We're Here to Help - 163: Jake's Faves: Hot Takes with Mr. H (Re-Release)

Episode Date: April 16, 2025

For this re-release episode, Jake picks a call and two follow-ups from one of his favorite callers: Mr. H, an English teacher and king of the Hot Take.See caller images here!Want to call in? Email your question to [e-mail]: https://patreon.com/heretohelppodMERCH: heretohelppod.comINSTAGRAM: @HereToHelpPodIf you’re enjoying the show, make sure to rate We’re Here to Help 5-Stars on Apple Podcasts.Advertise on We’re Here to Help via Gumball.fm See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is a HeadGum Podcast. And we are back with a re-release Wednesday. And for the people who go, I don't like a re-release. Okay. The doll heads and die! Okay. Sorry the free show's upsetting you. Exactly. Sorry the free pod.

Yeah, but there's ads and then you know by the way you guys you got to stop blaming Rob and that attack and Sherlock for the ads They don't put the ads in and neither did shark and that's the ad company That's headgum, and they got him recoup this is that's life in the podcast this is the podcast world I'm coming in you know it's good the Wednesday listen show you don't like on Wednesdays. We're paying for you guys to get mad at us. We're paying for negative spam comments. It's a failing model. By the way, that is 2025 and that is the internet. Yes. Where you're like, we're having a little bit of fun. You know what? Financially, this is a mistake, but let's do it.

Why? I'm enjoying talking to you right now, Garrett. I also enjoy And this is fun. This is why the comments well you get greedy with the guy. Oh god couple good ones So you and I view it different I know think oh, yeah, you view it more So I don't view the good ones is like feel good I view it as if we're on Shark Tank This is our test audience. If you always hear everyone, you gotta test the, if I'm, you know what I might be becoming? I got real bad news for myself.

This is good. I might not be Barb, I might be Mr. Wonderful. Oh, Jesus, Jay. And think about it. Get help, call the show. You know what I would ask for on every single one? You want one dollar on everything in perpetuity. Of course I would.

It's a great fucking deal. Stop. This is about the re-release. It's like he's got a catchphrase bid. But one out of a hundred he gets it. I know. One out of a hundred. I mean, why does he even talk on that show?

Everyone's crafting interesting deals with notepads and Sharpies and there's equations that he's like, I want $1 on everything you make forever. You're Robert, I'm Mr. Wonderful. So today is a re-release and I gotta tell you, Gareth, I got excited about the one I picked. Okay, what do you mean one? You picked an episode or a call?

A caller. Oh, so we're going through the trajectory of a call life? Yeah. Okay. I think that's a fun way to do it. I agree. I think there's a fun way to do these where I have a hard time remembering what was what and where the follow-ups are.

So I thought one thing we could do, we started hitting with celebs, which was fun. We did Samberg, we did Maxi G, we did Lamarne. Yeah, we're trying to appease the audience who's got into the Wednesdays. So what did you do? I went Mr. Hot Takes. Oh, wow. And I'm doing three, we're doing three Mr. L calls,

back to back to back. Producer Jesse here, the guys are saying Mr. L, but it's actually Mr. H. And then he, Nat Attack has been talking to him, he's got a follow-up coming in May for his big festival. So it won't be part of this, but this will be a refresher and then we'll bring him back. And as soon as we record that, we'll air it.

But what a joy this son of a bitch has been for me, for you, for our show, for creating what the reason when I thought we were done after season one, when I realized we're coming back and we might be back for a while, is because of the community. Not only did this guy just call in with a thing and we found out hot takes The thing that got me very excited was we started getting emails from other teachers Saying please let blank know I started doing hot takes with my sixth grade class and it's really

working No, I started doing hot takes with my sixth grade class and it's really working So many teachers are using this technique and they're writing in that we don't tell the audience about because there's no jokes Did they just say like his his stuff is so helpful. My students are getting up and talking. We're all having fun Well, I like this is hilarious I know like that I really hated school and I know when I when we first heard of this I was like dude this I would be so excited to do a hot take if we ever do a live show where does he live do we remember? I think Massachusetts. We got to get Mr. L to come in even just do a call or a video. Here's my only fear.

I know, I could tell you weren't into it right away. You got that Mr. Wonderful face. But I'll tell you why, Robert. Let me take this snowboard off. Whoop, I'm bleeding. My ankle's out. So one thing I do to Gareth now that makes me laugh, and I know triggers him, which also makes me laugh,

is when Robert does something really hacky on Shark Tank, like, they'll be like, one of the pitchers will be like, so I've got this fun thing where I have glitter on my nose and I'm glitter nose, and without anyone asking Robert goes, I'll do it! He runs up, puts glitter on his his face one. He fell and cut himself So I just said in the clips And you and you laughing? oh Wow, I can't while watching that or is just like he it'll all of a sudden be him like in like a

Sleeping bag that cools you down and he'll just be rolling on the ground going I'm an earthworm. I'm an earthworm and I'll just be like and I on the ground going, I'm an earthworm, I'm an earthworm. And I'll just be like, and I. And by the way, that is it, I'm an earthworm. And I'm just sitting there just going, it's like the inner me I try to stifle. Like when we were doing Tribulus podcast yesterday, there was so many times I was like, just watch, just watch.

