When Kids Become Content and Wendy’s Will Pay You To Eat Bacon All Day for 3/12/26

We weigh the real cost of turning serious moments into viral content, from a 10-year-old’s perp walk posted online to the way fame changes safety and privacy. We also lighten things up with the internet’s best harmless chaos, plus a style talk that lands on how to dress well without losing yourself. 
• questioning the ethics of posting a minor’s arrest on social media 
• talking deterrence vs humiliation and why bullying can be a root issue 
• celebrating the “Trap Queen” weather forecast as harmless creativity 
• reacting to Wendy’s $100K Chief Tasting Officer posting as smart marketing 
• laughing at the press-on nails challenge and what beauty routines really take 
• processing the shooting at Rihanna’s home and celebrity security realities 
• discussing Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s minimalist fashion revival and personal style 
• debating luxury labels, resale sites, and why wealthy people often dress simple 
• shopping talk on JCPenney, Ross, TJ Maxx, and the “Target outfit” feeling 

Join Meryl Tuesday, March 31st at Flappers in Burbank. It’s called Miles Mates.

Tired of surface-level inspiration? This raw, transformative documentary digs deep into turning pain into purpose. Mainstream platforms wouldn't touch these powerful stories of resilience, but you can access them now on elrodvnetwork.com.

Tired of surface-level inspiration? This raw, transformative documentary digs deep into turning pain into purpose. Mainstream platforms wouldn't touch these powerful stories of resilience, but you can access them now on elrodvnetwork.com.

Tired of surface-level inspiration? This raw, transformative documentary digs deep into turning pain into purpose. Mainstream platforms wouldn't touch these powerful stories of resilience, but you can access them now on elrodvnetwork.com.

Transcript

Welcome And A Strange Tribute

SPEAKER_02 0:15

Hello everyone. Welcome to this week's episode of Thirsty Topics. Hey, Meryl. Hey, hey, hey. How are you doing this week?

SPEAKER_00 0:24

I'm doing very good. Very good. Um I'm announcing that I'm dedicating this one to uh earlier this week, my boyfriend's dog passed away, Rocco. So this is in memorial. But this is the one that I've talked about before that I didn't really like him that much. So um, and so of course, oh my god, that's so funny. My video just went out. That's that's a ghost of Rocco haunting me. You know, like the dog. Exactly. So I'm we're standing for my boyfriend, but we're happy for me. Um because of I mean, we're not happy, but we're anyway, even though I didn't really like him that much. What a what a weird tribute I just did. Anyway, we'll move on.

SPEAKER_02 1:06

Hopefully, your boyfriend doesn't see the first part of this.

SPEAKER_00 1:09

No, he doesn't watch it, exactly. We'll just we'll just we'll edit up the parts where I just say like tribute, Rocco, and that's it.

SPEAKER_02 1:18

Well, we're gonna start off with a very interesting topic. So, um, the sheriff department perp walks a 10-year-old boy on social media for threatening to bring a gun to school. So, in a shocking image, a 10-year-old boy was let out of a police car in handcuffs and taken down a walkway in ankle shackles. He was placed in the holding cell. The sheriff says the student was arrested after making a threat that he would bring a gun to school. Sheriff Mike Chitwood of Melusa County, Florida, posted the video of the Purp Walk on Instagram without blurring the minor's face. A decision that stirred controversy. Um, according to Insight Edition, who spoke to the

Sheriff Posts Child Perp Walk

SPEAKER_02 2:15

boy's attorney. Oh my gosh. This is interesting. I mean, I guess there's a lot of things to me that come to mind is for one, I get it, you want to prove a point. Um the boy just made a threat. Okay. Now, as kids, you know, we've made we've said stuff that we know we're not gonna do and stuff like that. I think this was way over the top personally. And then not only to put him in handcuffs and shackle his legs, but then you put the video on Instagram. I think that's way over the top. What do you think, Merrill?

