TRANSCRIPT Judge John Hodgman Ep. 553: Hampering With the Evidence

Katherine would like to pack for short trips in a laundry basket. But her husband, Andy, says it’s not practical! Who’s right? Who’s wrong?

Podcast: Judge John Hodgman

Episode number: 553

Transcript

sound effect

[Three gavel bangs.]

jesse thorn

Welcome to the Judge John Hodgman podcast. I'm Bailiff Jesse Thorn. This week: "Hampering with the Evidence." Katherine brings the case against her husband Andy. When they go on short trips to visit her dad, Katherine would like to pack her clothes in a laundry basket. Andy is opposed! He says it's just not practical. Who's right? Who's wrong? Only one can decide.

sound effect

[As Jesse speaks below: Door opens, chairs scrape on the floor, footsteps.]

jesse

Please rise as Judge John Hodgman enters the courtroom and presents an obscure cultural reference.

sound effect

[Door shuts.]

john hodgman

"They kept us hidden. We were the big family secret. Everybody hated us, except our aunt. You see, he likes the dark. He doesn't like to be seen. Not even by me sometimes. And you know what else? He talks to me. Without words. I just hear him whispering in my brain. Sometimes he talks for hours and hours, and won't shut up. He calls it... the Judge John Hodgman podcast." Bailiff Jesse Thorn, please swear in the litigants. [Someone laughs quietly.]

jesse

Katherine and Andy, please rise and raise your right hands.

sound effect

[Chairs scrape.]

jesse

Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God or whatever?

katherine

Yes.

andy

I do.

jesse

Do you swear to abide by Judge John Hodgman's ruling, despite the fact that when he visits the laundromat, he carries his laundry in one of the legendary wire sculptures of mid-20th century Japanese American artist Ruth Asawa? [Beat.]

crosstalk

Katherine: Yes. Andy: I do.

jesse

I don't know what the premise of that was. I just... have been thinking a lot about the work of Ruth Asawa lately, John. Judge Hodgman—

john

They're great for MyUndies!

jesse

Yeah. [Laughs.]

john

Oh, wait a minute. They're not a—they're not a podcast sponsor, are they? [John, Andy, and Jesse laugh.] They're great for my non-brand underwears! [Jesse and Andy chuckle.]

jesse

Judge Hodgman, you may proceed.

john

Katherine and Andy, you may be seated.

sound effect

[Chairs scrape.]

john

For an immediate summary judgment in one of yours' favors, can either of you name the piece of culture that I referenced as I entered the courtroom? Everything that I said was a direct quote from a piece of culture, except for the part where I said "He calls it the Judge John Hodgman podcast." That was obviously... my imitation of a joke. Uh, Katherine. Do you have a guess?

katherine

God. Uh, it sounded like—[sighs]—some kind of children's literature. Um...

john

Mm!

katherine

Around the World in Eighty Days.

john

Oka—oh, interesting! Around the World in Eighty Days! Huh. Okay! That—definitely big—

jesse

A classic of children's literature, and a classic of Cantinflas literature.

john

What's that??

jesse

Cantinflas was in the—[stifles laughter]—the Clown Prince of Mexico! He was in Around the World in Eighty Days.

john

Thank you very much, Bailiff Jesse Thorn!

jesse

Cantinflas.

john

Alright. You know why I like your guess, Katherine?

katherine

You do?

john

Yeah. I do like your guess. You wanna know why I like it?

katherine

Why?

john

Well, how do they travel around the world in 80 days?

katherine

Um, I think they take, like, trains, and...

john

Planes, and automobiles. But also a—don't they float around in a—in a balloon?

katherine

That's—I've never read it. I used to think that that was the only way they got around the world, and it's not.

john

There's definitely a—there's some—

katherine

There's some balloons.

john

There's some lighter-than-air travel in that, right?

katherine

I would think so.

john

And when you're in a balloon, in a hot-air balloon... what are you floating around in?

katherine

A basket.

john

A baskeeet. [Katherine chuckles.] Like a lau—like a laundry hamper basket!

crosstalk

Katherine: That's right! Andy: Ahhh.

john

Andy, I—I think you've got this one. I think you've got— [The litigants laugh quietly.] I think you've got a guess, and I think you're right.