Come on now, just watch. Let air cook. Let it cook. Let it cook. Let it cook. Growing up is so hard. Chill out, Robert. Believe me, you know I have the same thing. Oh yeah. Let him cook. Let him cook. Growing up is so hard. Chill out, Robert. Believe me, you know I have the same thing.

Oh yeah. Just shut up. Just shut up sometimes. Shut up. It'll work. Everything will work. Everything will work. It's a nightmare.

A nightmare as hell. Fuck, where were we? We were on... The Mr. L flying in, your only issue with that. Oh, yes, my only issue is when we did the, thank you for getting us back, when we did the 100th episode live, our Patreon experiment, which you know,

J.K.J. didn't love as much as The Shark and Gareth. And one of them was when we brought Luke in, the Rubik's Cube guy. And it was really fun at first. And then I didn't know what we're doing. So what I like about our show is when the promise and the game is clear. If we ever do a Boston show, which again, we're in a hypothetical world. But let's say we do one.

Great town, great venues. Let's say we do one of those. Mary Trump for a second. I was worried that you were going to we do one. Great town. God bless. Great venues. Let's say we do one of those. Barry Trump. I was worried that you were going to point that out. Great city. Great venues. He jumped into it. Hello.

I'll be back. Don't worry. Yeah. Way better than New York. The patient just got out of surgery, so don't worry. Yeah. It's a wonderful city. Throwing the tea in the sea.

Well, Mr. L. He's Throw in the tea in the seat. Well, I'm Mr. L He's just as a part of the show. I think we could really so like we would we would curate a bit where he comes in He does his hot takes and he gets off. Yeah, he can open for us with a hot take or something like that Yeah, or do like the announcing after each thing. Yeah, right. He has a hot take. Just a little something. Yeah I think so too by the way for all the people saying they missed the shark, we do too. I have reached out to Kevin, said, when you are ready, sir, we will have you on as a guest helper.

Great. So it'll be a lot of fun. It'll be fun to miss the shark. Oh yeah. But I also love Nod Attack, Sherlock, and Wobby Wob. Yeah. And I just went in their studio for the Justin Long one.

It's great. It's great, it's fun. And so I think it's fun. It's worth going in there every once in a while just for the fun. We experienced it season one when you and I went in. We were like, it's just a fun new energy. Oh yeah.

So whenever, if there's any excuse every once in a while, it's fun. I know the commute can get intense. So we'll just figure out those days, but every once in a while. Yeah, I agree So everybody enjoy Hot takes this is one of our I don't even want to say best anymore because after on 350 calls We have so many goddamn great calls

I was going through old calls and I'm like, you know what? These Wednesdays are gonna be fun because we got a lot and I like stacking them. And so if anybody has recommendations for a rerelease, like a one, two, and a three, a first call, a second call, and a follow-up, email the show, comment on the socials, go ahead, Gar. Well, if you're gonna do that, how helpful would it be for you to tell us

what episode these calls are from? That would do some lifting. The numbers, that would help a lot. I know, that would do a lot of lifting. I will also say, while we talk about a great runner on the show, we are working on something behind the scenes now that talk about a Wednesday runner. Yeah, that's gonna be special.

We've got something special coming, so that's what I'm saying, for the haters. I agree, yeah, I agree. And a lot of people are gonna say, this doesn't seem like the show, and we're gonna say, we agree. I'm saying. For the haters. Yeah, I agree. Yeah, I agree. And a lot of people are going to say, this doesn't seem like the show, and we're going to say, we agree. I'm going to say, hey. We've never laughed harder. I'm in a cold sleeping bag rolling around on the ground saying, I'm an earthworm,

I'm an earthworm. And I'm saying, I want a dollar on every sleeping bag sold. Alright, anyway, enjoy the show, and without further. Further. A-dooo. All right, anyway, enjoy the show and without further ado. A-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do-do looking to find the best place to stay in the United States and I know with booking.com or the booking.com app they're always gonna have what I'm looking for. They have a huge variety of options from hotels to vacation rentals and I know I can find exactly what I'm looking for. I found booking.com has

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And he and I are just looking for a nice little area in the middle of nowhere to hang out and have some fun with a couple of buddies of ours. And we are using Booking.com and the Booking.com app to find the perfect place, a place in the middle of nowhere with a pool. But I know that if I use Booking.com, I'm going to be able to find the right place to stay. Find exactly what you're booking for on booking.com. Booking.yeah. Do you say data or data? Well at my house we say data because I'm from Chicago. And for the longest time I thought paying a fortune on my monthly data plan was just normal.