SPEAKER_00 2:54

I agree with you too. I feel like, you know, as a 10-year-old, I could think of a bunch of things I did that I didn't agree with, or that I think a talking to is enough. Um, I don't think putting it on social media seems right, and that actually seems dangerous for him, too, you know, and maybe even something that will that could go viral. I mean, it did go viral and like be with him forever and ever, even as a later adult. So I agree with you. I don't think it should have been on social media.

SPEAKER_02 3:22

And you know, the other thing that bothers me too is, and again, I'm not saying this is an excuse, but why did he feel he needs to threaten someone? Tim doesn't see that, not all the time, but the majority of the time that person's being bullied. Um, you know, kids today, because of the bullying, is getting much, much more sadistic, much more, much more uh just crazy all around. You know, kids are snapping. You know, thank God he didn't actually bring something to school. But I I I think that we need to find out because yeah, that's a great PR move. It looks great. Oh, people are talking about it, but you're not fixing the problem of why he made the threat in the first place.

SPEAKER_01 4:07

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 4:08

Don't fix that problem. And and this is me talking, um, not as a host of the show, but as a father. If you don't get to the root, what the problem is, this little charade you just did don't do anything. So now what's gonna happen is instead of the kids, the kids saying that what they're gonna do, they're just gonna fly out and do it. Yeah, you know, because you haven't fixed the problem.

SPEAKER_00 4:30

Exactly. And I could even see how because I feel like they were going for one of those, um, you know, the show Scared Street, where they show like the corrections officers and everything, and yeah, but I feel like they were going for that, but also I could see this almost backfiring and making other kids like also want to get a perp walk, or you know, it's like okay, I'm cool and I'm tough, and now like other kids are going to see this and either try to like mess with the police officers or try to like do it on their own, too, you know, if they if they're like laughing about it. Um, so yeah, I think it it's going to backfire for the wrong reasons.

SPEAKER_02 5:05

I agree. And I don't know, I just have an issue with you know using a child to to get fame or get your 15 minutes of fame in the media. I think that's a horrible thing to do. And you know, the thing is, I guess my philosophy is what if that's your kid that did that? Would you want them to talk as well? You know, sometimes you gotta remember that what goes around does come back around.

SPEAKER_00 5:32

Exactly. Yep. So yeah, I think a talking to is good and corrective care where it's like, okay, how can I repair this? How can I learn to be a better person in society and not like embarrassing people and humiliating them, even if they're you know really young?

SPEAKER_02 5:48

That's true. I mean, I know that there are certain areas of the country that doing this kind of stunt would get that police department a lot of legal issues. Um, we don't know what the parents are gonna do, they may take legal issue against that sheriff department as well. Because at the end of the day, it's gonna boil down to this is a 10-year-old child. He made a threat, which he shouldn't have did, but then you have to think about okay, how realistic is it? Because the parents said that this child had no has no access to guns, okay, and they don't even own a gun in the house. So if that's the case, nine times out of ten, it's an empty threat. You know, you can't just arrest people for a threat if they have no way of committing it. And remember, this is a 10-year-old child. A 10-year-old child is different than a 13-year-old boy, different than an 18-year-old boy, different than a 21-year-old man. So you have to take that into context as well, too.

SPEAKER_00 6:48

So yeah, definitely. And what you said, it's a child, like in child, children just say things all the time. I mean, of course, a gun is something to take very seriously, but teaching the consequences rather than embarrassing them is definitely important.

SPEAKER_02 7:02

Yeah, and and let's not forget, too, at that age, sometimes they repeat what they hear.

unknown 7:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:11

So you also have to be careful what you say around children.