andy

Was that a hint, what you just said? Or no?

john

Well, I'm just looking at you, and I just got a feeling. We're the same age, right? May I ask your age?

andy

I am 50.

john

Yeah. When's your birthday, June 3rd?

andy

October 25.

john

Oh, okay! I'm a little bit older than you, then.

andy

Okay.

john

Belated happy birthday.

andy

Thank you.

john

But you got a beard. You're— [Andy and John laugh.] You got a beard and glasses.

andy

Uh-huh.

john

You're 50 years old. This puts you in the—in the range.

andy

I basically am you.

john

...Okay! I'll decide.

andy

Yeah. Uh, is it, uh—I don't know. The only—couple things occurred to me. Uh... The Sixth Sense? Something like that? [Katherine laughs.]

john

The Sixth Sense. Okay, I understand why you made that guess!

andy

What's that nineties movie with Don—Dan Aykroyd? Nothing but Trouble? Do you know this movie?

john

[John chuckles knowingly.] You can hear me and the Flop House boys in The Flop House talk about that... wildly disturbing movie.

andy

It was—yes. It was quite a surprise when I got it from the video store.

jesse

Probably best known as Tupac's onscreen debut.

crosstalk

John: [Laughs quietly.] That's right. Andy: Yes. Mm-hm.

john

Along with the rest of the Digital Underground.

andy

Mm-hm.

jesse

Yeah.

john

Yeah. Nooo. Don't see that movie, everybody. And nor can I endorse the movie that is the actual answer, because indeed all guesses are wrong. I can't endorse this movie, 'cause I have ever seen it. Though around the lobby at the Coolidge Corner movie house where I worked as a teen—a late teen—this movie came up a lot. It is a cult horror film from 1982. You like cult horror movies, Andy?

andy

Eh.

john

Alright. Alright! See, I didn't read you correctly. You're more—

andy

Is it Basket Case?

john

It was Basket Case, yes.

andy

Wooow. See, that's why I was asking if it was a—a hint.

john

Well, you should've took it!

andy

Yeah!

john

'Cause you guessed those other ones wrong first.

andy

Very, very wrong, yeah.

john

What do you know about Basket Case, Andy? Explain to the audience.

andy

Uh, it is—yeah, it's—I—I've never seen it.

john

Me neither.

andy

Uh, I've seen, like, a review video on YouTube sort of summarizing it. There's a—is it—are they twins separated at birth?

john

Yeah. It's a story about a—a guy named Duane, who was a conjoined twin. And against his wishes, the conjoined twin was separated from him. And the conjoined twin's name is Belial. And the conjoined twin, the twin that is separated from Duane, is... a sort of monstrous creature. That Duane keeps in a basket. A laundry basket. Under his bed.

andy

Mm-hm.

john

And every now and then, someone says, "What's in the basket?" And the audience goes, "Don't ask!" But they do anyway, and it opens it up, and Belial's, like, claw gets them in the face. Super cheap movie, it was made for 35 grand. The claw is actually a rubber glove worn by the director Frank Henenlotter. Cult movie. Two sequels. That's all I know about it. It could be wildly—I mean, it was made in 1982; it could be wildly problematic in ways that I do not want to touch. It could be radioactive as far as I know. So don't see it, kids. [Someone laughs quietly.] But yeah, Basket Case was what I was going for there. But I—yeah! I read you wrong; you're more of a... Nothing but Trouble guy.

andy

[Laughing] Uh-huh. Yes.

john

More of a Sixth Sense fella.

andy

I mean, those are both pretty grotesque movies, from what I—what I understand.

john

You've never seen either of them?

andy

Oh, I've seen, uh, Nothing but Trouble.

john

But you haven't seen The Sixth Sense?

andy

Oh, I've seen—I saw that in the theater.

john

Oh, okay. I was gonna say, out of all three movies, the one you saw was Nothing but Trouble.

andy

[Laughs quietly.] Uh-huh. [Katherine chuckles.]

john

When did you rent it?

andy

Nothing but Trouble?

john

Yeah.

andy

It would've been, like, 1992 or something like that, '93.

