Based on the card game and TV show The Misery Index, this is a podcast about communication. While talking with your mom (if you're a teenager) and your teen (if you're a mom) can feel like misery sometimes, Ericka and Jay Hardwick have figured it out: nothing is off limits. They use the cards as conversation starters, and you can play along. On a scale of 1 - 100, how much misery do you think peeing on an electric fence would cause? Their conversations are hilarious, gross, "squirm-worthy" (their term), honest, and frank. Get inspiration from this awesome mother-son duo on how to talk with your kids (or your parents) about, well, anything at all.
Mom Ericka is off doing lots of things in the very hot real estate season of spring in the very hot real estate market of the Pacific Northwest, so son Jay is flying solo this episode.
He's found a whole lot of very interesting questions which he's answering - sort of. Mostly. With pauses.
Jay occasionally says something that is wonderfully inspired, like the recent, "I really like my kidneys," and this episode is no exception. The title is from one of his answers, with no apparent sense of irony.
Enjoy Jay, who is by all measures, a remarkable young man. But not at all old-fashioned.
No sirree.
15 Apr 2021
Blind Cannibals
A classic Ericka and Jay exchange:
Ericka: I want to tell you this story that happened early tonight. [gives introductory details]
Jay: Whoa. I've never heard this story!
Ericka: Yes, I know. That's why I'm telling you now
Mother and son are at it again, discussing blindness, cannibalism, and what to get Jay and Law for their birthdays. (Apparently, getting Lawson to say what he wants as a gift is about a 56 on the Misery Index.)
Take a break, grab popcorn, have a hearty laugh. This is just the refreshing, palate-cleansing treat you need right now.
25 Mar 2021
To DELETE or NOT DELETE? (Duh...don't delete.)
If this episode doesn't make you laugh until you cry, well, you're more mature than the rest of us. We'll just leave that little tease there for now.
In this episode, Jay and Ericka Hardwick look into things that creep them out: breathing techniques that cause some sort of near-hallucinogenic effect, staring too long in the mirror, people who pop pimples... can you truly be driven crazy by being stuck in an elevator with Christmas carols playing on a loop? Are you sure it hasn't already happened?
Take a break from your day; the weekend is nearly here, and what better way to prepare for the first weekend of spring than some belly laughs with the Hardwicks?
18 Mar 2021
Happy vengeance, big shrimp, and an overhyped surprise
This week we're somehow talking about having an argument with a co-worker, big shrimp, "beta-sitting," where North Carolina is, and which is scarier: jumping out of an airplane or scuba diving.
It must be Thursday!
Back from a brief hiatus, the Hardwicks are at it again, having one of their free-flowing, charming, and hilarious conversations that take them, somehow, from North Carolina to Hawaii, from sky diving to scuba diving. And we learn that it takes a LOT to make Jay mad.
Grab some popcorn, curl up on the couch, and take a break for Life and have a few laughs instead.
19 Feb 2021
Turning the fear of upside down ... upside down
What are you most afraid of? Things that go bump (or boom) in the night? Rinky dink carnival rides that don't feel quite...clicked?
And is hearing that your mom did something untoward with a controlled substance while pregnant with you just slightly more concerning than finding a worm in an apple?
Today we're talking fear: chronic pain, death, stick figures on dragons. It's kind of a crazy conversation, but considering it's Ericka and Jay, wouldn't we be more concerned if it wasn't?
11 Feb 2021
Abra....CADAVER!!
"I really like my kidney."
It's time for Ericka and Jay to, once again, dive into the headlines and talk about things like DB Cooper and the Tylenol scare.
It might be time to get them some more recent newspapers...?
Anyway, this laugh-out-loud episode of mom and son features all sorts of educational content like bees vs wasps and what might happen if you get lured into an Anatomy & Physiology class.
