. Uh, Stephanie del culd a cardinal, great name. Don't hate any of our traditions. If anything,

I love them even more. Now that's very sweet, Stephanie. I love that. I love hearing that. Let me see here. We'll bust through a lot of these quickly. Rochelle Jones watching Love. Actually, all right, I've heard that movie stinks. John Bowles Kerm says listening to Christmas music. A. J. Middlestet One World Prince says, the same food every year. Robert Eldridge putting up a Christmas tree. I seriously could

care less. It's so funny. As we're buzzing through these, I keep like, forgetting are these things people love about Christmas or hate? And then occasionally one will hate you and hate that you do anyway, but because your family no I get it. I remember. But it's just like some of these sounds like like nice, but I get it. Love actually didn't even realize as a Christmas movie. I've never seen it. Helen lyons, this is a good one.

I don't hate it at all, but I do feel a little awkward at ative to have my dad read my sister and me Clement Seymours Towards the Night Before Christmas picture book Every Christmas Eve, I think your dad's just fucking with you. At least he was gonna make you like sit in his lap or something. Yeah, like gather around kids, that's funny. Jared Adams hates Bing Crosby music. Sierra Sherry also hates Midnight Mass. Oh it's at midnight exactly. There's no way I'd be bombed. You don't want drunk

chuck in church at midnight. Uh. Kira Brianne Hawkins's Dirty Santa. Even then, I know it's a game, and I am an adult. I always end up mad for one reason. I don't know that game. It really hates Dirty Santa. Dirty Santa? Is that is that like a white elephant Christmas situation? Like why don't you know a gift giving like exchange? He is dirty Stants? That was like kinky sex move. That's the dirty santee. Jim Rimley says, Bible readings.

Zack Pointer, one of world friend says getting Christmas cake that's too expensive. Uh, And he says chicken dinner is popular in Japan and I knew that, KFC. It's a big thing in Japan for Christmas. Dirty Sanda is kind of like Yankee swap or like, you know, it's really like like your White Elephant, okay thing, it's like a

do to be like the vibrator or something. No, I don't think that's a Dirty Santa tends to be geared more toward a new gift in the fifteen and twenty dollar range, while White elephantles itself to something that is free and tack here. So yeah, dirty Santa is more like a cool gift. It sounds like it should be. Like I'm not even gonna say that the show has limits to know, like butt plugs or something or well, sure, there you go. I was gonna say something else, but

that's along those same lines. So thank you for that. You're welcome. Yours is in the mail, by the way, thanks Bud. And when I say in the mail, I don't mean the one I bought for you. I mean the one that we share and mail back and forth to each other. I will say, there's nothing more festive than a butt plug because it looks a lot like a Christmas tree. What is wrong with us? It's the best holiday sex. I mean, no question, hands out, Oh

little Christmas trip your butt. Austin Handler loves it all. He said, there's a reason that my nickname at the holidays is Santa Clouston. Austin Handler. I love that out there and uh in New York. All right, I think that's good. Yeah, those are enough grievances. Festivus. Remember Festivus on silent Seinfeld was in the area of the grievances, one of the Festivus traditions. Yeah, that that that's a classic. The feats of strength, very funny stuff. I know people

that have festivous polls, they put up noll. Alright, so family tradition out of the way. Let's do this. Then let's let's end on something a little cheerier. Let's not speak of butt plugs and vibrators and atheism. Knoll, my god, we're not trying to ruin Christmas. There's nothing wrong with atheism or about plugs. Or vibrators. But go on, Chuck, I'm I'm down with all three. Um let me see here. What did I put? Oh? I put what's your favorite moment or scene from a Christmas movie or special, So

not the entire thing, but just your favorite moment. I mean, I've got a lot of favorites, but I will say the the one often quoted in my house is the Peter Dinklage scene in ELF. That whole scene is fantastic, and especially when he jumps up on the table and Will Ferrell goes look at you and he reaches out to to get a hug. Love that part and then

he just comes bum rushes him. It's so good. Um brittany story, one of our old pal says when Kathleen Kelly is hanging more twinkle lights and that's in quotes and decorating her Christmas tree in the store window of the shop around the corner, as if you were you hear her read her latest letter to Joe Fox describing the Joni Mitchell song river and expressing grief over missing her mother and worrying about the uncertainty of our business surviving.