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I am saving money by using Mint Mobile compared to the big wireless carriers. No matter how you say it, don't overpay for it. Shop data plans at MintMobile.com slash here to help. That's MintMobile.com slash here to help. Upfront payment of $45 for three month five gigabyte plan required equivalent of $15 a month. New customer offer for first three months only, then full price plan options available taxes and fees extra cement mobile for details Hello and welcome to the podcast we're here to help you've got Jake Johnson and Gareth Reynolds and the hunk in blue

Mr. Kevman recently married who get your name, please? We're gonna go with Hank for today. Hey fake Hank and how old do you Hank? I am in my 40s. 40s and where you calling from Hank in your 40s? From the great state of Massachusetts, the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Well done, good pivot. Alright so Hank, 40, mash. What can we do for you today? So I am a seventh grade teacher. Respect. And I don't know how familiar you are with seventh graders.

They don't love going to school. I teach English. They especially don't love going to English class sometimes. And I try to start my class every day just in a way that's fun, engaging, usually not related to class, something to get us talking. This year, my students became very interested in my outlandish opinions and stubborn takes on things. Okay. And so they asked me to start something called

Hot Take Tuesdays, which every Tuesday I would give them my opinion on something. I would rant about it and they get to respond. Love this. Right. The problem has become, this has grown out of control. Most Tuesday mornings I am frantically trying to think. Okay.

Yes, yes, without the eyebrows. Right. Every Tuesday morning I'm frantically trying to think of a new hot take, a new thing to get them riled up and the more I build on it the more they expect. They have not let me got out of it. I've tried sunsetting it. I've tried forgetting it for a Tuesday.

I do not know if you have ever had ever face a 25 angry seventh graders before because you neglected to come with an hot take. That's a no bueno situation No, it's there is a only certain amount of outrageous take sure as an individual half All right, so you want some pictures on some new hot takes? I? Want some new hot? Hank I'm gonna tell you what we're not doing. We're not getting you out of Hot Take Tuesday. I might. I'm not because Hot Take Tuesday is great. I hated seventh grade and I hated English. If I had Hot Take Tuesday, I would like it. Well, it's it the reason why Hot Take Tuesday is great is because A, you've obviously created something popular

But also for the kids it does it gives that I would go to the bathroom every you just want a few minutes away from class. Oh great, Hot take Tuesdays are great So what is the specific question that we can help you with Hank and can rather call you Hank? Is there a last name we can call you now that you're the teacher we call you Mr. Churchill something Miss how about mr. H mr. A So mr. H. All right, what is the specific question? So Mr. H, what is the specific question? So originally my idea had been, well, I teach seventh grade. I just needed a bank to get through the rest of the school year.

However, I have recently learned I will be going on to eighth grade with the same students. They do not know this. So I now need to either come up with an entire year's worth of how do I come up with hot takes or or something new drop the hottest take on them at the end of the school year and then hopefully come in next year and they are not demanding me to rant about Crocs or ketchup. But so let me ask Mr. H. What are your thoughts on Crocs? Crocs are the dumbest thing that have ever been invented.

And if you want to really fight with a room full of seventh graders, come on that day I've taken the worst part of two-foot wear no heel and the top and put them into one. Oh come on, I don't want to push back Mr. H. And Mr. H, what do you make a ketchup? Ketchup is the grossest condiment one can have. It is just tomatoes and sugar, and it is nothing else, and no reasonable person should be putting it on anything.

I'm addicted to Hot Take Tuesday already. Me too. What would you say is your most controversial hot take? Gotta be ketchup, or seventh graders. But ketchup on everything. Crocs hit them, the food takes hit them pretty hard. Another problem that they have grown now, my most recent Hot Take Tuesday, are you guys familiar with what is called mukbang?

Yes. What is it? Mukbang. No. It is. I'm probably with you on that. Mukbang is basically on YouTube where people eat, eating, basically eating on camera. What's your take on it? People eat a lot of it.

