The Worst Idea Of All Time - Family Time: 16

Episode Date: February 11, 2025

It’s a true family affair this week on FT, with the fellas taking questions on Did Titanic Sink, GMGMSBee and other members of the extended Worst Idea family. Somehow even more listeners are getting PhD; the same cannot be said for Guy, who has yet to be bit by the history bug that seems to eventually catch up with dads the world over. Tim, meanwhile, has undergone a different dad evolution and is ready to #unplug.Get episodes early and in video on our Substack! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the worst idea, it's the worst idea of all time. It's the worst idea, it's the worst idea of all time. You can pick this up. Okay. What do you like? You said you're loving this? What are you loving? Oh the screens? I'm loving this shirt. Oh That's so good, we don't always have the screen set up everyone welcome to family time here Yeah, we study your industries inside of the good times epoch. I'm just good times era checking out my My shirt I'm wearing. I don't know if you can't see the video. Hopefully that I don't think you can. You can if you go to the sub step.

That's right. Five US dollars a month, which keeps everything running here. Let me tell you something. I'm so sorry to railroad. I will get back to the shirt. I built a whole podcast studio in my house and it cost a Tremendous amount of money to do so good on you. So all of the Substachians you guys are keeping my head

Narrowly above water at the moment and I appreciate you immensely like Air in a submarine like I'm imagining a submarine in the waters coming, you know those scenes in the movies when you have someone in a submarine, the waters coming out, or they're in a room and the water's coming out. You really don't want any water in a submarine, eh? Because even a little bit, you've got a problem. Then it's just a matter of time. I guess, how do they, how do they, how do they handle it in summer?

You can, you can bail it, can you? You section off like rooms. But even then, I think any water in the submarine is game over for the submarine. Yeah, that's the thing right? Like if you see a little bit of water. Okay, so let me rewrite the analogy. We will get back to the ship. Let me rewrite the analogy because I don't think you're in a submarine with water. Okay. We'll call it a ship. Okay the SS Timber But so you're it's a it's a HMS Timber. It's a it's an incredible game, isn't it?

It's a video game you're playing where it's like you got to get the what you know in every at the end of every level You're like, well, I can't believe it. I got the war. I got just the right it there There's a good analogy and some is that the way you're describing it for how I treat money Get in a boatload of debt and then just try and outrun the video game. Yeah You what do you think? Have you got someone at the bank that you talk to? Yeah, yeah They've well know they haven't given me a dedicated person and they really should because every time I ring the bank now to ask Them for something which is money

that I don't have that they have that they should lend me, but they have that that they should. I've gone through, I've gone through this so many times and once was very recently. Um, ring them have like fucking phone tag for a week followed by 45 minute conversation, and then at the end of that call, they go they go oh you need to deal with the small business team. I'm like what the fuck have we been doing this last week? What's going on? The thing is... But it happens just infrequently enough that I forget it's about once every few months and I forget to front load the call. The bank are playing their own

equivalent of the video game, but with internal optimization. Yeah, yes, yes. And they, similarly, they're perpetually just trying to keep their head above water. Yeah, which is insane because they have all the resources. They have everyone's money. Yeah. But then I guess, I don't understand banks, but then they have everyone's money. Then they start deciding they're going to give some other people someone else's

money, right? That's how it works. Yeah. It's starting to get to it. It's very musical chairs without the money's going. And then every once about every six or seven years, the music stops and everyone gets fucking. That's right.

And the bank goes to the government. Hey, we want to play another game of musical chess. Could you please front us some money? And the government's like, you're asking us? You're the bank? That's a worry. What's going on? That's the thing, eh.

When the bank's like, it's tough out there, I think, what are you fucking talking about? Hard out. Hey, can you talk about your shit? And while you do, just for a second, this is gonna feel rude but it's not. I just want to double check all the cameras are on because I'm bitten twice shy with that kind of shit. Well it's nothing special, it's just I bought this shirt last year on holiday and I bought it in... we were in Kyoto. I bought it, I can't remember.