It's a beautifully written scene and utterly heartbreaking. Someone just mentioned oh yeah, I don't know. I was on an Instagram story. I think that the Joni Mitchell song River was mentioned as like good song being a Christmas song, but I think it was maybe because it's associated with this movie. Yeah. I just got just gave in the mail stray. I got Emily Joni Mitchell's Blue the original pressing, which I found on eBay. It was not cheap, I

bet I need to do. I mean it was like sixty bucks, but sixty bucks for records a lot of money. I think I've only ever paid more than fifty for a record once. I got like an original pressing of a new order Um Substance, which is like kind of like a career spanning like retrospect from their early just post Joy Division days. But it's like a double LP, but it's on factory record throw down for a collectible

record every now and had the original Van Halen demo record. Uh. And I think that was saying like, oh, dude, I had to tell a very quick story. It's not holiday at all, but we're talking. This is just too good not to mention. I had a call with the dude the other day about a podcast pitch and me and

Jordan's um who work on the music slate together. Jordan was researching something and he came across this detail that Charlie Manson UM had made these demo tapes in the sixties and I actually heard them, and that they were produced by this guy who had the same name as the dude we were doing the call with. And it tracked because this guy is like a sixties kind of like producery pr guy who like you know, ran in circles with like the likes of like the Rolling Stones.

And I'm not gonna name his name, but um anyway, so he we do the call you the pitch. It's great. At the end, I'm like, Okay, I'm gonna put Jordan on the spot really quick. We've got to ask you about something. And Jordan found this and we just you gotta do it, Jordan, So he asked him and he goes, do you want to hear the story? And Arles Manson's producer. Yeah. So this guy apparently was buddies with a dude who was Charles Manson's cellmate, UM and Charlie Manson out of

prison and he wanted to be a musician. Everyone knows kind of that part of his story. That was his whole deal. Um and he his cell May hooked him up with this guy who worked at Universal Um, you know, the movie studio at the time, who had just launched a small record label and recording studio. He got him

an end to like record these demo tapes. So he says, Charlie pulls up in this school bus to the studio lot with all these like you know, hippie chicks on acid, like with no shoes on, and they have a meeting and agree to do the demo and they make it and then he ultimately doesn't go anywhere because it kind

of sucks. But he also like had Manson over to his house several times and he said he was flying back from l A to New York or sorry, New York to l A. And he looked at the newspaper at the at the airport and it was like Charles Manson arrested after multiple homicida Sharon Tate House and said

his blood just ran cold. And then he got home and there was a message on his machine from the FBI saying they wanted to talk to him, and he called him up and they said that they had found this list, this murder list and Charlie's stuff, and that his and his wife's name were on it. Jesus, I hope my name has never been on a murder murder list. Yeah, and then one can only assume who was because he failed to secure him a record deal. I'm gonna kill

him too, exactly. Yeah. It's funny. When I was a kid like, Charles Manson seemed so scary to me, And of course I'm not saying what he didn't was it horrific and scary, But I had never heard him talk or anything. I get a little bit older, and I was like, he's just this little short redneck whatever. There was a whole it was a great uh little like him ranting kind of speech, and he just sounds unhinged and not particularly scarier threatening at all, And yet we're smart. Yeah. Yeah,

it's very interesting stuff, all right. Brianna Rossi back to scenes moments from Christmas movies. Brianda Rossie, one of our oldest friends, says, uh, what about the Seamen home alone in the church with Kevin talking to his neighbor. I think we're gonna watch that this year with Ruby. I think she's old enough, man, it gets pretty brutal. Don't forget like the direct stepping on the giant nail and the paint cans to the face. I mean it's it's no, yes, I mean it's of course, but it's uh, it's all

in fun. I don't think I think it's I'm just saying like, it's like I even saw a meme the other day saying, like horror torture movies pale in comparison to that scene where Marv steps on the nail directly. It's like, oh, it hurts my heart. Um, the Melanie Coufman says, not a Christmas movie necessarily, but the Little Women, Little Women feels like a Christmas movie. Beth receives the old grand piano as a Christmas gift, and now it will make music again. Brings tears to my eyes every time.

