The Debaters - Should everyone love raisins? And are romantic comedies lovely?

Episode Date: February 12, 2026

We’re trail mixing it up with a debate on a classically contentious food: raisins. Then, do rom-coms rule? If you’re Bridget Jones-ing for a laugh this Valentine’s Day weekend, don’t miss this one. Note, for all you keen Debaters fans, this episode is from our vaults! Featuring: Deborah Kimmett, Ivan Decker, Katie-Ellen Humphries, and Levi McCachen.(Originally recorded in February 2020) 

This program is brought to you in part by Specsavers. Every day, your eyes go through a lot. Squinting at screens, driving into the bright sun, reading in dim light, even late-night drives. That's why regular eye exams are so important. At Specsavers, every standard eye exam includes an advanced OCT 3D eye scan, technology that helps independent optometrists detect eye and health conditions at their earliest stages. Take care of your eyes. Book your eye exam at Specsavers today from just $99, including an OCT scan.

Book at Spexsavers.ca. Eye exams are provided by independent optometrists. Prices may vary by location. Visit specksavers.cavers.cai to learn more. This is a CBC podcast. Hey, debaters, listeners. We've got a special episode for you today from our Fact and Funny Hall of Fame.

So get ready because love and laughs are in the air with raisins and rom-coms. Hey, Canada, we're a Lionsgate bridge over troubled water from North Vancouver. It's the day. debater. Good abaters where comedians fight with facts and funny and this audience picks the winner. Now here's a man who walks on stage with a golden gate, Steve Patterson.

Hey! Hello, Canada. Welcome back to the debater. We're here in the lower mainland, which was home to the very first McDonald's in Canada. True story. Listen to the intrigue. It's still open in Richmond today. and its Golden Arch's sign

has been granted heritage status. They also found a cheeseburger in the back that hadn't biodegraded yet, which was also given heritage status. Now, what do you say we meet these debaters? What do you say? Hey, oh, hey. This comic considers Crank Calls

one of his major hangups. It's Ivan Decker. Ivan Decker, the handsome, suited man. man. Hello, Steve. Hello, my friend. And this comic never keeps a phone in her back pocket. No ifs, ands, or butt dials. It's Deborah Kimmett. Deborah Kimmett. One of our very favorites. Hello, hello. Welcome back, my lady. Your topic is one that is sure to be near and dear to every CBC listener's heart. Raisins. Should everybody love them? I've certainly become

more acquainted with raisins since becoming a parent. I don't know if you know this, but at the hospital, just after they hand you your baby, they dump a box of raisins in your wife's purse and tell you to leave them there for four years. To me, raisins don't taste quite right until they've soaked up the flavor of keys, lipstick, and daddy's special juice flask, which he hides in mommy's purse. Now it's time to toast this debate. So, whereas they are naturally sweet and nutrient dense, be a resolved that everyone should love raisins. Deborah, you are arguing for this, please. You have two minutes, starting now. These are my raison d'etre. They are the perfect fruit for me, especially at this age. You don't have to wash them. They last for 10 or 15 years before they begin to rot.

And if you leave them in your cupboard long enough at the cottage, they turn into wine. When I was a child, back in 1912. Fruit was not abundant as it is now. No, you nary ever saw an orange, but nay, once a year, in the bottom of your Christmas

stocking, along with a handful of striped candies stuck in there with no wrapping. You spent most of Christmas day trying to pull the fuzz off. Because we didn't get candy, we didn't have it except at Christmas and a little at Halloween,

so my mother would give us a handful of raisins as a treat. And so we wouldn't end up with rickets, which I think Ivan might have. He could really use a handful of raisins to bulk up that boyish body of his. My mother would put up. a bowl of bran flakes before me and she'd say, would you like a scoop of raisins? And I'd say, no, Mom, I'd like two scoops of raisins. It started a movement. Thank you. Deborah Kimmett. Yeah. Deborah Kimmett. Listen to the crowd. Now to tell us that he has reasons for hating raisins. It's some juicy jokes from Ivan Decker. Thank you. Just because you can

put raisins in something does not mean you should. There are certain places where raisins have been for way too long disguised as chocolate chips from far away hiding in the folds of cinnamon buns.

Oatmeal raisin cookies who decided this was acceptable? Oatmeal raisin cookies are the only food that is camouflaged as another better food. to trick people into eating it. Go to any room. Put down a plate of chocolate chip and a plate of oatmeal raisin and see what happens. The only people that take oatmeal raisin is because they might feed it to a dog.

