Topic: Etiquette

The show concludes with a satirical Broadway-style musical number summarizing the podcast's mission of deconstruction. Following the music, a final tangent involves a "pet peeve" about airplane passengers who eat peanuts using the "fisting method"—shaking a handful of nuts in a closed fist to pop them into their mouth—which is described as "annoying as hell" to witness.

A discussion on the "Birds Aren't Real" conspiracy theory serves as a critique of modern phone addiction and its impact on interpersonal communication. The hosts argue that delayed responses caused by "thumb typing" on smartphones are the true cause of relationship friction rather than a lack of interest in birds. The segment references the 1963 song "Surfin' Bird" by The Trashmen as a humorous retort to the social media trend.

A discussion regarding the lack of call waiting on certain phone lines leads to an anecdote about producer Dana Brunetti receiving a busy signal. The conversation shifts to the "tip of the day" suggesting people disable call waiting to avoid interruptions from "bigger names" on other lines.

A clip of Chris Cuomo having a "teleprompter fail" on NewsNation is played. Cuomo is seen berating the operator on-air, which the hosts describe as the "dumbest thing you can do" because prompter operators are often low-paid and can easily sabotage a broadcast. They label Cuomo a "douchebag" for humiliating a staff member publicly.

Dr. Sir Otter, a trucker from Nebraska, is promoted to Baron of the Flatwater after a significant donation. He requests "relationship karma" and a replay of the "fisting nuts" segment, where a host complains about the annoying way people eat snacks on airplanes. The segment also features audio clips of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump used for "karma" soundbites.

A discussion regarding a classic social maneuver dubbed "the sister gag" explores the effectiveness of complimenting an older woman by asking if she is her daughter's sister. The conversation shifts to personal anecdotes about maintaining positive relationships with mothers-in-law. One host reflects on his successful relationship with his wife Mimi's mother, attributing it to a commitment to being supportive.

Associate Executive Producers Shannon Summers and Milo Curtis contribute to the show, with Curtis providing a "well actually" correction regarding naval flag etiquette. He explains that the church pennant is the only flag authorized to fly above the national ensign during services conducted by naval chaplains at sea. The segment highlights the diverse expertise of the listener base and their role in refining the show's factual accuracy.

John C. Dvorak introduces a new protocol for meetups, requesting that donors hand their contributions directly to the hosts rather than using a middleman. He emphasizes the importance of personal interaction and the opportunity to thank supporters face-to-face. The segment concludes with a playful "ISO Off," where the hosts compete to see who has the better audio clip for the show's soundboard.

A personal anecdote from a restaurant in Fredericksburg, Texas, highlights the social transition into being perceived as an "elder." The interaction involved a server showing deference to age, sparking a discussion on the different ways people in their 70s react to being called "young man" or "dude."

A comprehensive list of donors from across the United States and the Netherlands was read, including birthday shout-outs and "karma" requests. The segment concluded with a "pet peeve" regarding airplane passengers who eat snacks using the "fisting method"—pouring nuts into a palm and shaking them through a hole in the fist. This behavior was described as highly annoying to fellow travelers.

A TikTok creator's defense of talking loudly during movies is used to illustrate a perceived decline in public social norms. This leads into the "Transmalice Agenda Update," a recurring segment featuring various jingles that mock the aggressive promotion of gender ideology in media and education. The hosts express confusion over conflicting listener reports regarding whether the *Barbie* movie supports or subverts these cultural trends.

Donors contribute various amounts, including a "333.33" sequence. A health karma request is made for a producer's son recovering from a motorcycle accident. A recurring anecdote about "fisting nuts"—an annoying method of eating snacks on an airplane—is revisited at the request of a donor.

The hosts discuss strategies for responding to the use of preferred pronouns in professional settings. Suggestions include telling individuals not to worry about pronouns because they won't be discussed with others, or expressing that the topic of pronouns makes one feel "uncomfortable" to flip the social dynamic.

Heather Talamante, a DEI consultant, provides guidance on handling pronouns in the workplace, advising employees to wait for others to disclose their preferences rather than asking. Failure to use an employee's preferred pronouns can be classified as "bullying" by HR, even if it does not lead to an immediate write-up. The suggested "safe" alternative is to use an individual's first name to avoid gendered language entirely.

A listener requests a replay of John Dvorak's critique of how people eat snacks on airplanes. Dvorak describes the "fisting method," where a passenger pours a pile of nuts into their palm and attempts to eat them through a small hole made by their fingers. The hosts joke about the absurdity of the visual and the lack of traditional snacks on airlines like Southwest.

A discussion on social etiquette covers the use of terms like "hun" in retail environments and the rise of specific online insults, such as sending empty egg carton memes to women to mock declining fertility. The segment addresses the psychological impact of "swarming" by trolls and the resulting security concerns for public figures.

NPR featured a multi-part series on the "etiquette" of hugging and handshaking during the pandemic. The segments suggest "shimmying" to gauge comfort levels and asking for vaccination status before physical contact. The hosts ridicule the advice as "psychotic" and "exasperating," arguing it fuels unnecessary social anxiety and germaphobia.

An anecdote about a grocery store encounter in the Berkeley area serves as a critique of millennial social behavior and non-confrontational attitudes. The host described an instance where a young woman refused to cut ahead in line despite having only one item, interpreting it as a sign of being "over-socialized" or "under-socialized" in public. The discussion suggests that younger generations may perceive simple acts of kindness from older individuals with suspicion or confusion.

Travelers in Mexico frequently asked strangers about their vaccination status, a behavior characterized as a new and somewhat rude social norm. The discussion also identifies a specific physical archetype of American men dubbed "Brogans," modeled after Joe Rogan, featuring shaved heads and over-pumped physiques.

New York Times science writer James Gorman authored an article comparing "mask slipping" to "man-spreading," suggesting that men are more likely to let their masks fall below their noses. The piece argues that while masks slip for everyone, there is a perceived gendered component to the refusal to wear masks correctly in public spaces like grocery stores and subways.