SPEAKER_00 7:15

I know. Um, well, I think this would be punishment enough, is uh sending the 10-year-old onto a live weather report. So I I love this kind of stuff when when meteorologists and anchors and everything are able to slip everyday talk or even like code words into their um into their little spiel. I don't know. I think this is so funny. So uh meteorologist Nick Cozier went viral after viewers realized he had worked lyrics from Fetty WAP's Trap Queen into a live weather forecast. Uh, people reported that Kozier, who was already well known online as the dancing weatherman, had actually discussed possible lyric choices with Fetty WAP beforehand. He then delivered the forecast straight face while weaving in lines from the song, and uh the clip went viral. I I love this so much. And so um, I think this is amazing. I've, you know, the internet loves this type of stuff, and

Rap Lyrics Hidden In Forecast

SPEAKER_00 8:12

I just think if I was like a news director, I would not be mad at him because I feel like this brings 8,000 times the views that a normal weather report would bring. And like this is the type of stuff that last week we talked about pranks that like gone wrong to me. This is the kind of like playful stuff that hurts no one and it's silly and creative, so I love it. And weather reports can be boring, so why not like spice it up a little bit?

SPEAKER_02 8:37

That's true, that's true, and you know the thing is, um, I know that song because I actually really like it. So I know the lyrics of the song, and just picturing him doing this or any other newscaster to the lyrics of this song is hilarious. I mean, it's definitely hilarious. Yeah, it'll give you a reason to watch the weather, though.

SPEAKER_00 9:02

Exactly, exactly. So I'm not mad at this. I love when it's like, you know, they say stuff, or especially I know there's one, this might even be the one, but there's one guy that takes requests from viewers and they'll say, like, say the word Dalmatian or you know, something and they'll know that that's like, okay, it's almost you're in on a secret joke with someone.

SPEAKER_02 9:23

Nice, nice. Now that's actually pretty cool too. I mean, it's a great way because, like you say, one of the reporters probably get the least amount of love versus all the other reports in the news. Yeah. Because you know, most people watching, like, okay, okay, just get to the five five days. Just go, go, go, go.

SPEAKER_00 9:41

Exactly. And it could be boring. I mean, I think they they usually spice that up with women wearing like very tight dresses. You know, usually it's like really hot women that are making it. So I can see if you're a guy, you gotta step it up. It'd be it'd be fun if like um our people told us what to say, and we didn't tell the other one, and we were trying to guess like which was a uh a lyric and which one wasn't.

SPEAKER_02 10:02

That actually would be kind of fun. Now, speaking of fun, this is probably my favorite topic here. Wendy's is looking to hire a cheap tasting officer. Now, I actually thought that this was fake, so I actually went to the Wendy's site. I actually went to other um media outlets, you know, reputable outlets, and this is a real story. So Wendy's is basically asking, hey, do you hate your job? Are you too iconic to be opening PDFs for your boss? Ever been told you're a personality hire? Do you care more about bacon than bottom lines? Do you care more about JBC than KPI? Well, you're in luck. Wendy's is hiring a chief tasting officer. You'll help bring the vibes, taste, and creativity to the company in

Wendy’s Chief Tasting Officer Job

SPEAKER_02 11:04

ways no one else can. Basically, you'll get paid to eat Wendy's, be chill, maybe make some content, and maybe even start in ads, whether it's quarterly vlogs, check-ins, taste trending, or whatever. You'll make cheddar just like cheddar. How do you like the way I did that, Meryl?

SPEAKER_00 11:27

I love it. I'm ready. I was ready to sign up. I'm looking on LinkedIn of where I can apply.

SPEAKER_02 11:33

And you know the crazy thing about this is um I was amazed at how much they're paying. Um, they're paying $100,000 for this job.

SPEAKER_01 11:44

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 11:46

So they're saying job type is dream, location is remote, travel is light, mostly to your local wendy's and/or the couch. Start ASAP. Require credentials, a human mouth. Okay, we all have that. A poll opinions, creativity, and taste.

SPEAKER_00 12:08

Now, does it sound like they're hiring for one, or is this like a position that they're hiring in like each county or something?

SPEAKER_02 12:17

So what I see, it's like a um, it looks like it's for one. Um, because basically it looks like it's um some type of competition where you apply for it because you have to make a video. So it looks like there's a competition, and then the winner of the competition gets his dream job here.