john

Oh, it must have just come out! You mu—you—it must have been hot on the shelves of the video store of new releases!

andy

I was on the... burning edge of culture at that point.

john

I'm gonna tell you. No matter what you think—no matter how much bad movie you think you can tolerate, Nothing but Trouble is... too much bad movie.

andy

I enjoyed it! I recall watching it two or three times, uh, but...

john

Alright, I think I'm ready to make my decision. [The litigants laugh.] But I guess we oughta hear from Katherine first. Katherine, you seek justice in this case.

katherine

Yes.

john

What is the justice you seek? What is the problem? What is the dispute?

katherine

So every time we go see my dad, it's a four-hour car drive.

john

Mm-hm.

katherine

We stay in a hotel. We only go for two nights. I don't want to spend a lot of time, like... trying to get out the door. So one time, I had the great idea, I think, to—instead of wasting my time folding all the laundry, and putting it in a suitcase, deciding what to bring—

john

Right.

katherine

Just—I had a pile of clean laundry sitting on the bed. Just put it in the basket. Unfolded. Put it in the car, and take it with us.

john

So you're saying you take the—the clean laundry, still fresh from the dryer—

katherine

Yes.

john

[Sniff, sniff.] It smells good, it's warm to the touch. Toss it in the hamper, and go.

katherine

Yes.

john

[Exhales sharply.] Wow, I love it.

katherine

And then, like, once we get to the hotel and we have nothing to do there, and we're just sitting around, then I fold the laundry there.

john

And you put it, like, into the drawers?

katherine

Yeah!

john

Of, like, the modular wardrobe–slash–flatscreen TV—

katherine

Yes.

john

—cabinet that they have?

katherine

Yes. [John exhales sharply again.] And we live out of the drawers for two days, and then pack all of the nice clean clothes back in the laundry basket.

john

Well, wait a minute! Wait a minute. By then they're dirty, aren't they?

katherine

Not all of 'em, because I take a lot of laundry.

john

Ohhh, okay. You take more than you need.

katherine

Yes.

john

'Cause you don't know!

jesse

She takes a whole basket, John!

john

It's like a lottery. You don't know what's in that dryer!

katherine

We're only going for two days, so it can't be— [John exhales sharply again.] We won't miss anything.

john

Andy, it's gonna be very hard for you to mount a defense. [Andy laughs quietly.] 'Cause you already told me that you like Nothing but Trouble, you've seen it more than once.

andy

Uh-huh.

john

A. And B, I love this. I love this. Normally when we're dealing with, uh... husband and wife, heterosexual couples—you are married, correct?

andy

Yes.

katherine

Yes.

john

Yeah. It's the guy who comes up with a "I know a better way to do it!" kind of scheme.

andy

[Laughs.] Uh-huh.

john

But Katherine's come up with one... and I gotta say, I kinda love it! [Laughs quietly.]

andy

Yeah. I'm not above coming up with a "I got a better idea" scheme, but just in this case, this—this solution did not sit right with me.

john

Well, how come?

andy

Uh—

john

[Stifling laughter] 'Cause it made you feel like a fugitive from justice?

andy

[Chuckles.] No, it feels very impractical. Like, a suitcase is a very practical, useful invention. It zips up. You can carry it any which way you want. You can roll it, you can carry it with the handle. Things don't fall out of it everywhere. And the thought of just putting a whole bunch of random laundry into a laundry basket that's open at the top—I just picture it spilling everywhere, your clothes are on the ground outside of the hotel—

john

Wait, you're talking about the thought of it. Has it ever happened? Katherine, have you ever done it?

katherine

I have. He doesn't remember, but I have. [Jesse cracks up, John stifles laughter.]

john

Why doesn't he remember? He saw—he took one look at that laundry hamper as a suitcase, and fainted? [The litigants laugh.]

katherine

Yeah!

john

Blacked out, doesn't remember any of it?

katherine

He had a really strong reaction to—to this idea. Which is out of character for him.

john

Yeah, he seems like a pretty even-keeled sort of person.

katherine

And he doesn't care about, um, a formal way to do things, either.

john

What do you mean?

katherine

He's not one to stand on ceremony. He—he's not a very neat and tidy person.

andy

Hey! [Laughs.]