No, we were in Tokyo. We were in Tokyo and we went to like the thrift district or this, you know, they've got nice second hand clothing area, like they've got whole neighborhoods for this. And I bought it and I, at the time I thought, I really like this shirt. And then I got home and I put it on and I thought, just don't know if I'm carrying this shirt

the way I wanted to. And I was dressing myself today and I was doing like a, it's a Sunday if you're curious. So I was doing Sunday jobs, doing laundry and sorting through the house kind of to get it set up for the week. And I thought, I'm gonna give the shirt a go. And so I put the shirt on and I looked at it

and I've got a show tonight. And I put the shirt on and I looked and I thought, damn, I'm looking good in this shirt. Maybe I'll wear this shirt to the show tonight. And then that was all I thought about it. And then I drove here. When I drove here, I was listening to a work in progress show I did to try and figure out my jokes.

And so I'm in the frame of mind, I'm thinking about the, you know, and then I come in here and I sit down, the cameras already on, I see myself in the monitor and I think, God damn, I'm loving this shirt more and more. Yeah, see that because that- I'm building like my night through day, you know, like the shirt, then the jokes, then back the shirt.

And I'm like, I got a whole night on my hands here. This is the classic self obsession which every person on earth loves. And when you came in and said, I'm loving this, I whole night on my hands here. This is the classic self obsession Which every person on earth lives and when you came in and said I'm loving this I think is what you said Yeah, right. I thought it was because I'd set everything up and you could just sit in the chair and without Hesitation we could we could go which is often not the case. I also love that don't get me wrong But you just saw yourself in the shirt and you- So taken with sci-fi, the shirt. All the incredibly generous hard work you did to get it set up like this for a rival.

Like an ancient Grecian man catching his own glimpse in the river, you thought. That is a tasty looking man. It's the story of Narcissus. The story of Narcissus sometimes gets mixed up with the dog and the bone. What is the dog in the bone story? Narcissus drowned because he saw his own reflection and he got hot for himself.

Yeah the dog in the bone. That's a funny, that's a fucking funny fable man. Man I tell you. It's a great myth that one. The Greeks were busy. All of maths, philosophy, sports. It's like basically the foundations of society. Did they do maths? Pythagoras? Oh, that's true. Yeah, that's true. Yeah. Other guys?

I feel like they were standing on the shoulders of, you know, who was like the ancient Middle Eastern culture? I don't know. I haven't made it that far back. The Persians I know did a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to maths. And Iran, I think, is the home of a lot of fundamental maths. A lot of people who weren't doing shit, they were our guys. Our four bears. Our dudes. Do you know, our...

That screen's gone. It's fine. I'm not worried about that. It's actually for the best, because that's the screen that I was looking at myself in the shirt on. The universe has made the decision to take Guy away from himself. It's interesting that I think our guys were, we were fucking around with like forest spirits and stuff. I think our guys were like, what do you say? Not Wiccans. What were they? They were like, our guys in England and whatnot, it was all like woodland creatures and folklore about the forest and that. I want to rediscover that shit. I haven't.

That's our shit. This is, I mean, this paints the, uh, an ignorant but honest picture of me. I still haven't truly been bitten by the history bug. I've not dug up a lot of stuff it's like if any time I'm digging through history yeah I'm trying to write a joke yeah I don't I don't feel like I've got my true dad bona fides yes I don't think I've sat through a world war two documentary on the tally at the stage but it will come for me one day and I welcome it it's just it has an hour kicked off just yet good time to brush up on the origins of World War two I reckon anyway the story about the dog with the bone is there's a dog with a bone okay big meaty bone super stoked

strutting around town look at this dog look at this but I'll get the walk yeah gets to the lake looks it looks in the lake the looks in the lake. The dog in the lake, the bigger bone than this dog's got. So the dog opens its mouth to try and reach for the bone the other dog's got, loses his bone. Yeah. So those are the two reflections in the lake stories I know there's narcissus and there's the dog with the bone.