SPEAKER_00 12:37

So oh my god, that's so interesting. I wonder if like they get fired after a year, because obviously it's like or or if they just create content. I think for a hundred thousand dollars a year, that's such smart advertising. Because, like, you know, we're talking about it, it's been national. Chances are they're gonna pick someone that can really make viral videos and the whole world will be like watching them. So for an investment for Wendy's for a hundred grand a year after tax, you know, before taxes, basically, that's I think that's so smart. Um, and I can't wait to hear who gets it. I'm very interested.

SPEAKER_02 13:10

And you know, the other thing too, Merrill, is that whoever does get this role is not only gonna make a really great living for the for one year. I don't know if this is more than one year, but I'm assuming it's just one year. Um, if you start in some ads, that's extra money that you're making, and you're gonna get that notoriety that's gonna open up other opportunities too.

SPEAKER_00 13:31

Exactly. So are we both applying or what?

SPEAKER_02 13:38

We should just for the hell of it, you never know.

SPEAKER_00 13:41

I know it's funny too, because I maybe I I feel like it will be good for someone to go back into their own video making, like someone that's already made a bunch of like what I eat in a day videos, and they include Wendy's. I'm sure there's a lot of creators that already have Wendy's in their kind of universe of content. Um, so I feel like that would be a really good leg up. And it also just goes to show you if you love a place, like start recording and start doing it now because you never know when they might be hiring and looking for someone that's like well versed in it.

SPEAKER_02 14:11

That is so true. That is so true.

SPEAKER_00 14:14

So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:15

Um let's see. Uh, I'm gonna go ahead and take a break and add no, I'm just kidding.

SPEAKER_00 14:21

I have to say, too, of of all the uh fast food places, I'd I'd want to work for Wendy's the most. Like, I don't I actually don't think I'd want to work full-time for McDonald's or Burger King or like Taco Bell and stuff. Wendy's is the one that I think I could actually eat, like you know, often and not get so, so, so sick of it.

SPEAKER_02 14:39

Yeah, I mean, Wendy's is very delicious. Um, and the other thing about Wendy's too is there's no such thing as a healthy fast food restaurant, but they're not as bad as the others.

SPEAKER_00 14:52

Yeah, and their options too are pretty good, like chicken nuggets, baked potato salads. Look at us, we're creating our own Wendy's ad. We should just send them this clip and be like, actually, we'll split the hundred thousand dollars and the work, and we'll be a team doing it.

SPEAKER_02 15:06

I'm all in. I'm all in on that.

SPEAKER_00 15:08

We do. We can each work 20 hours a week. It's perfect.

SPEAKER_02 15:11

Oh, I love that.

SPEAKER_00 15:12

Me too.

SPEAKER_02 15:14

We should tag Wendy's on this.

SPEAKER_00 15:16

Yeah, absolutely. We will tag them, but we're available. Okay, well, I thought this one was so funny. Um, this video drew more than 17 million views on TikTok and 20 million Instagram views. Uh, a husband admitted to his wife that she was right after he tried fake nails for a day. Um, so content creator Matthew Carter, his wife had challenged him to wear long press-on nails for a day after telling him he would never last. He tried it, documented the experience, and quickly learned that the everyday task became surprisingly hard. The video blew up online. Um people on TikTok and Instagram were laughing so hard watching him struggle with things like shoes, zippers, and just basic coordination. Uh, he ended up admitting his wife was right and said he could not even make it through the morning. So I think this is so funny because I love the little like kind of walk in my shoes challenges, but it also just shows how much goes into our beautiful or our beauty routines. Um, I mean,

Fake Nails Challenge Reality Check

SPEAKER_00 16:17

there's a reason my nails are super short because I've I've tried very long fake nails and I just can't last either. Between typing and like, I don't know, I just feel like the whole time you just feel like that you to me there was like something, it feels very synthetic. Like I felt that way about having um at one point I had very ridiculous extensions too, and I just I I am not the person that can upkeep them. So big props to any women or any person that can like have a lot of beauty things and keep up with it. I just am too disorganized.

SPEAKER_02 16:49

I definitely understand. And I guess my crazy my crazy thought is what made him think that this stuff was not eas not hard. I know really needed to do this exactly.

