Brooke and Jeffrey: Second Date Update - Awkward Tuesday: Graduating Class of 2025

Episode Date: June 17, 2025

For one of our listeners, there’s ONE MAJOR THING standing in the way of the perfect graduation party for her son… and that’s her neighbor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey, I'm Jay Shetty and I'm the host of the On Purpose podcast. Today I'm thrilled to welcome back to On Purpose, Cynthia Erivo. A Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor and singer you know from the color purple, Harriet and Wicked. Cynthia Erivo. This may be a hard thing to say, but sometimes hurting someone actually aids the growth of another person. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty

on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes, but there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Inc.

I get right back there and it's bad. Listen to Absolute Season 1, Taser Inc. on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Why is a soap opera western like Yellowstone so wildly successful? The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to The American West with Dan Flores on the iHeart radio app,

Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glott. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. Last year, a lot of the problems of the drug war this year, a lot of the biggest names in music and sports. It's kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We met them at their homes, we met them at their recording studios.

Stories matter and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs Podcast Season Two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Michael Kassin, founder and CEO of 3C Ventures,

and your guide on Good Company, the podcast where I sit down with the boldest innovators shaping what's next. In this episode, I'm joined by Anjali Sood, CEO of 2B. We dive into the competitive world of streaming. What others dismiss as niche, we embrace as core. There's so many stories out there and if you can find a way to curate and help the right person discover the right content, the term that we always hear from our audience is that they feel seen. Listen to Good Company on the iHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, welcome to your Second Date podcast and today we've got a brand new awkward Tuesday phone call for you. Yeah. It's Brooke and Jeffrey in the morning. A lot of neighbor drama, a lot of neighbor drama and mom drama in this one. So sit back. I'm sure there'll be people in the comments calling out their bad neighbors. Yeah.

After this moms that have students graduating and can relate. Oh, yeah. Dude, when I graduated, my mom goes, oh, was I supposed to throw you a party? Oh, that's how you get the money, bro. I was like, no, it's cool. I'm like, party bouncing to other people's houses. So we're good, mom. Uh-huh.

All right, what do we got for comments, Alexis? Yeah, Lexi said, I finally caught up on every episode of the second date update from 2012. Time to move on to the full show. You guys are the best part of my day wait 2012? 2012 how long does that take?

there's so many and now she's got the full show to binge for you that long by the time you catch up to this year we're gonna be off the air she's gonna be like finally in 2025 ain't where'd everybody go no we do have a full show it's a full hour long if you do yourself and Get more from us. It's brand new every day and that's on our main show podcast Which you can see if you hit that more like us on Spotify or just search Brooke and Jeffrey Yeah, a lot better. You may want to get into the 2020s. Yeah

2012 and I'm like All right, let's start this podcast. It's your set or, nope, it's not. It's your Awkward Tuesday phone call. It's brand new, it starts right now. There's no one more chill, more zen, more easygoing than a mom planning a major celebration for her family.

Are you with me? That was good, Jeff. Yeah. Okay, I'll admit, some mothers can get a little bit uptight, little neurotic in the lead up to something big like that. And that's exactly the headspace one of our listeners is in right now. Because there's one major thing standing in the way of her son's perfect graduation party.

And that thing is her next door neighbor. Ooh. Oh, wow. She needs help working out a deal without completely burning all her neighborly bridges. Okay. Oh boy. You're gonna hear it in your brand new Awkward Tuesday phone call coming up right after this.

It's awkward. It's Tuesday. It's Awkward Tuesday phone call. right after this. Remember those old 1950s TV shows where everybody lives in a perfect little suburban community and all the neighbors are friendly and helpful and they let each other borrow cups of sugar and wave from their front porch? Turns out the real world isn't always quite like that. A lot of the times it's more like a cold war standoff where you're desperately trying to get your neighbor to stop parking their old sailboat on their front lawn and maybe ask them to rotate their creepy garden gnome army so they're not staring directly into your bedroom window. But if you're where I'm from, good news, there is a bomb shelter you can go to.