The moral of the story is you gotta avoid lakes. Yeah, that is, it's all anti-lake, it's all pro-river anti-lake propaganda. Still bodies of water? Yeah. Bad. The thing with the river is the water's moving so you don't get that clear reflection. You don't get that mirror effect. Yeah.

I was actually hanging out at a river. Would you call it a river? I think you would. Over New Year's we went camping with a whole bunch of other families. And I tell you what, how good is a went camping with a whole bunch of other families And I tell you what how good is a river? Yeah, I'd sort of forgotten Yeah, but like you could buy for 20 bucks. It was very good This um, the holiday park had just gone to Kmart and bought a bunch of inflatable rings And you could go for a river float float down the river alongside. I did that

I did that a river in upstate, New York Oh, and sort of bald eagle. Whoa flying to its nest. I saw boarding Returning to its nest for its little how big was it? Was it bigger than you sort of were expecting or? Maybe a little like this, you know, you only ever see them I don't see them in real life The biggest bird I saw was a condor at Zion National Park at the top of a wall called Angels Landing.

There was a condor circling and that was like proper mess. I was like, wow, birds are big. Also saw some albatrosses down at the albatross center in Dunedin when I was there for a show last year. And they were big birds too. Albatross are huge, aren't they? That's cool, that little spot where you can see the Albertros. I've been there a couple of years.

It's good times. Windy. Yeah and it's a bit of a, you got to get out there. Mm-hmm. But I stopped at a cafe at Portobello Beach and they got real pumped up because they recognized me and they're like we had the other guy in here as well and I thought man it's nice to go to a place in New Zealand where Guy Williams of worst idea Yeah, fine. It's nice to go to a place where people are still evidently watching New Zealand

Tell it you know like free to wear New Zealand television. That is a devastating observation I was just gonna say we've got a lot of Chekhov's gun On the table here, which I will address Please guys come in with a punnet of cherry tomatoes for me. That's right. You're a gift giver. I do like to give gifts. And those were, I'm not regifting,

but our neighbors who we love, they've got a tomato patch and they were going away for two weeks and so they bestowed tomatoes upon us. We are already, you know. This is surplus tomatoes. We're rich with tomatoes. Surplus Toms for Tim. Yeah, so.

I love a cherry tomato, so thank you. I actually, I'm not that fond of a big proper sized one, an adult tomato. What if you slice it up? Yep, more acceptable, but it's gotta be in like a burger and then, I mean, I'm eating the burger. What about a salad? How do you take your tomato in a salad?

Oh a segment, like I'll eat it but I won't look forward to it, I won't relish it. Took me a long long time to come around to tomatoes. What's that about? Because Nick Vine hates tomatoes as well. He'll hold them in a burger, he'll say burger hold the tomato. He needs to grow up. Yeah I kind of agree. It's a mouth feel thing. It's too wet? Yeah they're not hard, they're not soft, they're wet. It's food. It's confusing. But other people love them. This is like this isn't universal. They're

so popular. Oh they're popular. Don't be wrong Tim, they're very popular. No one here is saying they're not popular. So is this just a like you, me and Nick thing? Or is this... No, no. It's very widespread, the hatred of them considering how universally. So I think it's because the people who don't like them, it's an easy thing to rail against because they're everywhere and everyone likes them. And so, you know, the people who don't like them really don't like them because the opportunity to not like them is so constant. I think it means a lot of people don't like them. I think it's just that you know the ones who do, especially if you're

describing Nick and I, two of your best friends. But I like them. I didn't like them, but I like them now. Did you make yourself like them? I just sort of thought it's, I was getting the tomato out of the burger and I was sort of old enough that I found it embarrassing. I was like, I found it embarrassing either for the person I was ordering the burger from, who is, you know, as we know from previous episodes of this podcast, I'm always trying to impress. Yeah, 100%. Or the person I'm with.

I don't wanna be like, you know, socializing with someone for the first time at 24, being like, hey, hold it to my, it's just, it's ludicrous. I'm with you, man. Should we see what other people are saying? I'd love to delve into the mailbag. Okay. M-A-L-E. Hey. Because it's 2025, Trump's back in office.