4 Feb 2021
Meeting Jack Nicholson ... in a clown suit
We're sure the actor Jack Nicholson is a very nice person, but if you saw The Shining at a tender age (say 10 - 12), you may be less star struck than fear struck at meeting him in ... say, a creepy hotel or a dark alley.
Now imagine he's wearing a clown suit.
That's gotta hit high on your Misery meter, right?
Even if you're not a fan of scary movies, you'll love this episode, as mom and son Ericka and Jay discuss their favorite and least favorite scary movies and why some rank so high and others are just ... rank.
Welcome to ... the Misery Menagerie!
28 Jan 2021
You just lost 10 IQ points....
You just lost 10 IQ points. On a scale of 1 - 100, how bad does that make you feel? Remember the one about peeing on an electric fence? How much better or worse is this? (And if you're peeing on electric fences, are you sure you can afford those 10 points?)
Today Ericka and Jay are debating kinds of intelligence -- does an IQ test really tell you how smart you are? Or does it measure just one kind of intelligence and leave out the rest?
Mom and son take on intelligence, humor, frustration, patience, and family outings, and answer that really big question:
How long ago was the great Calamari Caper?
14 Jan 2021
When Life Gives You Lemons ...
What do you do when life gives you lemons? Like, say, naked pictures of you get distributed? Or you're stuck in traffic for DAYS? Or maybe your mom gives you a really bad haircut?
If you're Ericka and Jay Hardwick, if life gives you lemons, you make a podcast!
This hilarious mother-and-son duo take on life's lemons in this episode - how bad could it be?
7 Jan 2021
Insomnia, UFOs, Teachers & Other Things That Keep You Up at Night
The mom-and-son duo are back with yet more situations you REALLY don't want to find yourself in.
This week, they're disrupting our sleep with tales of insomnia, sleep demons, middle school math, PE classes, UFOs, and all manner of spooky stuff.
Where would you rate these things on the Misery Index? Hear from Ericka and Jay about what keeps them up at night!
25 Dec 2020
Our Christmas Episode
What's worse: losing your wallet and being sad about what you lost, or losing a wallet but not being sad because there wasn't much in it?
Is it just 5 points more miserable to accidentally set your house on fire if it's Christmas Eve?
Our favorite Misery Tour Guides, Jay and Ericka Hardwick, join us again with a new host of miseries for us to rate, review, and be relieved they're not actually happening. Not right now, anyway.
Buckle up, buttercup, and join us for Christmas in the Menagerie.
18 Dec 2020
Deported to Norway
Catapulted over the border — how does that rate on the Misery Index?
Mother and son Ericka and Jay are back with another assortment of odd topics: deportation, driving, and really dumb ways to get arrested. Would you rob a turkey farmer or break into a fast food joint to drink the grease?
Maybe not, but it's still oddly fascinating to talk about those who would... and did!
You need a break from the sane and often dull "real" world. Take some time out of your busy, hectic day to wander into the Menagerie!
10 Dec 2020
Episode 2 ... Maybe 3?
Today mother and son combo Ericka and Jay are discussing the relative misery of your favorite TV show being cancelled, the difference between the Mafia and a cartel, the importance of Christmas lights, exiting a ski lift with a snowboard vs skis, and a whole lot more.
Basically, this week is about being uncomfortable. And just getting on with it, even if you take out a whole family like dominoes.
And we finish this week with a challenge. Are you ready?
3 Dec 2020
A little bit of pee and things that make you go "WHEE"!
Welcome to the Menagerie!
Using the cards from the game and TV show The Misery Index as conversation starters, mom Ericka and teen-age son Jay are talking about things in life that most of us cringe away from.
In this episode, we learn about peeing on electric fences, operations when the anesthesia wears off, weight loss and get-fit plans, and much, much more.
The conversation may be "miserable," but we promise you won't be. Yes, the topics are unique ones for a mother and son, but so are this mother and son. Come for the laughs, and take away some ideas about how to communicate with your kid or parent.
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