Oh yeah, there's like four on your block. The point is, it could be super awkward dealing with your neighbors and that's why one of our listeners has come to us for a little bit of help today. Her name is April. So April, welcome to the show. Hey, how's it going? Good. You sound like a friendly type of neighbor.

I am. But apparently something is going on with one of your neighbors that's caused an issue for you. What's happening? Yeah. So, okay. My son is graduating from high school and in a couple of weeks we have the graduation party. Okay. My son is graduating from high school and in a couple of weeks we have the graduation party and my husband and I like, we're super excited, but there's one thing I'm not excited

about and I'm a little bit stressed out about this. We like our house to look really nice. We like to keep everything super clean. Lawn is nice and tidy. The house is painted nice. Everything looks great. And there is a neighbor right next door to us that has not mowed his lawn for, I mean, it looks like it's been years. And it looks awful. And I'm just kind of embarrassed. You're embarrassed by your neighbor? You obviously don't have an HOA, right? Or they would have like made him cut that already. I love a messy neighbor because it makes me look so put together

Honestly the more rusted out cars you have in your front line the more it looks like I am top-notch Yeah, but it makes the whole neighborhood like yeah a little worse Yeah, it makes people coming over being like oh god like she bought a house here I just think that you're looking at this the wrong way April why does it bother you so much? The thing is is it just makes the whole neighborhood look bad and it just is a reflection on my neighborhood, which I am a part of Yeah, maybe you should start the age You sound like an HOOA president for sure

Okay, a couple things that have happened. So I'm a little bit nervous to ask him because there was a time a couple of years ago when he asked me if I could trim one of my trees so that he could have a better view Okay, and I was really slow to get around to it I eventually did get around to it, but it was definitely not a priority of mine so i'm just worried that he's going to Remember that and be like i'm not going to mow my lawn anytime soon or I'm gonna wait until the day before or something, I'm just, it's really stressing me out

and looking back I should have definitely gotten to that earlier, I didn't think of this as come full circle. So it sounds like you guys don't have a real close relationship, you and this neighbor. No, he's nice, he's fine, we don't talk or get together. So I just am a little bit worried about asking him. So you haven't even reached out to him at all about this?

You haven't texted him or anything regarding his lawn? No. Yeah, but you don't know, maybe there's something going on for why he can't mow the lawn. Maybe the easiest solution is just to offer to do it yourself. Make your son go do it. Yeah, that's good. I would say hire someone, Make your son go do it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's good. I would say hire someone, but the son's way better.

Like, he could be dealing with a sickness or he could be out of town. Like, there could be a lot of different reasons why someone can't do it. No, he's a young, healthy guy. He's young and healthy. Oh, well, okay. We're matching like an old guy.

I mean, I see him outside all the time. You know, he works on his car and he, like, he works out. I just am not sure what the deal is with this lawn like why he doesn't keep it up I see I mean because the thing is like normally in this segment We would help people with like their relationship issues But this is a really relatable problem for a lot of people who have one neighbor who they'd like to ask to like address Something at their house, but it's uncomfortable to ask them to do that. Right. Because it's not your house and not your business. I'm sorry.

It's like, it feels a little judgy to be worried about the neighbor's lawn. Neighbors can be judgy. My neighbor tried to fight me because I was too loud one night. Remember? I was with a girl. So with your awkward call here, you're looking for advice on how to call your neighbor and politely get him to agree to Fix up the mess that he's made of his house. Yeah

I would be insulted honestly like I think that's probably what you're worried about Right is like insulting him and saying that he's not taking good care of it I don't know if I'm I think he should be cleaning everything up like so I'm not worried about me being Insulting I mean, I just wanted to do it They don't seem to talk very much at all And if he's gonna do something that you'd like him to do you may want to focus on kindness Yeah, no, and I'm gonna do that. You're about to host a big party next door to him, I'd watch out.