katherine

[Laughing] In ge—in general. Like, I just—

jesse

Just looking at him, I can tell he wears toe shoes to church.

katherine

[Laughs.] He's not uptight. He's... easygoing. I—it was just surprising. I was very surprised by his reaction!

john

So when—when you did it—how many times have you done it? Just this one time?

katherine

Well, definitely one time when we went to see my dad. And I might have done it once when we went to the beach.

john

Okay.

katherine

For, like, a vacation.

john

Right. And the first time you did it, you were going to see your dad.

katherine

Yes.

john

Now, you live in North Carolina. Is that correct?

katherine

Yes.

john

Whereabouts?

katherine

We live in Durham.

john

Pretty cool town.

katherine

Mm-hm.

john

Andy, you own a bar and grill there or something?

andy

Mm-hm! I believe you've eaten at it once.

john

Oh, really? What's it called?

andy

It's called Geer Street Garden.

john

Yeah, I've been there.

andy

Yeah.

john

I went there with the Cook brothers after a show.

andy

Yep, that's right!

john

Phil Cook and his brother... Other Cook.

andy

It's so weird that his mom named him Other. [Andy laughs quietly, John stifles laughter.]

john

I just know him—Belial, I think it was.

andy

[Chuckling] Yes.

john

Phil Cook brought his brother in a basket to the back yard of your place!

andy

Uh-huh. Yep!

john

After a show that we did. David Rees was there. We had a great time, we had a great meal, we had a great evening. Say the name of it again?

andy

Geer Street Garden.

john

Geer Street Garden! Katherine, did you also wanna talk about this place?

katherine

No, I was gonna say we are big fans of Dicktown.

john

Thank you very much! I appreciate that.

katherine

Yeah. And I'm hoping a second season will be out soon.

john

Well, you know, David Rees and I are working very hard on a secret project. And that's all I can say about that.

andy

We look forward to hearing it.

john

Hang on, I gotta look up this other Cook brother. I feel terrible about it. [Clicky-clacky typing.] Brad! Duh.

jesse

[Stifling laughter] That was some very bold gaslighting, Andrew. [Katherine laughs.]

andy

Worth a try.

john

Brad! Brad, I'm sorry I forgot you. I always remember you in my heart. Brad Cook. I think maybe I blacked it out because that's my father-in-law's first name. But I love my father-in-law! I don't know what it was. Who knows why we remember or forget anything? Never mind a hamper of clothes.

andy

Yeah. [Katherine laughs quietly.]

john

So where does your dad live, Katherine? You're going from Durham to where?

katherine

Culpeper, Virginia.

john

Mkay. Four-hour drive. What kind of car do you drive?

katherine

A Honda CRV. Is it—is it okay to say that?

john

Yeah, of course it is.

katherine

Okay.

john

We can buzzmarket Honda if we're gonna buzzmarket Geer Street Garden. Describe your husband's reaction, Katherine, when you loaded up this hamper for the first time into the CRV, to take to Culpeper.

katherine

Well, it—his reaction was before I loaded it up. It was in the house, and he—he was just, like, "No! You—you can't do that! That's not right!"

john

And you did it anyway?

katherine

I did it anyway, yeah.

john

Was it chaos?

katherine

No, it worked out beautifully.

john

Were underwears flying all over the place?

katherine

No. Also, his clothes were not even in the basket. I'm pretty sure he packed a suitcase for himself.

andy

I did pack a suitcase.

john

Yeah! So you were packing, Katherine, for yourself, and—

katherine

And the two boys.

john

And two—and the two children that live with you?

katherine

Yes.

john

Right.

katherine

And their clo—they have so many—you—if you ever folded a basket of kids' laundry, it takes forever.

john

I don't do it anymore, but I have done it. It does take forever, 'cause it's little tiny pieces.

andy

Yeah. By volume, it's—there's more pieces.

john

Yeah. And Andy, this happened, and—and did anything go wrong? Did any of your... Did any of your horrible predictions come true?

andy

No, I think my, uh—I don't really have much memory of it, so I don't think anything particular went wrong. But that didn't change my opposition to the—the action.

john

Katherine says that you're a slob. You don't care. [The litigants laugh.] You're low-key.