Mr. H, what's your hot take on muckbang? Well, it was not a hot take on muckbang. I accidentally made a muckbang because I at 44 years old had revealed to him I had never eaten a mango before in my life. What's your hot take on mangoes? I started as a hot take on mango jelly beans. They're gross. Yeah, yeah, I agree. And then I said, well, what about regular mangoes? And I said, I don't know. What are you, a slob? I thought you never had a mango. What's your, what's your hot take on fruits? See, now there is a hot take on fruit. Strawberries, great honeydew melon fantastic watermelon get out of town

What's your hot take on veggies? On what vegetables oh? I love vegetables big fan of vegetables okay, so now to eat more vegetables I can't believe you every vegetable you don't like you're gonna like when you're old and an adult By the way, mr.. H. You're my favorite teacher. You know why his hot takes are great? There's a stance. He's got it. It's a take.

Yes. It's a take. It's great. So the question today, because I could play hot takes with you this my entire English class. Might be a side podcast, but yeah. Hot takes. Yeah, hot takes with Mr. H.

By the way, that's a podcast I listen to. So the question is, is next year you're going to eighth grade with the same kids. They love Hot Take Tuesday. So they love it. I don't think there's a world that you get rid of hot takes. But for, I have an idea. Let me pitch you something, Mr. H. So here's what I would pitch to them.

And you pitch it, your hot take on the last day of school is I am going to be your teacher next year But we are doing something fundamentally different because you are no longer babies in the seventh grade You are young adults of the eighth grade Each week. Okay, one of you is assigned the hot take platform but you need to write a little speech of your hot take platform, but you need to write a little speech of your hot take in essay form and then read it to the class on a Friday and we as a community take you down. Because for seventh graders, it's all Mr. H. But in eighth grade, I took a year, I trained

you it is now time for your written hot take Completely where I was really yes that I think is the move You're gonna take the workload off yourself the kids like it you still get to have the discussion You still get to have a hot take on their hot place. You will I think that's the way I will what do you think? I don't think about that. Mr. H of the franchise in it out? Which I like the pitch I like the pitch What's your hot? Delicate okay Well take on the hot take pitch. I like the pitch, but you got to be really delicate with seventh graders. I To get angry

Okay, but explain they will find a way to get angry at it all and they just want to build It's time to get away to get angry at it all and they they just want to build They like so the mango thing my last video I had to eat a mango for the first time on camera in front of them What's your hot take on parent-teacher conferences? My hot take well I'll tell you one hot take on parent-teacher conferences on kids that I can't give my seventh graders you want to hear that I do That your seventh grade kids are pretty much just you drunk. Amazing. Great hot take. Okay. It is. That is what teaching seventh grade, if you wonder, if you have your own children

and you wonder what they are like at school. Great. You drunk. That's a great. And there you are. Mr. H, what's your hot take on hot takes? They are exhausting. My hot take on hot takes is very exhausting. They also have to be done right. I did stand up comedy for a few years. I can tell. I know the value of having something-

Crafted? Versus just rushing through it. Okay. I think here's the problem with our initial pitch, which we both signed off on, it might feel like additional homework. Here's what I'd say. Why don't we do it, you say this to the kids, you, after the year of hot takes, you've run out of your own hot takes.

So what you're doing is every Wednesday or after Hot Take Tuesday, you get class submitted hot takes. And that is sort of audience submitted. Class submits things that you could do a hot take on, and that way they kind of feel like they're involved in it, but you still get to have the wheel. What do you think, Mr. H, what's your hot take on that? I have already pitched that to them them and they come up with nothing. And in fact, their response to that idea from me was, it's your hot take, you need to have

the opinion on something. Yes. To which I said, well then we won't have them. And it would... You are really... I'll tell you what's happening. ...hated into a hot take corner. So can I tell a quick story that shows me as a kid version of Mo from Three Stooges?

Cannot wait. When I was in s hospital out with my sister Kent's parents were working We didn't we were alone a lot. So the they thought we were getting in trouble for attention. Mm-hmm So he said come to my therapist. He was a cool dude. This was the 80s He was still connected to the late 60s early 70s hippie vibe cool sweater big beard and he said how about this? You guys feel like you don't have any control. So the next hour is your hour. I'm not the boss. You're not the kids.

You're the boss. So either me or Kent said, we appreciate that. Mr. Dick fart. And he had a ball in there in a little hoop and we go, can you pass us the ball? Dick farts so we can shoot. And he said, I'd rather you not call me Mr. Dick Fart. And we said, it's our hour, Dick Fart.