SPEAKER_00 17:01

Maybe his wife was like, I can't do this because of my nails, and it really is a thing. I just couldn't type, but I I do think that like nails that long, beautiful nails are so gorgeous, and like I love seeing women with nails that like look part of their outfit, or it just makes you look so put together. But to me, like the time that it takes to do them and the upkeep is just not worth it for me personally.

SPEAKER_02 17:24

Let me ask you this, Merle. As a woman, do you think there's a such thing as too long of nails? Because I've seen it. Oh yeah. They're getting like, wow, you know.

SPEAKER_00 17:33

Oh, yeah. I love the Instagram is when the woman's talking and she's like, don't have a bad day. Like, like I love, I love when it's like very, very long. Um, but of course, but I I I do also think it's a sign of like in a good way, I admire it because it almost to me signals like not that women aren't working hard, but it's almost like a not it's like a class thing, but it's almost like a oh, I have long nails. That means I don't have to do a lot of like administrative stuff that would make my nails break. It's to me, it's almost like a fancy woman type of thing. Because it's like I can have long nails and just you know live my life.

SPEAKER_02 18:10

Oh, that's a good point. That's a really good point. I mean, because there is a lot of jobs where the the really, really long nails would be almost impossible to do.

SPEAKER_00 18:19

No, yeah. Or even like the very um, like I have friends that are very thoughtful and creative about the art that they put on their nails, where it's like tiger's eye color or you know, pink or whatever. And so um I love it, but I don't that's not so I don't think my boyfriend would like dismiss how hard it is to have long nails. If anything, it'd be so funny just to watch him try it for a day because I feel like you know he'd be scratching his head and I would love to hear about that. Yeah, he'd probably break them. Actually, I don't want to know though, like the sanitary thing, because there's always the like, are you washing them? Like he'd have Taco Bells stuck in them. Think about that one exactly, because everyone needs to wash under their nails, that's why I don't want it.

SPEAKER_02 19:08

Yes, yes, yes, definitely. Um well, um, my last topic of the day um is actually a cautionary one. Um, I'm quite sure everyone has heard by now, but LAPD has arrested a woman that shot at Rihanna's home in LA.

SPEAKER_00 19:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:30

So a Florida woman used an AR-15 style weapon in an attack on Rihanna's mansion, sources say. A 35-year-old woman fired approximately 10 shots at Rihanna's Beverly Hills mansion Sunday from a vehicle piercing the home's wall. Popstar who lives there with ASAP Rocky and their three young children was home at the time of the incident. No injuries were reported, and the suspect was arrested at the scene following the early Sunday afternoon incident. So police uh

Shots Fired At Rihanna’s Home

SPEAKER_02 20:08

identified the suspect as Ivana Ortiz. She's being held on a $10.2 million bail. Officials have not cited a motive for the attack. Los Angeles police responded to the report of the shooting at 1.21 p.m. Sunday in the Beverly Hills post office neighborhood. Popstar was home, the sources said. The suspect, uh Ivana Ortiz of Orlando, had several prior arrests in her home state, according to public records reviewed by the Times. Wow. I'm really glad that Rihanna is safe. Um I know. I mean, you know a crazy thing, Merrill, is I don't know what could be done, if anything, to stop this, because you could have all the security in the world, but if you have someone that has whatever going on decides to just start shooting up your house, I mean, I don't know what you can do, you know.

SPEAKER_00 21:11

I know. And of course, like, of course, the conspiracy side of things are like it's Jay-Z or it's this or that, or you know, or people were like, this also sounds like a side chick, you know, maybe someone like from WhatsApp Rocky or whatever, who knows? But either way, it's so scary and like, yeah, just really, really terrifying.

SPEAKER_02 21:32

Yeah, I mean, um, it's it's really sad that because I know that some people say, well, you know, celebrities should be, you know, have their homes uh listed. It's not that they're listing their homes. I mean, in this day of technology, unfortunately, it's not really hard to find out where a celebrity lives, you know.