My kind of joke. I've got a message here on the Facebook. It's from this morning at 9.49 PM. It's from Meta. It says, messenger for business. I don't want to hear it. Hi, the worst lady of all time. I'm going to be the worst lady in the world.

I'm going to be the worst lady in the world. I'm going to be the worst lady in the world. I'm going to be the worst lady in the world. I'm going to be the worst lady in the world. I'm going to be the worst lady in the world. I'm going to be the worst lady in the world. I'm going to be the worst lady in the world. I'm going to be the worst lady in the world.

I'm going to be the worst lady in the world. I'm going to be the worst lady in the world. I'm going to be the worst lady in the world. I'm going to be the worst lady in the world. I'm.m. It's from META. It says messenger for business. I don't want to hear it. Hi the worst study of all time. I'm an automated bot And I'm here to help you use messenger more effectively for your business. Here are a few topics that I can tell you about How can I engage with more customers? How can I organize my chats? How can I save time replying to messages? What are you interested in? I'm interested in never being contacted by a bot. Okay. Never. They don't have that here so I'm gonna write. This is similar to Instagram also owned by Meta. When I send replies to DMs I get now, something pops up saying like

did this help with your business goals? and I'm like motherfucker I'm talking to a person in a non transactional way oh man get out of here I love fuck off my I've never known how to turn it off but my are you got that auto reply thing on yeah my and it's there should be a legal hi thanks for contacting us we've received your message and appreciate you're getting in touch dude it's so there's not even the promise of further communication. That should be illegal. Illegal to be on. But there was a guy, I don't know if I told you about this, there was a guy who

sent me a really aggressive message saying he doesn't like me and I'm an ugly cunt and stuff. That's so cool. And that automated message got sent back. And then he sent an even angrier message like he was furious that's gotta be the best use of a bot and then I and then like I think it only order replies at once yeah so then I saw that message and then I just copy and pasted the same thing that's a good thing. How much hate mail do you get? Not as much as you'd think. Ha ha ha ha ha ha.

No, it's not, um. It's not zero. It's not zero. Well, no, directly, like, that is rare now for someone to go to the trouble of finding your account and letting you know that they're off it. For me, and I get, like, culturally, you know, I'm in a group that is not especially targeted for hate mail.

Sure. So it's not that much. Handsome. Any time a comment, any time a video does well, you're in trouble. Any time a video is popular. I remember talking to Abby about that. It broke my heart. Abby Howell's friend of the show.

Well, see, and by virtue of being a woman, or basically anyone who's not a man, Yeah. you're going to copy. But here's the thing, like Abbie is so universally beloved by every person who's spent a second with it. A popular video is no longer tethered to a person. A popular video is just floating in the ether waiting to be shot down. Yeah, it's true.

But, you know, I just. Yeah, I had a big chat to Abby about that at a coffee at some stage a while ago. I just wish people would, the unfortunate thing is the philosophy I've always held and preached to others is the internet's not real. But that is now, not true Unfortunately, no longer the case. It's real, which means we should try to leave. I think you're right. And not, um, leave the internet just so everyone's clear, not leave reality, which

we don't want anyone to do that. And it's, it's sort of going to happen because the, the people who are controlling the levers of the internet are like making it so unappealing that there will actually be a natural migration. I fully believe that. And I think like there's a Conor O'Malley like meme being tossed around at the moment just because you know like all of the content he makes is so psychotic, but there's like a rant that he does. He's outside, he's like, they ruined it. Computers used to be fun and they fucking ruined all of it. They destroyed the internet. They get shitted around a lot

because it is very true and just feels, it feels like the end is nigh. And the fact that they're now like, the only way they can figure out how to train AI to get bigger is to train it on what they call synthetic data. So they're training AI off AI generated content now. And it's just like- It's gonna get worse. Well, it's kind of inevitable.