And it went so sideways for him and so funny for us. After the one session, he said, I don't need to see you two guys anymore. And his experiment was over. The look on his face where you immediately hacked his beautiful plan with dick fart where it's like Well, I obviously dick fart. I didn't think was coming at me right away And you realize I'm being cool to you pass the ball dick fart. All right, we're not doing this again I'm gonna give you 15 minutes and send you back to school you little pricks and we were like feels more right So later dick fart. So mr. H you're in a spot where you can't keep doing hot takes is what you're saying

Because if you could you would just be doing it. Yeah, I got another pitch. Go ahead. Correct. Okay. Okay. Why don't we do this? We're we're done. We're retiring it. We're no longer doing hot takes. Hate this. What we are doing It's not great. But what we are doing is still giving you the platform to have a bit of a rant But it's no longer gonna be just generated by you. What if you do, every week you bring in an in the news story that you kind of rant about? So you find a weird story from the news, which there's tons of, you bring in that weird story,

you walk the kids through it, and you kind of rant on that. Mr. H, I'll take on that. I like it. I'm honestly thinking that the best direction is, again, they want the stupidest... They're not interested in the news. They're not interested in... No, they want the handed in... Well, but I'm talking about man holds up liquor store with alligator in Florida.

I think we're going in the wrong direction, Mr. H and gareth. I think mr. G, please It would be mr. R Okay, that's better. Thank you dick fart. I Became dick fart. Yeah dick fart Get out of my classroom. So here's what I'm thinking and I know this look I'm not pitching you something easy easy but guess what else isn't easy here's my hot take go eighth grade ain't easy go seventh grade is easier if you were teaching the same seventh grade you keep hot ache tuesday the unfortunate reality is you little brats you grew

up over summer you do one tuesday I do the next Tuesday. A different student does the next Tuesday. I do the next. Alt. So you've got to incorporate them doing them because that is the beginning of getting ready for high school. That is, that is a fun way to do an essay. You have your thesis statement. My thesis statement is like mango jelly beans are disgusting. Paragraph one proves it. Paragraph two proves it. Paragraph three proves it. And in conclusion, they are disgusting because of all said reasons. That is what you're learning in eighth and ninth grade. You're just showing them how to do it in a fun way in seventh the hot take for them is I know you don't like it babies

But mommy and daddy are done cutting your chicken because you're in eighth grade Guess what there was an era where your parents wiped your butt then one day you wipe your own Hot takes half yours half mine when you get to high school It's all your hot take and this is your first hot take of the year yes the first hot take of the yes the first hot take of the year is how you wanted to stop hot takes they wouldn't let you so here's the hot take on how to hot take it. guess what mr. H here's a friggin turn when they all go no no, no, we don't like it. And you go, here's another hot take.

You'll be graded on it. Your hot take gets a grade that goes towards your actual grade and will be on your freaking report card, babies. Well, that is a great way to maybe present it as a, are you in or are you out? Either we are, you don't give them an option. Okay. All right. Then then yeah i like that so then you prove it and you go now am i making you guys do them all no i do every other one mr h this is a good solution but it ain't comfortable no i i mean again i teach middle school so i live in discomfort uh i'm on board with this too because

i tell my students all the time I am the most stubborn old man already They will ever meet yeah, and this is just I will prove it Yeah, and then here's the catch because most likely in a full year each student's gonna have to do two or three hot takes When their hot takes get better at the end of the year You know it then the final day you give your hot take on an assessment of their hot takes. How about this? We do the hotties, where you're giving awards away for the best hot takes. I might change the name of them. I don't know if I'm going to call them the hotties as I

call kids up to the front of the room. I think that's fair. Well, you guys enjoy your weirdo world where- But Mr. Edge, that's why you're you and he's mr. R and mr. R doesn't teach his goal He lives in a jail cell and mr. R also doesn't feel bad when dick fart tries to shame him Mr. H. Good luck, mr. H Hello hello, how are you? I am good. How are you guys? Good.

We know this is a follow up, but that's all Gareth and I know. Okay. Well, I called in a few months ago. You guys referred to me as Mr. H. Hot takes. I was a teacher. I'm a teacher. Oh shit.

Hot takes. And I got caught up in hot takes. Fuck yeah. We've talked about you just like off the air, just because you were a great personality and what a great problem. So what's going on hot takes? So let me start before I forget just to say thank you because you guys killed it. Yes. Yes.

It was when I was literally called. I wanted you guys to get me out of it. Right. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. When I was originally called, I wanted you guys to get me out of it. Right. Yes. And you pushed hard back against that and said, no, there's a way to shift this onto the kids. And so I had a few months to kind of do this and I dove right in. So I had been doing these hot takes. It had been a chore.