SPEAKER_01 21:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:54

With you know, people kind of like the paparazzi and everybody following them, drones and everything like that. You know, it's almost like, yeah, they got this beautiful home, but it's almost like a prison because they have to pretty much stay in there or go to wherever they need to go to be safe. You know, they can't do normal things like everyday people, like you know, taking a walk around the block, something that the average person does and enjoys. You know, a celebrity doesn't have that option.

SPEAKER_00 22:20

Right. Yeah, that's really scary. And it and when you think about, I mean, to uh who knows what happens behind the scenes, but to us, Rihanna stays like so much out of trouble and just kind of seems to mind her own business and is focused on her own business, like Fenty Beauty and stuff. So yeah, it's very scary.

SPEAKER_02 22:36

Yeah, that is scary. I just uh I just hope that um that they deal with her, and this is the end of this, and this is just uh a one-off and not something else bigger that we're not aware of.

SPEAKER_00 22:50

Yeah, me too. Um well, my last one. I don't know if I will I I would not expect you to, but you're not watching the TV show Love Story with JFK about JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bassett Kennedy, are you?

SPEAKER_02 23:06

Oh man, I missed that.

SPEAKER_00 23:09

I wouldn't think in the middle of the the Bears and football and all this kind of stuff that you'd be watching. This kind of it's very uh kick-coated, and I say that as someone that is actively watching it. Um but uh basically, you know, I've heard of Carolyn Bassett Kennedy forever and ever. She was the one that was married to JFK Jr. And unfortunately, she also got killed in the plane crash many years ago with him. Um, but now this new show on I think Netflix uh called uh Love Story is about her and JFK Jr. Um, I mean, next week I may even pick this still as a topic because there's even this side conversation

Carolyn Bessette Kennedy Style Revival

SPEAKER_00 23:49

about how uh they're like completely portraying the actress Daryl Hannah wrong. And and like Daryl Hannah just wrote something in the New York Times about how, like, not only is that not me, but they're just making up things and they she said she's never done drugs and they show her using cocaine and all this kind of stuff. But anyway, um what I wanted to talk about this week is about how Carolyn's style is having a major fashion revival. Um, and really her she worked for Calvin Klein, so her style is very like minimalist, you know, wearing a black tank top and black turtle. It's very New York chic. And but it's also we have to remember that she was like gorgeous and also very thin and very just like the type of body that like fits easily in a lot of nice clothes. Like I, you know, I could put on her stuff and I just look like I'm shopping at Walmart and stuff. And so and I look I I'm cute, but it's also it's it's a lot easier when you're like a tall, very thin person, just able to look a little better in like normal turtlenecks and everything. Um, but it's funny watching girls on TikTok see in New York and be like, enough, everyone, stop stop trying to be her. You're not gonna dress like her. So I guess my thing was like, do you have a fashion icon? Like, is there a guy that you see out in the world that that really like inspires how you dress?

SPEAKER_02 25:08

That's a good question. Um, there's a there's actually probably like two or three. Um I like uh Damon John. Um yeah, he dresses so nice. He dresses very, very nice. I I love um the way he puts everything together. He has a great unique style about himself. Uh I like the way Steve Harvey dresses. You know, he dresses really. And even when he dresses down, he dresses pretty nice too. Um, and then there's a couple more that I like as well, too. Um, I I think that when when a person um wears wears an outfit, um I'm sorry, they call it gear now. I don't know. They kids keep changing the terms. I don't know what it's called. Weather nice or clothes, it's nice when it fits together, and if it feels like it's nice but also comfortable at the same time.

SPEAKER_00 26:03

Exactly. You know who fits in that profile that I think you might um Michael B. Jordan. I feel like dresses really cool, and yeah, he always looks like so professional, but he'll throw in like a little flair and a little fun, and I think that's like, yeah, totally.