Great moment. Classic, Uh, Skylar Ward says, the family back and forth and while you were sleeping when Sandra Bullock he gets invited over for Christmas. Yeah, the movies all right, it's fun enough, Melanie Dickie Wright says the end of It's a Wonderful Life, when George finds a copy of Tom Sawyer from Clarence in the note inside says, remember no man as a failure who has friends? Then everyone sings all things in and I ugly cry. Uh ugly

specifically have to have to do with running makeup? Or is it just you make a weird face that that I think just sobbing? Yeah, ugly face, yeah good, Ugly cry feels good. Uh. Nick Ericson says, I enjoyed that Harvey Corman Julia Child cooking segment and the Star Wars Holiday special way more than I like to admit. David Barlow, one of our old buddy, says, I've always loved the scene where they finally get those lights on in Christmas Vacation. I like that scene too. Never seen him, I'm a fan.

Jokoski says in The Family Stone Own that is a good Christmas movie because it's not you know, it's a family movie that is set near Christmas. Is that's a good movie When the dad and the sun are out eating brownies, I don't know. I just love how comfortable they are together. I always hoped I could be that comfortable with my son. Really, anything that Luke Wilson does

in that movie made me laugh quite enjoyed it. Uh. Sarah Garcia says Chevy Chase watching childhood movies, getting sentimental, then falling through the roof addict door when Beverly and Angelo opens it. Yeah, that's a fun scene. Uh. Let me see here the train scene at the end of While You Were Sleeping, when Sandra Bullock describes when she fell in love. That is from Cindy Haynesworth. Karen Coron, I always miss pronounce your names and names, so sorry. Uh.

Erica Renee Bossart says. The scene at the end of Home Alone when the mom walks through the door on Christmas morning is reunited with Kevin as a new mom hit me or right in the mommy heart and gets me choked up? Or how about this moment an old Karen Knox and Charlie Brown Christmas when Linus fixes a little tree and says all it needed was a little love.

That's really Let's the thing about Charlie Brown, It's like, right, it's simultaneously kind of depressing, but then all that kind of culminates in like a really warm, kind of kind hearted moment. You know, Yeah, totally. Here's a spoiler in the family stone. So if you haven't seen it and want to don't listen for the next twelve seconds, but

Heidie uh Niven says. The final scene of Family Stone, where the family gathers to decorate the tree after Diane Keaton's character had passed away, Rachel mcadam's character places an ornament on the tree in her reflection shows in her mother's photograph on the living room wall. Gets me every time, me too. No one wants to see that. We want Diane Keat to live forever and whole. I have not seen it. It's totally totally ruined for me now, Chuck

totally well. I said, spoiler, you could have taken off those damn head You're right now. I don't care. Anna stress one of our old palaces. Bill Murray's epic speech at the of Scrooged also Carol Kane beating up Bill Murray and Scrooged. Let me see, Andy Long says both christ what's his name? From The New York Dolls as the cab driver and bluster Point dixter point next her in the Scrooged as the ghost what's his realm name? David Johansson's right, Andy Long says both in a Christmas

Story with a grouchy master performance of Darren McGavin. Amen. When the old Man clicks on the radio to Silent Night and puts his arm around Ralphail's mom, content and happy in the glow of the tree while watching the snow come down through the frosty window. And then when Ralphie's mom opens the cabinet door under the kitchen sink

and Randy emerges for dinner. Uh. In a subtle moment of genius, the old man sees the strange event occur and gives a fuddled and exhausted headshake before returning to his paper. Yeah, that's a funny. That's a funny moment. I told you we watched that with Ruby and it was too over her head. Yeah, it's not a five year old movie. No, it's got a lot of the innuendo and like adult e kind of themes. And I'm sure I've mentioned it's just not that funny for a

five years now. It's that's the thing, right, like a lot of like that. That's We's wide. Disney movies worked so well because they work on multiple levels. Because they've got the jokes for the kids and the jokes for the adults. But Christmas Story is like a adult movie masquerading as a kids movie. Um, but you know, we talked about this. They play it every year on TBS, like maybe they do. Don't do it anymore, but they used to for years only like a twenty four hour marathon,

just playing the movie on repeat. Um. And I don't think I've ever seen it from front to back in one sitting. I've just seen it like in weird like cut up reverse order, like from watching it, like oh, turn on the TV for a minute and like grab a little ten minute clip and then okay, now do some of the stuff. Turned it back on. Now it's back at the beginning because it's looped over. And I don't think I've ever seen it all in one go,

but I definitely seen the whole thing. Miguel Miguel, Oh Jesus Christ, I'm so sorry, Miguel Miguel, Mayanna, I think that's right. Seems not Maniana tiny tim saying God bless us everyone. It's my favorite, I mean atheist. So it has become a family joke. Whenever something nice happens at home, I'd say it out loud. That's very funny. Miguel I just stuff like that, say in a tiny little voice, do God bless us everyone, and welcome to the Crusher community. Miguel,