I had been trying to come up with stuff. And then I knew if I just went with the hot takes and really leaned into them and show the kids what I could do or what I thought they were, then I could shift. I could get them to give it to me. Yep. So I really leaned in. I went strong, you know, sweatpants and pajama pants are both the same thing. I refused to wear them. Right. In the summer, summer is great, beaches, ice cream, they both stink. So I kept doing these. Kids are going crazy. They eventually start talking about them. I have other teachers coming up to say, Hey, what's going on with the hot take? I've got kids emailing me from their house to say their parents prepared hot

dogs the wrong way according to me. And it just kept growing. So eventually another teacher, also the soccer coach came up to me and said, Hey, I can't shut these kids up about hot takes. I said, them, you come in and do one. Oh, wow in a guest heartache the kids recruited him. He came in He gave a rant about how his friends made fun of him for eating Domino's But he was gonna stand by and say Domino's was underrated great. That's a hot take That's the one that Kevin would like yes, yeah, he had Domino's last night It was Okay, keep going I read from the kids parmesan them if you will Yeah

Okay How I would change hot takes for my students next year without telling them most of them would be my student next year Great and said that I was gonna get the kids to do it They got jealous so they committed to it without knowing what they were committing to Starting to tell me what they wanted to give their hot takes about. So we start school in a week. I've got a slideshow ready to go. I've got my first couple of hot takes ready to go just to set the pace for the year. Can you send us the slides? I sent by one unfinished slide, but I sent him the hot take intro, which is just how I'm going to introduce it to the kids.

Okay. Jake, you had had a great pitch about how they were old enough and I wanted to use the audio, but you dropped about five frigging a minute. So I had. I swear. I think he said frigging. I don't know. Frigging.

Okay. Frig is fine. Yeah. But I hear you. Okay. Maybe notgin's fine. Yeah. I hear you. Okay. Friggin's fine. Maybe not the first week of school from your English teacher. I understand.

I understand. I understand, Mr. H. Mr. Hat. Okay. So we're trying to get in to see, but if not, no matter what, we'll post anything you send us about it. But so basically, Mr. H. You're back. Not only are you back, you're better than ever because now it's like it's a teaching

tool and the kids are into it. Yeah, the kids are super into it. And I got to say, like, I am terrible at like not telling people things. So I ended up contesting to my boss, the principal, the assistant superintendent of the district that I had called into a podcast show with the name Hank. They listened to it. You guys were described as pedagogically sound Now you tell him that if he wants to get that compliment. Oh, what's that word mean for the shark?

logical it's like Listen, okay. I'm sorry. I got so heated. It sounds like Yeah, that's great. That's a big win and you feel good I mean we because what you've done now is something you wanted to retire has now become your calling card That's exactly and and something the P I mean when you think when I think back to school I was so bored by school Little things like this would keep me going hot takes would be a guy like you're in a guy like my thing the best thing The best that's the child. I would be a guy like you and a guy like me is the entire thing.

The best. That's the chance to really say. I would be coming, yes, to show your actual acumen in some way. 100%. So you've really flipped it. So I guess what we're asking is probably. Well quickly we've got your first slide of hot takes.

Oh wow. Can we, are we, I mean, is it a spoiler if takes. Oh, wow. Can we... Are we... I mean, is it a spoiler if we... No, these kids are... School starts in a week. I will say, bizarrely, the kids aren't listening to how we're here to help, but the co-teacher, one of my classrooms, we had never talked about the podcast,

she listened to it, and the day I came out, called me out when she walked in the building and said, -"Good morning, Grace. Amazing. By the way. This is great. What you have up here, how can I share my hot takes? Hot take in on the day of your hot take, have two to three slides prepared that slate your case.

Be prepared to defend your opinion and your honor as we all push back. You have no more than five minutes to use your time. Mr. H, this is excellent. This is great. You have schooled up the hot takes. Like you have a hot take syllabus. Basically, this is excellent. Yeah, man.

It is extra credit. They will get double credit if they completely change my mind on something. Oh, so if they win, they get extra credit. This is this is phenomenal. I totally agree. You know what I would like? I'm very any other other teacher hearing this? To use...

Franchise. To franchise. To use Hot Takes to get your students Hot Takin'. We want to fight club Hot Takes. But it's gotta be called... Do you want your real name or Mr. H? Um... Let's go with my... Let's go with my... I love a good pseudonym. I love being Mr. H? Let's go with my, let's go with my,

I love a good pseudo name. I love being Mr. H. So, guys, if anybody is a teacher, because we get a lot of emails that people are teachers and they're, you know, with the students and you wanna do a hot take Tuesday with your students, please call it Mr. H's hot take Tuesday. Please follow up with us about it.

But I think you've started something here that I know if I were a kid, the best this would be my favorite day. I would think about it. I would do homework. Yes. Because I would try to have a really weird hot take. Yes. That really made the people in the classroom laugh. And I would really if the teacher said to me, you've convinced me, I would be like, see, I am smart. Yeah, I am not as dumb as my test scores.

Exactly. And it would change it. Exactly. I'd have confidence. Exactly. That's exactly. This is a win. Huge win.