The only possible result is there's less human interaction or just get weirder and weirder and more funky and it'll fucking break the whole thing. That's exciting. It is. I got one here. Okay. Fourth of June last year, not sure if this is the right platform to

contact, but I need to communicate that my colleague just informed me. He's going to watch Rob Schneider do stand up and Melbourne on the weekend. Am I your colleague? Oh, I could not have been more appalled. I didn't you respect this colleague with Gimons. I definitely would have lost it after hearing that. Just thought you might be interested to hear that people are actually going to a stand up show.

Jodie, a colleague of mine went and saw Rob Schneider last year under my instruction. And I'm grateful to them for that. Yeah. There's a Rob Schneider special that was released on Fox or something, wasn't it? Oh yeah. That people have sent us that we, we really do need to do. Yeah, we should put it on overlooked and undercooked, which if you're not familiar, um, it is, you can search that.

It's a, it's a separate podcast stream, a sister podcast hosted by the two hosts of worst idea where it is nothing but Rob Schneider content being absorbed and discussed. I love it. That is one bit of Schneider content we haven't seen. The Fox special. This is a message sent to us from December 23. So this is over a year old. This email has expired it's

gone off if you pulled it out of the bag and gave it a sniff you'd be like this one's got to go in the bin I love that as an intro for an email dearest Tim from the office and guy love freeway great intro hope you fellas of the frost are doing well in 2023 gee it's a good way to um. How were you doing in 2023? Uh, I don't do math. Remy was. One and a half maybe? Yeah, he's 22 I think he was born there.

Yeah, I think, is that track? Yeah, that'd be right. Yeah, I was doing well. How about you? I think he was born in 2021. I mean it's probably I can't do the maths right I thought it was 22. No I think it was 21. Yeah you're right. Yeah. You have to be right because he turns four this year. Look at that. I got my eyes on that boy. I've just listened to friendzone 117 deep into 2021 and fast catching up having started right at the beginning some months ago

while on my honeymoon. Oh wow, so the honeymoon went well. Hearing you boys discuss sex in the city too was my highlight of the trip. Thank God my wife does not listen to this absolute clusterfuck of a podcast. So it sounds like this guy's been listening on his own time during the honeymoon which is nice. And it's the highlight of the trip. Thank God my wife does not listen to this absolute clusterfuck of a podcast. So it sounds like this guy's been listening on his own time during the honeymoon which is nice. And it's the highlight of the trip which is questionable. You are so right about that. I glossed right past that as I was sight reading. That's alright. Different people have different honeymoons. It's true. For a lot of people it's a high-precious situation.

You know, you'd like to think it's just all open arms, it's a love fest. For some people you'd be like, oh, here we are, just us. Yeah. How we wanted it. Wedding's done. True. Just us forever now. We wanted it weddings done. True. Just us forever now Anywho, I'm writing to you as I've just been struck by inspiration. Did you honeymoon? Yeah went to

Vietnam. That's right. You had a banger and Thailand no just Vietnam. I think was the honeymoon and didn't you tell me the highlight of the trip was you listened to all of doughboys? Yeah, that's right No, the highlight of that trip of course was going to the American War atrocities museum upon arrival I thought you're gonna say it was having sex with God's approval, but I Don't need I don't need God's approval. Anywho. I'm right. He does not I don't need God's approval. Anywho, I'm writing... It doesn't matter whether I'm married or not, he does not approve of what I do. I'm writing to you,

as I have just been struck by inspiration for an idea so deeply wrong and utterly fruitless that it might be just up your kiwi streets. That's right. I want you to... What? The words are all backwards now. How do you say this? Join the nanny? You absolute pair of millhouses. I want you to watch Twin Peaks in reverse order. Oh wow. What better way to... Oh yeah, fucking RIP. Yeah. Timely. So at time of record David Lynch has passed away. I tried to watch Twin Peaks when I heard that because I've not seen it. Me neither. It's... I mean

you've got to go... you've got to go legal. You've got to... It's fine. I've got no issue with that and I kind of have the feeling that David Lynch wouldn't either have an issue with that. I know it's not just him making that I know lots of people. Yeah, you know we're part of it, but if you make it too hard Twin Peaks in reverse order. No, well, I've got to watch it forwards at least. Yeah, I don't want to know An incredible piece of art anyway, what better way to experience this timeless groundbreaking cinematic art You'd start with the final episode of the rebooted season three that came out in 2017 before subjecting yourselves to the batshit crazy David Bowie starring film, Fire Walk with Me, 1992,