That's cinnamon buns. Raisins aren't even in the name, and yet they are often found lurking. Unworned of, uninvited. unwanted. They don't belong in there because not only are they unscrupulously horrendous. They also do not

cool down at the same speed as the rest of the bun. I don't know how raisins manage to maintain the specific heat capacity of the center of a star. Every time

you take a cinnamon bun, with raisins in it, out of the oven, or microwave, depending on your life choices. You could wait 25 minutes. Oh, I think it's ready to eat. No, it is not. There are seven wrinkled balls of lava waiting for you. Raisins in it is just way better if you take the raisins out.

Why move backward? Look to the future. A future devoid of unnecessary raisin-based mouthburn. Thank you That's Ivan Decker everybody Yeah I have never seen him This angry

Let's keep going with this one Shall we It is time now for the bare knuckle round We're asking if everyone should love Raisin' so I guess it's time to Raisin Little Hell Raisin Little Hell Raisin Little Hell

Raisin Little Hell As you flaunt your dried wit With your brand new jokes It's time to to trail, mix it up. And then, Sultana, your opponents hide, and you'll have it sun made in the shade. I think that you are hiding under,

like you're an agist fruit hater. I mean, there's a lot of strong accusations coming from that side of Steve's table. You said I had rickets. Rickets, yes. Earlier. Well, I thought you might have scurvy, but I wasn't sure.

Look, I know. I look like my mom didn't vaccinate me. Right. No, you kind of look like... But fortunately, I was born before Facebook replaced doctors.

And I got all the shots, baby. I'd like to defend oatmeal raisin cookies. Oh, this will be rich. This is what you do. If you're on Weight Watchers and you want

to have some cereal, you take an oatmeal raisin cookie and you crumble it up and put it in a bowl and then... Oh, God. Oh. I thought I left the radio on for a second. Oh, I'm sorry. And you put some skim milk on it, and it's just cereal then.

But you also just described, like, ten things that aren't raisins, that you have to surround raisins with just to get him into your life. They're like a friend you don't want at a nightclub, and you're like, everybody just stand, like, around them, and then the bouncer won't notice that he has a criminal record. Maybe he can come in. Okay, all right. That's the bare knuckle round.

We've got a pretty good fight going on here. It is time now for the firing line. In my hand, I have a list of questions about raisins, brought to you by CBC's premier show about raisins, the current. What raisin milestone was celebrated in Canada in 2011? Ivan? Quebec finally realized what we call raisins and became furious. Takes a minute.

One and a half. The first time someone mixed broccoli with raisins and bacon and made it a salad. It was a big day for me. It's been every family reunion since. This is the one we were looking for. The Raisin milestone that was celebrated in Canada in 2011 was the production of the first ever Canadian raisins in Ontario. Took us a while, but we got there.

Kellogg's raisin brand made what list on the Today Show in 2010? How did you make it ring just the one time like that? I don't know. Must be the Ricketts. We've really got to get some more stuff of your diet, son.

Ivan? Kellogg's Raisin brand made this list on the today show. It was the list of six things I might have left over from that time Grandma stayed with us. Pretty close. It made the list of the five worst cereals for your diet. And this is from the country that made cookie crisp. What will happen if you drop a raisin in a glass of real champagne? Deb Kibb.

It'll become Manashevitz. It's a, not a Jewish audience, I guess. If you drop a raisin in a glass of real champagne, it will help restore the bubbles. They don't restore it. They just provide a nucleation site. You can do the same thing with Mentos. That's the firing line, everybody.

Oh, we are so close to our magical time when the audience votes. But first, here again to tell us that she'll be raisin hell to anyone who hates raisins. It's the nutrient-rich and comedically rich Deborah Kimmett In the 1970s, the California

Razen Board could see the appetite for the raisin shriveling. So they decided to develop the famous figurines, California Raisins. They were the rhythm and blues band of raisins. Yes, could there be anything more hip

than hearing Buddy Miles the drummer from the Jimmy Hendricks band singing, I heard it through the grapevine. And is there anyone cooler than Ace, C-BOP, or Stretch? Yes, they were the names of the California Raisin Band. And so Ivan, not only could raisins help build up your elf on the shelf body. Kingham could give you more cool dance moves since Chiquita Banana. Thank you.

Jeff Kippet. Deb Kippet. He loved raisins. so much. Now, to tell us that he heard through the grapevine that raisins suck hears raisin rebuffer and Santa Tattler himself.

Ivan Decker. Every time I try to disparage raisins and voice my concern, this kind of thing happens. You make fun of raisins in a public place. An older person just melts out of the woodwork to boom's plain dried fruit to you.