Yeah, because he can ruin your party too. Yeah, and I mean, I have signs up all over that he's graduating, so it's like, he knows that there's gonna be a party. It's probably something that doesn't embarrass him, right? Apparently not. Doesn't embarrass him right like yeah apparently not okay, but remember they have that they already have the animosity Built up between them from when he asked her to do a favor Yeah, and she just ignored it for months what she just made a giant sign that says don't look at this lawn. Yeah Looking for advice and you said you are willing to actually doing it yourself or having your son do it for him That's a starting point at least so we can come back

We'll try and think of some advice to give you and let you call your neighbor and force him to clean up his dirty disgusting front lawn We'll do it more polite when we do it with your Awkward Tuesday phone call right after this. Thank you! Hold on. It's Awkward. It's Tuesday. It's Awkward Tuesday phone call.

How do you get your neighbor to agree to make changes that you want to their house? That is a fun question. Pretty normal, because a big party is happening for our listener, April, cause her son is having a graduation from his high school. He's graduating on his very first try. Oh man. Good for him.

Wow, rub it in Jeff. I know. It's okay. We're so jealous. It's okay that it took you four. But there's gonna be at least 50 people at this party. They're gonna be parking all down the street and the problem is her next-door neighbor's front lawn is a total eyesore So she needs him to cut it clean it up in the next 48 hours

And it's turned to us for advice on how to have that awkward conversation politely I never knew someone who wanted an HOA before But since she doesn't we're the closest thing she has Brooke. What's your advice to her before she calls this guy? I never knew someone who wanted an HOA before. But it sounds like she does. But since she doesn't, we're the closest thing she has. Brooke, what's your advice to her before she calls this guy? I think it's pretty easy, April. I think that what you have to do is you have to invite him to the graduation party. Oh, I didn't think of that. Invite him over.

What do you think of that, April? I don't think that's a good idea. He's not part of our friend group. I could make him a plate of food and bring it over He's your neighbor He doesn't have to be part of the friend group He's your neighbor invite him over and if he's invested in the party then he's more likely to help you out Yeah, but it sounds like they're just acquaintances like we're not friends. How do you become friends if you don't start somewhere? How do you know that I want friends?

And how do we know that this neighbor isn't gonna get upset when he finds out the son has graduated high school? We don't know if he's graduated. It might hurt his feelings. Yeah, like my feelings were hurt, remember? Okay, so Brooke wants to education shame your neighbor. I don't know if that's great advice. No, I want to be neighborly, invite him over.

Okay, that's O for one. Okay. Jose, what do you think? Do something that I like to call a neighbor favor for favor? What's your advice Jose focus you tell him that you have a favor to ask him and if he says yes Then you will do any favor that he would like from you within reason, okay? You get like a pre-promise. What do you think about that April? I'll mow your lawn if you mow mine I like that neighbor favor for what is it called neighbor favor for favor trademark patent pending neighbor favor favor You're not gonna like whatever favor he asked favor for favor trademark patent pending

Like whatever favor he asked You would even come to the party yeah, you can't even invite him to your house look you just got owned in your advice by Education doesn't always win bro. Okay Just be quiet Okay, you need to swallow your pride right now marinate in that burn You're reflecting poorly on our entire show, so let's call this guy. I'm growing my grass out in protest Okay, you already do we know okay here. We go. I'm gonna dial your neighbor for you. What's his name by the way April? Matt okay, we're calling him right now. We'll step in if we feel like you need a little help. But you got this. All right.

Gotcha. Okay, good luck. Hello. Hi, Matt. This is April, your neighbor. Lives right next door. How are you? Oh, I'm doing well. What's going on with what's up with the call? Oh, I mean, I just, you know, checking in and haven't seen you out doing much lately. So I was just concerned and stuff. And you're calling for a welfare check on me or something. I mean, not, not, not so much on you, but more on your lawn. So, I mean, I was just curious, like, so slow down. What did you just say about my lawn? We noticed your lawn has been very overgrown and, um,

You think it's overgrown, huh? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, just, just, it's not super bad, but it just doesn't look like it's been a mode for a really long time. I'm over two weeks ago. What's wrong with you? Oh, did you? It's, it's just really overgrown with this. Yeah. You keep saying it's overgrown, but it's not.

Well, I mean, if you look at it compared to any other, other houses in the neighborhood, it's very different. All right. You know, just get to the point. What do you need? So I was just hoping Oh, you know, just get to the point. What do you need? So just hoping that, you know, that you would be able to kind of get it mowed because I have a big graduation party coming up for my son and all right, you know, I can, I can get to it in a couple of weeks. Okay. Well, so the, the graduation party is in like three days.