SPEAKER_02 26:18

Oh, yeah, because you want to look nice, but I know like for me and probably most other guys, you also want to be comfortable too. So looking nice and uncomfortable is not a good combination, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 26:30

And I think people have to remember the thing with this woman with Carolyn Bassett, like she definitely dressed very minimally, but what I like is that she didn't have a ton of logos, it wasn't like tacky Gucci across her chest, and she wasn't trying to show everyone that she was wearing, like, you know, Prada or whatever. So if anything, it was very understated and high quality. So I think we don't need to dress exactly like her, but we can try to be more mindful about like the textiles that we use and everything. Um, and I don't know, I just think people should also just try to develop your own fashion style, whether that means uh like colors that you like, or I think there's a lot of just trying to emulate like what's in now, whether it's a clean girl aesthetic or whatever. And I think people should try to like look inward and be like, what do I actually like?

SPEAKER_02 27:17

Oh, I agree. I mean, the real the real thing is that with the exception of celebrities and other people, most wealthy people dress in regular clothes. Yeah, yeah, they can literally blend in. Okay. Um, in fact, I have this story, and I probably said it before talked about it before in a previous episode. Of years ago, I was I was uh in line at the bank, and this gentleman was in front of me. He went up to the counter, and the gentleman had on um a members-only jacket. I'm probably dating myself.

SPEAKER_00 27:53

Oh, yeah, yep, yep.

SPEAKER_02 27:54

I love it.

SPEAKER_00 27:55

So still cool.

SPEAKER_02 27:57

And he had on some jeans, they were like super blue jeans with a generic label on them, but they're so he looked, you know, look nice. The kind of person you literally would just walk past and not think anything about. And he told the the person at the counter, um, I need to cash out the rest of my savings bonds. Um, three million dollars of it to finish my home.

SPEAKER_00 28:21

Oh my gosh, that's so polar.

SPEAKER_02 28:24

Three million dollars to finish his home. Oh my god. So, you know, eventually, look, I think a manager came up and they took him back to an office, obviously. But oh my god, but everybody, all of us just looked at each other like, wow. I mean, this is walk right past and wouldn't give him a second thought.

SPEAKER_00 28:46

Oh my gosh, I love that. And I feel like all the people that to me like look wealthy always look very like just clean and put together where they're not wearing huge how you said they're wearing a nice jacket and nice blue jeans, it's not like disgusting and crusty, but it's also not like dripping and balanciaga or whatever, like that just kind of looks a little try-hard. But but also like I if people like wearing luxury things and like showing off, I I think that's awesome too. And I feel like that could also be its own form of like art and everything. I just think if if it fits what the person wants, then that's cool, you know.

SPEAKER_02 29:20

I mean, I guess my philosophy is it's okay to spend your money on, you know, you want to buy very expensive clothing, very expensive shoes. There's nothing wrong with that. But if you can barely pay bills, um you should be doing that because the real sad fact is that the majority of people that buy high-end labels are not rich people.

SPEAKER_00 29:45

Oh, yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_02 29:47

That's the sad part, you know, exactly. And before people jump all over, I'm not saying there's nothing wrong with splurging and treating yourself, not saying any of that, but don't jump up and say, Oh, I'm broke, you know, life is hard, I can't do anything, you know, as you talk to someone with a thousand dollar jeans on, you know, make sure that's yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 30:07

And now almost the same way with cars, like buying new from the Gucci site is so ridiculous because you can buy still so many, not even use thrift things, but like new with tags off of other sites like Poshmark. There's another one, like Vestair, there's fashion fashion file. Like, I there's a whole bunch of sites that I see where you can buy luxury items. Um like the the real real is one too, and you don't have to you could spend like $200 on them and they're still new, they're just you know pre-owned and it's not gross or anything, it's just it's just what it is. So um, yeah, but I also need to I need to stop wearing like sad girl target clothes every day. Because it because dressing nicely, even if it's not brand new, does make you feel a little bit better, you know.

SPEAKER_02 30:52

Yeah, but you know what? If if it's your style, I mean I remember what when Michelle Obama first became first lady, we learned that a lot of what she wore came out of Tar J. You know?