You've done great work because it's really like even just looking at the packet you've put together like your deck. It's awesome. It's awesome. So before we go. Yeah, do it. Mr. H, what's your hot take on this podcast? My hot take on this podcast is that if you are listening to it just for a comedy

podcast, you are doing it wrong. This is truly an advice podcast. And if you are thinking about calling it and you want to get in there, listen to you guys. Yes. And it don't know, but it don't, you know, it just open your mind. Don't go in with the solution you want and hoping you get the solution you want. Just in a funny or zanier way, which has been my initial idea.

But call in, listen to you guys, you guys know what you're talking about. Open mind, open heart. We're here to help Mondays and Thursdays. And let me ask one more thing, just because we have a teacher who really knows his shit. Mr. H, our advice, what are you going to give us as far as our grade? That's right.

Oh, you know what? Here's what you're getting. You're not just getting an A. You're getting a phone call home that says, Mrs. Reynolds, Mrs. Johnson, your kids have figured it out. The call neither of our mothers ever got. Never. Yeah, my mother never got that one either. Mr. H, here's my hot take on you.

We love you, man. Love you, buddy. This is the best. Great work. Great work. Thank you for teaching these kids. You're inspiring a generation of hot takers. This couldn't be a more feel good ending

and we appreciate you. Please call back with a follow-up because it'd be nice to hear from you. Absolutely. Yes, absolutely. You guys, thank you. The impact on my classroom. Huge. Couldn't have foresaw this without you.

Josh, as good as it gets. Thank you, Mr. H. Appreciate it, buddy. All right. Have a good one, guys. You too, buddy. Bye. Hello. Have a good one guys. You too buddy, bye. Bye bye. Bye bye. Bye bye. Bye bye. Bye bye.

Hello. Hello. Welcome back, whoever you are. Oh, thanks for welcoming me back. It's good to be back. Who is this person? Sounds like Hot Take. Well, yeah, it could be.

We know you're a follow-up. We just know you have a follow-up. We just know you have great energy. What's your name and what was your first call or your last call? Jake got it in one. Hot takes. It is hot takes. Yeah.

Hot takes is bad. How you doing, brother? I'm doing great. I am, listen, part of the reason I'm excited is just because, Gareth, you said I was on your monk rush more and that has been filling uh, filling my head for, for weeks since I heard it. Need a big head to be on Mount Rushmore. Uh, so you-

I know, I read it be chiseled. Now let's just say again, you're, we call you, I want to guess, Mr. K? What do we call you? Mr. H. Mr. H. Mr. H. Mr. H. I know you're Mr. H. Mr. H. I know you're on my Mount Rushmore.

I don't want to insult you. No, you are because you are like we I feel like we ring the bell on you every time we catch up with you. So what is going on? As you know, or if you people who maybe are not familiar, you are a teacher. You were giving hot takes for a while to your students, things that made you riled up hot thoughts you had and then eventually that became too much. We suggested that you start giving the students the spotlight for them to come in with hot takes so you can still kind of carve out your niche at your school. That worked and now it's sort of caught on and it's a trend. So is that a pretty good summation?

That is a very good summation. I would say the latest update is if I were to ask you, what do you think best case scenario would have been? I think I beat it. We are killing it. Okay, what's going on? Well, recently we have started. We have started to design the Hot Takes Festival, which will happen on one of the last Tuesdays of the school year. Oh, shit. Think science fair, but for Hot Takes.

Oh, that's awesome. We're going to check out the library. We're inviting people in to come in to argue with my classes about the Hot Takes. They are very excited for it. I think that's excellent. Okay. This is great. We are booked. My class is booked months out. I have teachers who want to come in and give

and give heartaches. I'll tell you, I've had like, I knew it was success. The very first student one of the year, the kid finishes, looks right at me and says, when can I go again? Wow. And I was like, we got it. We got it. And we've been firing an all cylinder since we've got, we've got great hot takes. I mean, some of the kids, we have a wall at the back of my classroom that is just pictures of all of the kids after they've done their hot take.

Mr. H, let me ask you this, because this is, this is a win. I mean, obviously, this is a win that keeps winning. This feels very Shark Tanky in that we just sort of yes-handed and you've taken it off on your own and we did very little, honestly. But you've heard a lot of hot takes. Out of all those hot takes you've heard from your students, what is the best, what is the one where you're like, God damn, that's pretty good? So it's not one I agree with, but the best word in all of my students have agreed with this one is a kid stood up

in front of the classroom and just said, nothing is better spicy. And he went on a rant about how everything is about spicy. How good! Actually, Mr. H, what are some other hot takes, nothing is better spicy. And he went on a rant about how everything is about spicy. I'm good. Actually, Mr. H, what are some other hot takes the kids have had? That one is great. We did, you can retract an apology after it's given.