before strolling backwards through season two, 1991, and finish up where you wish you'd started in season one, 1990. It's making me sick to think about it. I feel like this part of my life is behind me. I'm going to just read this as it's written and because I can't quite pass exactly what is meant by this bit. The though of you ending a season on the first, oh thought sorry of course, the thought of

you ending a season on the first episode of the show tickles me while I type this message. Whatever you brave boys do in the future I look forward to it. I tried to pay the boys on your website but I'm clearly so behind on the podcast that something has changed. I'll be sure to join whatever paid cult you have established by the time I catch up. Say my name you brave boys, Tom from Stafford England. Thanks Tom from Stafford England. You won't be doing that, is your response to Tom. You will not be absorbing all of the Twin Peaks canon in reverse order.

It doesn't mean I'm not saying thanks. Yeah. I'm still thankful. But just as a way to address sort of the thrust of what that is about. I've got one for you. Specifically. Yeah.

You gotta give me the date. It's to us, it's for you. Specifically. Yeah, you got to give me the date. It's to us. It's for you. Okay. 27th of July 2024. Hello. I know this is insane. But I've been listening to the feed drop of did Titanic sink? Ah, and I want to quest to find the full radio play of the Marconi grams. Did Carla ever release that doesn't even exist if you don't know do you know who could I could ask me I made the show with Carlo hey

thanks guy that is a message for me yeah did Titanic sink is a podcast that I made with our friend Carlo Richie for Radio New Zealand and it is about a conspiracy theory that the HMS Titanic never sunk. I think most people know this and there within the series is a sort of brief section of a radio play which contains the actual transcripts which we got voiced of the radio messages sent between the ship and Cape, Cape race, I think it's called in South Africa. Is that right? Um, and all the other ships that were sort of within air shot of radio communique of the Titanic sinking. And so many people asked for the, um, cause the full Carlo wanted the foot, the episode

to be the radio play. And I was like, dude, no, it'll be so hard to follow and like unlistenable. No one wants that. And once again, I'm absolutely wrong. Couldn't be more wrong. So many people have messaged to get the full radio play. The truth of the matter is, um, we recorded a lot more than what, what made it onto the thing.

Uh, we never put it all together. We never edited it together as a full radio play. Um, I'm sorry to, to report, but I really appreciate that so many people wanted to hear it in its totality. And, uh, I will be sure to pass this along to Carlo as well, because Carlo and I at the moment are attempting to cook up something else. Yes.

Which hopefully everyone will find out about in two years. Which hopefully will get made. When do you find out if you can make it? Oh, we haven't even asked. There's many stages. It's hard to get stuff done. Yeah. Hello, boys.

Best to say that I've fallen behind on the show, and I'm slowly catching up again. I've restarted the fast season, and while I'm not getting a PhD, I have gone back to school for my master's in social work. Awesome. Thanks for all you do and the joy you've brought me over the years. Hope you're both well and thriving. And now, if there's any profession that needs more money thrown at the people doing it,

it's social work. This one just says OK. 21st September 2024. Who's it from? First name only. Ekening. Cool name. Yeah.

OK. Here's a message from Zach. Dear Tim and Guy, I can't tell you. Oh, sent. Feb 24. Oh wow. Five days shy of Valentine's Day. I can't tell you how much it meant to be included in your family time early last year after 10 years of listening. It really does feel

like an appropriate next step. And the next few years into my PhD, I'm a few years into my PhD, far from home, and it is always nice to be able to listen to some family where most of the rest are asleep. A not insignificant factor motivating me to persevere through the struggle that can often be a PhD is making you two and my many learned listeners proud, and your many learned listeners. I'll be sad to see it go,