Back in my day, remember this? Just let it go. So, why can't boomers give up on raisins like you gave up on our generation? You're sweet when there was a war and you couldn't get sugar. But the war is over. Thank you for your service, raisins. Ors to Valhalla, we'll call you if we need to fool a child into eating oatmeal in the shape of a cookie. Thank you.

I'm a decker. Ladies and gentlemen, with a very passionate argument against raisins. All right, it is up to the audience to decide. By applause, who thinks Ivan's raisin rejection ruled this one, Ivan Decker? And who thinks Deborah's righteous raisin reckon and ran it, Deborah Kimet? But I got to give this one to young Ivan Decker down with... Hey, debaters fans in Winnipeg. We're coming for two shows on April 25th and 26th, and tickets are on the...

sale now. For details, visit cBC.ca slash the debaters. This program is brought to you in part by Spex Savers. Every day, your eyes go through a lot, squinting at screens, driving into the bright sun, reading in dim light, even late night drives. That's why regular eye exams are so important. At Spec Savers, every standard eye exam includes an advanced OCT 3D eye scan, technology that helps independent optometrists detect eye and health conditions at their earliest stages. Take care of of your eyes. Book your eye exam at Specsavers today from just $99, including an OCT scan. Book at Spexsavers.cavers.caiastres.com. I exams are provided by independent optometrists. Prices may vary by location. Visit Spexsavers.cair to learn more. Hi, listeners ears. Steve here. I'd like to talk to

your eyes for a minute, please. Eyes? I want you to know that I see you, and I know that every day you go through a lot. Like squinting at screens or squinting in the bright sun. Anyway, regular eye exams are very important, and that's why at Spec Savers, eye exams include an advanced OCT 3D eye scan, technology that helps detect eye and health conditions at early stages. So take care of yourself, eyes, and book yourself an eye exam at Spexsavers.caid today from just $99 including your OCT scan. Now, to remind your ears of what I just said to your eyes, here's my best fast announcer voice. Book an eye exam with an OCT scan from $99 at Specksavers.ca. Eye exams are provided by independent optometrists.

Prices may vary by location. Visit specksavers.orgia to learn more. Hey, pretty good, fast talking, Steve. Thanks, normal talking, Steve. You were good, too. Hey, Northman, are you ready to meet your next pair of debaters? This comic's non-alcoholic Zambuca is best described as liquor-ish. It's Levi McCatchen.

Levi McCatchen! First time on the show. We're looking forward to it as he takes his place to my right. And this comedian thinks like-minded fish are guilty of grouper think. It's Katie Allen Humphrey. One of our favorites making her appearance again. To my left. Your topic is romantic comedies.

Are they great films? Now, you may know them as rom-coms, if you like keeping your syllables to a min. I like that rhymes, and I think more movie genres should run. rhyme. Like Sean of the Dead would be a zomcom, or deliverance was a hick flick, or

Forrest Gump, which starts as a hick flick, then becomes a tom-com set in nom-dram that proved life is like a chalk box where Applestocks rock and Lieutenant Dan can stand by the end. Yeah, thanks, Hank. But we're not here to talk about any of that. We're here to talk rom-com. So, whereas they are bursting with romance, laughter and charm, be it resolved.

Romantic comedies are lovely. Katie Ellen, you are arguing for this, please. You have two minutes starting now. Romantic comedies are dismissed as flighty and unrealistic because they are often viewed as women's entertainment, as opposed to more realistic, traditionally masculine viewing habits like porn. The original chick flick.

Even if rom-coms did give viewers unrealistic expectations, by that logic, all movies are bad. The Fast and the Furious made me believe Vancouver drivers aren't so terrible. Star Wars made me believe I'm not too old to have a baby Yoda. I once watched an indie film where a man changed a toilet paper roll. Pure fantasy! And rom-coms aren't all that implausible. Take 50 first dates. The female lead has a condition where her short-term memory resets every 24 hours,

so she and the male lead have to have the same conversation every day. Love if dating was more like a rom-com. If I could fall in love with my boss while I planned his elaborate wedding to my gorgeous but ultimately forgettable former college roommate, that would be amazing. Instead, I'm out here going Dutch on cauliflower wings at a gastropub with a part-time graphic designer who asks if I have any siblings.

Or worse, hiking. Thank you. Katie up rom-coms and points out that they're not all that implausible. Now, to tell us that rom-coms are not the bomb, it's romantic film critic, Levi McCatchettian. Romantic comedies normalize all sorts of terrible behavior. People watch these movies, and then they expect their real-life relationships to look like that.