It was one that got the kids fired up. They got a good one. We had one that had a great follow-up this week, speaking of follow ups Kids on Tuesday had two boys in one of my classes. They know uh, they're in a class with a lot of the girls who are athletes So they ranked sports and to poke the bear they put all of the girls sports the girls in the class were playing at the bottom Just to uh, just to get a reaction Wow, and so the next day was the wednesday Wednesday before Thanksgiving. It's kind of like a wasted day anyway. We did put your money where your mouth is Wednesday. And those two boys

had to go out and play field hockey, volleyball, volleyball. It didn't go so great for them. Boy, oh boy. Mr. H, to me, you're the teacher of the year. Mr. H, to me, you're the teacher of the year. You're the teacher of the year. And I think for our show, this is truly, when we come up with our advice of what the show's gonna be, never do we think, I mean, you are the running back as far as you have taken this and just run with it.

It's impressive. So- Can you use a metaphor? You are the offensive line. I want to push back that you guys didn't do anything because I originally called wanted to get out of it. And the very thing you made clear was there was no getting out of it. So you guys are the offensive line if I'm the running back. I mean I would say we're the GM and the coach honestly. So Mr. H what's your hot take of the future? What's gonna happen next with later this year, next year and going forward with Mr. H, what's your hot take of the future? What's going to happen next with later this year, next year, and going forward with Mr. H's hot takes? It is going to be a permanent part of my classroom. We have part of the hot take festival is going

to be getting future kids in here to look at it, to see how hot takes are made. So they come in next year. Hot takes museum. A museum. Ooh, what about a hall of fame. Just gonna say. Each year for hottest takes. So when kids come back to the school they can have a photo of them. Well that's what should be the end of the hot takes festival. Someone should get inducted into the hot takes hall of fame. And this year is the first annual. Someone should get inducted into the Hot Takes Hall of Fame. And this year is the first annual. That could be it. One of my kids did suggest that they thought

we should vote at the Hot Take Festival and the winner should have to give their hot take in front of the entire school. Yes! I love this. Found it a bit intimidating, but is an idea. That's a great idea. And whoever gets voted and does that gets their photo.

And every year there is one kid who does that. And so part of the thing is, if you're in Mr. H's class, you're like, I kind of want to be the person who wins Hot Takes. It's H-O-T-H-O-F. And then what you're really hoping for in like 15 years is one of those Hot Takes Hall of Famers has like a great career and does something big.

It becomes in order. And then comes back and goes like visits the school and goes like, when I did hot takes, I realized that I could fly fighter jets. Yeah. Sure. Yeah. And I like that career trajectory.

I think that's it. You're doing it, man. That's great, Mr. H. Well, Mr. H. Thanks again, guys. We love you, buddy. Thank you for the call. This was great stuff. Shall I ring the bell even though we can't hear it? Yeah, ring it, ring it, ring it.

I'm ringing it. Yeah, ring the bell. It's ringing right now. You just can't hear it. Ah, it's glorious. I'm hearing it in my head. Me too. Thank you, Mr. H.

Well, keep us posted, Mr. H., and thank you for what you're doing. Oh, we will. Thank you for what you guys are doing. Enjoy the rest of your day. That's what I was fishing for. See you, Mr. H, and thank you for what you're doing. Oh, we will. Thank you for what you guys are doing. Enjoy the rest of your day. That's what I was fishing for. See you, bud. All right. All right.

We're here to help is hosted by Jake Johnson and Gareth Reynolds. If you'd like to be on the show, please email us your question at helpfulpod at gmail.com. And if you want to watch video episodes of We're Here to Help, you can go to our Patreon at patreon.com slash here to help pod to see our entire catalog. We're Here to Help is produced by Rabbit Grimm Productions, executive producers Rob Hollis, Jeff Porter and Natalie Hollis, associate producer Jesse Thurston, editing, mix and master by Chris Fowler. Themed song by Oliver Raleigh,

the cover artwork is by James Fostike, animations by Andrew Strilecki, and if you'd like to see Gareth do stand up on the road, go to garethrentholds.com. Remember all of the advice given on we're here to help is for entertainment purposes only, and all listeners should be adults and make their own decisions.

All video episodes of season one are available now on Patreon and season two video episodes will be available every Monday starting January 20th. Go to patreon.com forward slash here to help pod. Hi, I'm Rachel Dillson. And I'm Olivia Allen. And we host the podcast. Broad Ideas.

Yes, that's now on Headgum. On our show we chat with people like Brittany Snow, Lucy Hale, Kristen Bell, Margaret Cho, Jake Johnson and so much more. And we talk about all the things you would talk about with your best friend. Like your periods. And mental illness. And the food you ate for lunch. Most importantly.

Listen to Broad Ideas on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or wherever you listen to your podcasts.