andy

I—I think it could be argued that I'm a slob in some ways.

jesse

A lot of people are saying that you wear toe shoes to church. [Katherine laughs.]

john

Yeah, I'm hearing a—I'm hearing from a lot of people, toe shoes at church.

andy

Yeah.

john

Uh—you seem like a low-key guy. What is it, do you think—I mean, now that we established that your fears did not come true—and probably wouldn't except on a very windy day, depending on the top layer of the hamper.

andy

[Laughs quietly.] Uh—no, there's other circumstances that could lead to it spilling. Clumsiness. You know, you open the back of the car, maybe something's shifted around. It's got a hatchback, so you open it, it could tip out. Uh, I have other objections, too.

john

Okay, keep going! I like all these possibilities.

andy

I think my main objection is that it—it is very impractical in that you are just wadding up a bunch of random laundry. Whatever happened to be in that load of laundry. You have no assurance in that load that you have the things that you'll actually want or need.

john

Yeah. I know.

andy

And inevitably you will have a whole bunch of stuff that you do not need.

john

[Stifling laughter] I know.

andy

And so to me, it just feels like the sensible thing to do—the practical thing to do— [Someone laughs.] —would be to go through it, find the stuff you need, put that into a suitcase, and leave everything else there.

john

I know, but you're going to Culpeper! Live a little! [Andy laughs.] Come on!

andy

Is this—if this is what's defined as "living a little," I don't wanna live, brother.

john

Well, how old are your boys?

andy

Uh, ten and eight.

john

Yeah. This is living a lot, frankly. [The litigants laugh.] This is the adventure of a lifetime!

andy

An open basket of laundry is the—is the—?

john

Yeah! It's just like, "Who know—who knows?" It's like, uh, getting a prize ball, or a—

andy

Right. Roll the dice, huh.

john

You know, like a—a mystery bag at a toy store! You don't know what's gonna be in there!

andy

Okay! I mean, if that's your view on it. I—I understand that. But that's—that's not how I viewed it.

john

Well, it's none of your clothes, anyway.

andy

It's true.

john

You already packed a suitcase.

andy

I also describe it as, um, smacking of spiritual laziness.

john

Oh ho ho, ho ho ho, ho ho ho—ho ho ho—

andy

In that there—there's a—

john

Hold on, hold on, I'm not done "ho-ho"ing!

andy

[Laughs.] Okay. [The "ho-ho"ing continues. Katherine laughs.]

jesse

You know what the classic example, John, of spiritual laziness is, right?

john

No?

jesse

It's wearing shoes to church that only have one compartment for your entire foot. [The litigants and John laugh.]

john

That's right. If you—if you wanna show respect to God or whatever, you better—you better show them that you have all ten digits that they gave you.

andy

God is a "them"?

john

Or whatever! [The litigants chuckle.] Well, listen! I'm sorry. I didn't realize—I forgot that you are a—[stifles laughter]—that you are an ordained minister of the church of spiritual discipline. Please tell me why a hamper is spiritual laziness.

andy

Because there's a—a clear and obvious thing that you should be doing, that will make your life easier. But instead of doing that, you're doing this other thing, which makes everything more complicated and creates work for you once you're on your trip. [Beat.]

john

Permission to approach the bench? Oh, yes, I give it to you. You are the judge. Thank you, Judge! [Katherine chuckles.] What could be easier than throwing all the laundry into the hamper?! That's really easy!

andy

Are you—[stifles laughter]—are you asking me?

john

No, I'm making a rhetorical—

andy

Oh.

john

I'm posing a rhetorical question.

andy

I have an answer for your rhetorical question.

john

God Or Whatever, I ask thee! Because God is a "thee" in this case.

andy

Mm-hm.