It used to be that you could tell your partner, I love you, and they'd just believe you. That'd be it. But now, thanks to romantic comedies, when you tell your partner, I love you, they ask you why. And thanks to romantic comedies, you know, they ask you why. comedies, if you don't have like a detailed list of all their most annoying qualities, that's gonna be a bad day for you. You're supposed to be like, I love how it takes you 20 minutes to order a sandwich. I love how you get cold in the middle of June, but you still never bring a jacket.

I love how when I ask you where you want to go for dinner, you'll be like, oh, I don't care, you decide. So I'll be like, oh, I don't care, you decide. And then you'd be like, no, no, you decide. So I'll be like, no, no, you decide. So I'll be like, okay, well, how about we go get sushi? And you'll be like, well, we had sushi last week. I don't really want sushi. So I'll be like, it kind of sounds like you do care. I honestly don't care. How about you decide? And you'll be like, no, that's the problem. I want you to care. I want you to be more involved in our decision making process as a couple. So I'll say, what does that even mean? And you'll say, well, it's just used to put a lot of effort into doing nice things for me and making me feel appreciated and you don't really do that anymore.

And I'll say, it seems like that because I used to see you once a week. Now I see you every day. My entire life can't be about making you feel appreciated. And you'll say it doesn't have to be your entire life, but maybe once a while it would be nice. I love that. These movies, they just set the bar way too high. If you want to find a long-term, committed relationship, All you have to do is find someone who's like just okay with the way that you look naked and hold on

Yeah Says no go to rom-coms. It is time now for the firing line in my hand. I have a list of questions on romantic comedies Brought to you by the new film about a werewolf flight attendant who falls for a heroic airline pilot When Harry Met Sully What tops the list of? of Best Life's 25 cliches in every rom-com? Levi. The top cliches is casting Meg Ryan.

If you're under 25, Meg Ryan is the reason your mom has that haircut. Well played. Well played. The Meg. Two points. The top of the Best Life's 25 cliches in every rom-com is women being wildly transformed by a makeover. I don't even know what Best Life is. I mean, getting my braces off really anticlimactic.

The title of the film, Ten Things I Hate About You, was inspired by what? Katie Ellen. The title, Ten Things I Hate About You was actually based on a poem I wrote about Air Canada. I can't argue with that. Only ten? How did you round down like that?

Ten Things I Hate About You was inspired by an entry in the screenwriter's teen diary. And that is the firing line, everybody. All right, almost time for the audience to vote, but first, here again to tell us that he is not in love with romantic comedies. It's macho movie man, Levi McCatchin. Cinema Blend rated The Notebook as one of the top ten romantic comedies of all time, and it's just not realistic. In it, an old man tells an old woman with Alzheimer's about their entire life story, and then they fall asleep in each other's arms. That's beautiful, but that's not what it would happen.

in real life. In real life, they'd fall asleep in each other's arms and then two orderlies would walk in. And one of them would say to the other, did you see that? That was beautiful. That couple's been together for 50 years. She couldn't remember

any of it because she has Alzheimer's. He just told her their entire life story. And then the other orderly would say, oh no, that guy, he tells that to all the Alzheimer's patients. Levi McAtron, everybody. Doesn't like the rom-coms.

Now, to tell us why you should open your heart and let rom-coms in, it's romantic movie Maven, Katie Ellen Humphreys. Romantic comedies are like rain in Vancouver or my opponent's punchlines. Predictable. But there's comfort in that. Real love is messy.

It's boring and brutal, exalted and elusive. But we continue to seek it. No matter who you are or what you believe, the thing that unites us all is love, a need for connection and an admiration for Tom Hanks, all of which can be readily found in rom-coms. I could give you a lot of flowery reasons why my argument is right for you.

I'm a writer, but I'm also just a girl, standing in front of an audience, asking them to love her. Thank you. Katie Allen Humphreys. Yeah. All right, audience. It's time to vote.

By applause, who thinks that Katie Ellen's pro-rom-com comedy captured this one, Katie Allen Humphreys? Okay, there's some love. And who thinks Levi's anti-romantic comedy calculations were more correct? Levi McCutcheon. The audience, everybody. Well, that's all for this week. I'm Steve Patterson saying watch for our own rom-com coming to theater soon.

Fifty-first Debates. I'll argue with you again soon, Canada. Good night. The Debaters is created by Richard Side. This week's episode was produced by Nicole Counder, Chloe Edbrook, Dean Jenkinson, and Graham Clark. Our classic debates were produced by Josh Bailey, Nicole Callender,

Katie Ellen Humphreys, Graham Clark, and Tracy Rideout. The technical production by Will Howie and Ross Bragg. Executive producer of CBC Radio Comedy is Lee Pitts. And thanks to everyone at the Centennial Theater in North Vancouver.

For more CBC podcasts, go to cBC.ca slash podcasts.