So I seem to remember a favor that I asked of you a while back and it took you about The graduation party is in like three days. So, um. I seem to remember a favor that I asked of you a while back and it took you about a year to do it. Do you remember that branch I asked you to cut? Yes, and I am so sorry about that. I am so sorry. That was absolutely, yeah. I mean, just so you know,

like if you would have had a party or something happening, I absolutely would have done it right away. Oh, that's all I need to say. I got a freaking party going on over here for you to cut a branch. Yeah. Oh, yeah, absolutely. If it was something that was like pressing, of course, of course I would, you know, and like if there's any favor, like what neighbor favor for a favor, if you have something that you need done, I will help you.

But then we're even, of course, like if you need help. Did you just say a neighbor favor for a favor? What? Yeah, neighbor favor for a favor. You know what? We could start right now with an apology for the branch. OK. And I said I was sorry. You know, I did. Say it again.

I'm sorry. I'm very sorry. I am. It's true. I should have gotten to that earlier and in the future that will be different All right. Well, it was pretty good. I guess I guess we can work something out Thank you so much Mom what I'm thinking is maybe if you you know, if you guys want to come over cut my lawn for like six months or so We can work something like that out. We you want us to come and cut my lawn for like six months or so. We can work something like that out. Sweet.

You want us to come and cut your lawn for six months? Well, it doesn't have to be all of you, just one of you. Oh. Oh. You're taking advantage of the situation here. This is kind of silly. Or, I mean, I said within a reason. Well, maybe we just talk it over at your graduation party

after you invite me to it. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh, my God. Wow. Oh, my God. Oh, this me to it. Oh my god. This is so daddy. This is awful. What the hell was that? That is not, I don't think that that's gonna happen.

I can bring you over a plate of food. You better introduce your friends on the phone. She's going with it. Let us talk for a sec. But yeah. Wait, what is going on? Hey, what's up, Matt? You're on a radio show right now called

Brooke and Jeffrey in the Morning. We're on a radio show right now called Brooke and Jeffrey in the morning We're just handling neighbor relations. Yeah I'm on the radio. Yeah There's a segment called awkward Tuesday phone call and your neighbor April reached out to us for help regarding the whole lawn situation You've been listening this whole time little bit of aggressive fighting I've heard in a long time. Bro, six months! Come on, Matt, you don't gotta do that to her. I'm kinda on his side. Uh-oh!

Oh. I was just kidding. Oh, now you're getting it. Oh, you were joking. Oh, so is that because now you're on the radio and there's like millions of people listening? No, no, no, that's just my sense of humor. I was joking the whole time. Oh I'm gonna yell at you sense of humor Exactly my dad. Come on. Did you hear that? He was joking with you the whole time. I'm so relieved to hear he's joking Funny how I didn't believe that before You guys are not communicating well in your neighborhood. No, I think you're absolutely right

I think that at the end of the day, I do want to have good neighbors I wish we had an HOA, but we don't I Can have my son come over and mow the lawn if he needs that it's totally fine No, no for what like one time No, I was kidding that whole time don't worry about it. I'll do it today. I'll take care of it. Oh, even on your own? Wait, now you're being friendly? He didn't know he was on the radio break.

This is his radio personality. He's compensating. What about the invite to the party? I actually think you should go to the party. Yeah! I thought that from the very beginning. I wouldn't be contentious at all Looking hard and he said he was kidding about everything even coming over. I Heard that you said you'd make me a food plate. I will take that

I would love to bring you a food plate totally fine This is good neighborly compromise good communication All we wanted to get out of this was a mowed lawn and it sounds like now your son doesn't even have to do it for him. He's gonna do it himself. Exactly! It's perfect. Okay. She's about to make him the smallest plate ever made for a game. Yeah.

Yeah. Here's one kernel of corn and a single potato from the salad. What a good three mac and cheese noodles. So generous. Hey April, by the way, I'm gluten free, so just be cool about that. Oh, come on. That's fair. It's Brooke and Jeffrey in the morning.