but Twaiwit will always hold a special place in my heart. With that said I wanted to take a second to express my appreciation for Deathblot. Since the show started it has been a central part of my life genuinely something I mark my years by something that makes the simple passage of time joyous. Nearly any time podcasts come up in conversation I proselytize to people their life so that's a word I never see written down and I thought there was a TH in there there isn't it's I thought you read it beautifully oh in conversation oh no sorry their life simply would be better with the show as part of as a part of it. Other people on FriendZones have mentioned bringing up your podcast on first dates has gone poorly but I have

brought Deathblad up multiple times on a first date and I gotta say people are here for it. As I will be for the rest of my life in a world that can feel so precarious. In a world that can feel so precarious and whose future often feels so uncertain I'm not doing the whole thing. Oh okay I take immense solace knowing the show will always be there for me for all of us forever on some episodes you two have wondered if what you've done here with Twyowet is worthwhile and all I can say is that it has been for me thank Thank you two for everything until death do us part. Say my name, Zachary Mullen Bernstein. That's a beautiful message.

And a cool name. Thanks Zachary. And a great use of pros. Prositize. Yeah. I got it, it cards on the table. I thought it was pros, prositize. No, it wasn't.

I don't know how I thought it was said. proselytize. I'm gonna um... It's a good word. You know where that's gonna go. Spelling Bee. Big time. How do you treat on Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont Spelling Bee the S versus Z of nouns that get turned into verbs because the Americans use the Z or Z to use the local parlance. Largely you just don't, you just can't have those words.

Really? Or sometimes if you really want to get a word and you accept both spellings. I see. I mean we always favor British spelling but like you know some of those S versus Z words or verbs, it's just not worth the hassle. Especially in Australia, the ABC, they've got a very litigious audience. I bet your show does invite some very specific nitpicks. We were, yeah, we were kind of like one of the top five. You're baiting the most nitpicky

people. I don't know if this is an in-house secret at the ABC, but I found out two things. We were the most, in 2024 the Spelling Bee was the most watched entertainment program on the ABC iview platform. Dude that's fucking awesome. Congratulations. Thank you and just as excitingly we were in the top five most complained things about on the ABC in general, including like a visual overhaul of their website. That is so awesome.

That like people are watching and give a shit. Yeah. They're engaged with it. But the reason that I think people, I mean, we would irritate a lot of people, I'm sure not by on purpose, just, you know, by virtue of different people, like different things and people who watch the ABC have trouble changing channels. Cause they're old. Do not say that about the network that your show is on.

Guy Montgomery. Good God. Um, but I was saying, so, oh yeah, so yeah, but I think a lot of the complaints, uh, about, you know, they're word nerds. The show is, it purports to be for word nerds, but it's for people who want to have a laugh. Etymologists?

Yeah. Ent is the insect, why not? Etymology is the word, why not? I just thought that was such a beautiful message. I really don't think we can end it any other way. Okay, fine. Okay, fine. I got a fucking beautiful message. I really don't think we can end it any other way. Okay. Fine. Okay. Fine.

I got a beautiful show. I need to get out in the world and let's it. It's, I feel rude and you should feel lucky that it's just for you at the moment because people deserve to see me in this shirt. Bye everybody. Have a great day. Have as great a day as Guy is having in his shirt. Hey, I've got a game for you. How many tomatoes do you think are in that punnet?

Mmm, 17. Now how many do you think are in the punnet? 14. This is how we will end the show. Okay. It's tomato counting season. Tomato counting season. The punnet is opened and for those listening, the punnet is the sort of traditional plastic one that you would find in any given supermarket. Guy is laying out very cleverly the tomatoes in a 3x3 grid formation so we can visually very easily sort of count columns and rows

to get a quick count on how the tomatoes are looking. Now we're up to four columns of three which makes 12. You've won. We've got three marches. There's 18 all told. And what did you guess? 17. So there you have it, everybody. 17 tomatoes. I may be the winner, but Guy is the person

who gave me the tomatoes, so I guess I win twice. Big tomatoes, we had a huge one in this episode. Good on you, tomatoes. And good on in this episode. Good on you Tomatoes and good on you listeners. Good on you listeners. The last idea of all time