SPEAKER_00 31:06

That's true, that's true. But I don't know what my target makes me feel just so depressed if I wear Target because I feel like I'm wearing just like what they want the masses to wear, like it makes me feel too like a like a robot or like an NPC character. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:20

I mean, I know this is a little bit off topic, but I remember when Michelle Obama was being interviewed, and she would say how she made like a midnight run to the local Walmart, and how you know she tried to get in there, get out, but people still knew who she was. And I'm like, okay, you're going in there probably with like five to ten secret service people, I'm quite sure that she's fast, you know.

SPEAKER_00 31:44

Exactly. I'll tell you, like the stuff that I get the most compliments on, are I I really love JCPenney, and before it like completely goes bankrupt, I feel like more people should check it out because they have really nice clothes there, and it's like ridiculously inexpensive, like it kind of has Walmart prices, but I feel like it's almost like a Nordstrom or a Macy's type of clothing still.

SPEAKER_02 32:04

Oh wow, you know, I haven't been in in uh in JCPenney in a long time, and I know the few times I've been in there, Merle, I'm honestly surprised it's still open because I never see people in there.

SPEAKER_00 32:14

It's like almost oh my god, so I was crying laughing yesterday. I someone made a TikTok where it was like, what it's like shopping at Ross dressed for less, and he was walking in, there was all these clothes on the floor that he was like falling over. Because it's like, why is everything always on the floor at Ross? And like he was tripping over couches and benches that were just like in the middle of the aisle.

SPEAKER_02 32:36

I mean, you kind of wonder, like, so the employees just said, forget it, they just give up.

Cheap Finds And Store Hot Takes

SPEAKER_00 32:42

Exactly, everything is on the floor, and at one point he was like falling into a lamp and everything, and I just think that is like so so funny. So I feel like JC Penny's to me seems still like a manageable department store, and it there's not you're not tripping on the you know, on the goods or whatever, it's still good.

SPEAKER_02 32:58

I always wondered then about stores though. And I'm sitting there when I see stuff all over the floor. I'm like, I know we're not the only ones seeing this here, you know.

SPEAKER_00 33:07

Yeah, because like like TJ Max, Marshall's Ross, those make me crazy because of like the fluorescent lights, and it just that makes me feel like I'm in like a sweatshop or something, you know. Like I can just it feels like cheap in there, but um, yeah, everyone check out JC Penny, and they have really good like athletic clothes too, like you know, champion, reebok, all that kind of stuff.

SPEAKER_02 33:30

That's definitely good to know.

SPEAKER_00 33:33

They should sponsor us, JC Penny's and Wendy's. Are you listening?

SPEAKER_02 33:36

That's right. Well, this has been a great show, but obviously we can't get out of here until we find out what's going on with you, bro.

SPEAKER_00 33:45

Aw, so sweet, thank you. I'm gonna plug the same show that I did last time, um, which is Tuesday, March 31st at Flappers in Burbank. And it's it's called Miles Mates, and it's uh from my friend Miles, a really great comedian and his friends, and I'm one of the mates.

SPEAKER_02 34:05

That sounds like a lot of fun. Definitely come out, see Miles, see Merrill, and have a fantastic time.

SPEAKER_00 34:12

Yeah, you'll be smiling because they it's very smiley people. So you you might not. I mean, you'll be laughing because it's funny too, but at the very least, you'll form a smile.

SPEAKER_02 34:20

There you go. And you don't have to fall over on toes anymore, right?

SPEAKER_00 34:25

Exactly. No, but there actually it it's really funny because the venue is truly right next to a Ross dress for less. It's in between a Buffalo Wild Wings and a Ross

Show Plug And Goodbyes

SPEAKER_00 34:36

dress for less, which if that doesn't tell you the caliber of everything, it should sound like a great time. It is. I love it so much. I love flappers and Burbink.

SPEAKER_02 34:47

Well, everyone, thank you again for watching us, for listening to us and always supporting us. We really appreciate it. I'm Lawrence Elrod. And I'm Meryl Climo. Take care, everyone. Bye. Bye, bye, bye.