I don't think I've seen you before. Let me see Scott deal without a doubt. At the end of How the Grid Stole Christmas, that two minutes in fifteen seconds gets longer every time I watch it. It's a family favorite, though. All right, let's finish up with the company. I have to assume they're referring to the animated classic and not the kind of maccab Jim Carey one that I find wholly unpleasant. I don't know how others in the kind of like that. We liked it? You like that? Sure? Yeah,

I do. I think they really. Uh. I think they really brought that world to life in a very kind of cool, creative, believable way, practical sets and costumes, and I thought it'll look good. I liked it. Maybe I'll check. I'll give another goal. No, it's not for everyone. I don't watch it again ever, watch I definitely won't. Chuck. Dan Maynard says Zoe Deschanelle singing in elf, not because she's in the shower. That's a bonus. Hey, now, Dan, uh that's when I discovered her as a singer and

found her band, she and him, who are brilliant. Yeah, I like she and him because I'm a huge uh m Ward m Ward guy. Well here's a little in word secret and you don't really get it from his records. You get it a little bit. He's one of the best guitar players I've ever seen, dude. I saw him at City Winery from the front row there and uh, just him and an acoustic guitar. He fucking murders that guitar. Crazy fingerpicking style. It's crazy, crazy, crazy crazy and and

I'm a huge Immord fan. But like it really doesn't come through on the records like it does live. It's something else. Dechanelle, Yeah, I can take it earlier about to say people have a beef with Zoey Deschanelle because she's the deal dude. And I don't want to be mean, but when someone is clearly sort of singing like an affected sort of Billie Holiday thing, it just like you can't convince me that that's how Zoey Deschanelle just really

sang from the moment she opened her mouth. Don't care for it either, Chuck, and I think she put on a thing to sing a lot that. Yeah, exactly. I don't care for it either. It might be wrong, but I know others though that do that, and it takes something real special to pull that off and have it feel authentic and not affected. But the way she does it combined with her just like general kind of quirky thing,

you know, which you know. I'm like, I'm not trying to like whatever, be yourself, do your thing, but she does. She has kind of gotten pigeonholed as that like manic pixie dream girl, kind of like Uku lately playing like, you know, sarcastic, cute girl. I like he as an actor and the stuff I've seen her in All the Real Girls is one of my favorite indie movies of all time, with the print of the show Paul Schneider

and Zoe Dechianelle. I think she's a good actor. I never saw The New Girl, so I can't speak to that. I don't know, but I like her. Yeah, I just don't like just don't sing like that, fair fair. I think there's gonna be divisive. Half the people are gonna say totally dude, and half the people are gonna be

really mad at on the internet people being divided. I don't believe it all right, let's finish this up with a couple of more Brandon as Sir uh Sara Gao says, the fight between Joshua and Riggs, Gary Busey and Mel Gibson and Lethal Weapon. It is pretty great Leath the Weapon Christmas movie. I guess the die Hard can be, then Lethal Weapon can be. I mean the first one takes place in the Christmas season, right, or at least a big pu It's been a while, but that sounds

about right. And then we'll finish up Noel with Adam Storm because it's one of my favorite Christmas special uh when river Bottom Nightmare Band takes the stage, and of course this is during emmett Otter's jug Band Christmas deep most pure hearted, great Christmas piece of content that's ever been made? Is that one with heat Miser snow Miser? I like that? No, No, what's that from that is the let's either the Rudolph one, you know, it's one

of the ranking bass stop motion Christmas specials. I don't know if it's Rudolph. I think it's the Rudolf one or maybe it's now it's not Baby New Year. Those are all great too, though. I love those. Is it the year without Santa claus Man? I don't know. That might be a sequel. Okay, never mind, but yeah, I got it. You're talking about Henson property. I'm talking about a stop motion things, any different things, all right, my friend.

That is it for this holiday edition. We got another one coming out on Christmas Day this year, Noll, which is pretty exciting and um, we're gonna record that next you and me. But for everyone out there listening, I hope you were with friends and family, keeping it small and having a good time anyway, and we wish you

well and we love you all. This movie Crash is produced and written by Charles Bryant and Roel Brown, edited and engineered by Seth Nicholas Johnson is scored by Noel Brown here in our home studio at Popsy Market, Atlanta, Georgia. For I Heart Radio. For more podcasts for my Heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.