Hey, I'm Jay Shetty and I'm the host of the On Purpose podcast. Today I'm thrilled to welcome back to On Purpose, Cynthia Erivo. A Grammy, Emmy, and Tony Award winning actor and singer you know from the color purple, Harriet and Wicked. Oscar nominated, incredible actor, singer, author, and producer. Cynthia Erivo. What's the difference between achieving and overachieving? You've done something really amazing, but how can I be more than amazing?

How can I push more? How can I do more? You always felt like you didn't fit in. I had to come to terms with the fact that I don't think I'm ever going to fit in and why would I want to? We don't want to let people down. We want people to be happy. We don't want to break someone's heart. But the reality is that is how the way things go. I feel like a villain for doing it, for hurting someone. And this may be a hard thing to say, but sometimes hurting someone actually aids the growth of another person.

Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Over the past six years of making my true crime podcast Hell and Gone, I've learned one thing. No town is too small for murder. I'm Catherine Townsend. I've received hundreds of messages from people across the country begging for help with unsolved murders. I was calling about the murder of my husband at the cold case. I've never found her and it haunts me to this day.

The murderer is still out there. Every week on Hell and Gone Murder Line, I dig into a new case, bringing the skills I've learned as a journalist and private investigator to ask the questions no one else is asking. I dig into a new case, bringing the skills I've learned as a journalist and private investigator to ask the questions no one else is asking. Police really didn't care to even try. She was still somebody's mother, she was still somebody's daughter, she was still somebody's sister. There's so many questions that we've never gotten any kind of answers for.

If you have a case you'd like me to look into, call the Hell and Gone Murder Line at 678-744-6145. Listen to Hell and Gone Murder Line on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And look at that, we're helping neighbors come together one conversation at a time. I am so glad I don't live in that neighborhood. Yes, seriously.

That was like my, ugh, I hated her. Or the other side of her house. You don't like all the passive. Yes, I was like my I hated or the other side of her house You don't like all the passive aggressive threats I hated it all and like why she didn't just talk to him in person Yeah, I don't understand that with people. This is how petty I noticed They both were was that she is telling him to cut his lawn. He cut it two weeks ago I was imagining a Savannah in Africa and he has like a slightly longer one. Maybe to your ankle.

Yeah. He is still hanging on to that branch. But he is. So hard. That branch upset him so much. Absolutely. But the bottom line is we stepped in and we fixed it. Okay.

Everything is better now. So if there's anybody out there who's been stealing from their neighbor, taking secret pictures of their neighbor through a bathroom window. That's illegal, Jeff. Anything in that realm, we can help you. I want you to reach out to us after you listen to all of the other awkward calls that we have up on our YouTube at Brooke and Jeffrey. Check those out and then send us those pics that you took.

I knew you were going to get to the pictures. I knew it. It's Brooke and Jeffrey in the morning. Hey, I'm Jay Shetty and I'm the host of the On Purpose podcast. Today I'm thrilled to welcome back to On Purpose, Cynthia Erivo. A Grammy, Emmy, and Tony award-winning actor and singer you know from the color purple, Harriet and Wicked, Cynthia Erivo. And this may be a hard thing to say, but sometimes hurting someone actually aids the growth of another person. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever

you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops. They get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. This is Absolute Season One, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. Listen to Absolute Season One, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Why is a soap opera western like Yellowstone so wildly successful? The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater podcast network. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to The American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glott. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. Last year, a lot of the problems of the drug war this year, a lot of the biggest names in music and sports. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man.

We met them at their homes, we met them at their recording studios. Stories matter and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app,

Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. The OGs of uncensored motherhood are back and batter than ever. I'm Erica. And I'm Mila. And we're the hosts of the Good Moms Bad Choices Podcast, brought to you by the Black Effect Podcast Network every Wednesday.

Yeah, we're moms, but not your mommy. Historically, men talk too much. And women have quietly listened. And all that stops here. If you like witty women, then this is your tribe. Listen to the Good Moms Bad Choices podcast every Wednesday on the Black Effect podcast network, the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you go to find your podcast.