john

Andy. I ask thee, God—Or Whatever—what could be easier? Than to throw all the laundry into the hamper? "Why, I daresay nothing would be easier," respondeth my God Or Whatever to me. God Or Whatever, I ask thee! Am I adding work to my journey? By traveling with a—all my clothes in a hamper? God Or Whatever asks me: "Doeseth it all fall out?" I say—in this case, "No." Then God Or Whatever sayeth unto me—and including thee—now you're a thee, Andy—"No, because you are going to fold those clothes one way or the other, anyway. You are not adding work, my child with ten digits. And what's more, my child, I trust you. You may wear whatever shoe covering you have, and care to wear, because I trust you are not hiding that you have mutilated your toes in order to, uh, spite me." This is the Gospel that was given to us onto this day by God Or Whatever, through me, your Judge John Hodgman. Welcome to church! Anyway—

jesse

John, I think we just found a major new revenue stream. Touring church youth groups as the improvised Bible guys. [John cracks up, Katherine chuckles.]

john

I love it!

jesse

Watch out, VeggieTales! Jesse and John are coming.

john

That's right. I guess, Andy, what I'm trying to say is that... I can certainly appreciate why you would say putting the clothes into a hamper would be worldly laziness. Because—a mundane laziness, because you're not packing a bag. You're just—you're not making a selection. You're grabbing your clothes, dare I say willy-nilly.

andy

Mm-hm.

john

It's a big gamble that you get all the clothes that you want.

andy

Mm-hm.

john

And that is laziness of this mortal plane. But spiritual laziness—I don't think you've defined it for me properly. I don't think I understand it. Because that, to me, suggests that it is morally incorrect, as opposed to practically incorrect.

andy

Mm, I don't think I mean morally incorrect. I just mean it, uh—it—it speaks to a—a deep, like, bone-level refusal to do what you ought to in this situation.

katherine

Mm-hm. I would agree with that. [Andy cracks up.]

john

You would agree with it!

katherine

[Stifling laughter] Yeah!

john

Th—that rather undermines your case, Katherine.

katherine

Well, no—I'm not saying I'm wrong, though! Who likes to pack a bag? It's—it's... a rat race. Like—

andy

I think this is, like, a— [Someone laughs quietly.] —a spiritual defiance of, uh, all that is right in the same way that, like, Lucifer being kicked out of Heaven was a defiance.

katherine

You're calling your wife Katherine a lazy devil? [Katherine laughs.]

andy

I might be. [Laughs quietly.]

john

Who deserves to burn? And you say that it—there is no moral component?

andy

No, not burn! Maybe—maybe given her own realm of, uh, hellish existence to preside over, like Lucifer was.

jesse

Let's take a quick recess, and hear about this week's Judge John Hodgman sponsor! We'll be back in just a moment on the Judge John Hodgman podcast.

sound effect

[Three gavel bangs.]

sound effect

[Three gavel bangs.]

jesse

I have some practical questions, Judge Hodgman.

john

Yeah, please. I'm staying on the spiritual realm for this one.

jesse

Katherine, is this something that you only want to do when you are traveling to visit your father?

katherine

Yes. Uh, well... And maybe somewhere like a vacation to the—like I said, the beach, where you're gonna be there for a while, you're gonna have to do laundry when you're there. I might consider it in that case. But no, not if you're on an airplane, obviously. Or like—

andy

A-hah.

katherine

Um, it—no! I wouldn't—I wouldn't do it if we were visiting your family, Andy.

andy

[Laughs.] A-hah! That was my question. Next question.

john

Oh! [Andy laughs.]

jesse

[Stifling laughter] Andy says—Andy keeps saying, "A-hah!" like he's proved something. [The litigants laugh.] He's like, "A-hah! Another mode of transportation listed!" [More laughter.] "A-hah! You've forgotten scooters!" [Andy laughs.] Uh, Katherine, when you visit your dad, do you engage in any activities that require particular kinds of clothing? Such as going swimming, going out to dinner, going to church. Uh— [John snorts.] Attending events, and so forth.

katherine

No. I mean, there's a hotel pool. We always bring the kids' swimsuits. So I throw those in the basket. But no, my dad—we go out to the same Chinese restaurant every time we see him. We hang out at his apartment. There's nothing going on. And no offense, Culpeper, but—it's a very cute town!—um, but we aren't going out to fancy dinners. We don't go to church. We hardly see anybody but my dad.

jesse

You said you're bringing children on these trips?

katherine

Yes.

jesse

What are you teaching them? [Katherine laughs.]

andy

Thank you.

katherine

Maybe Andy could teach them to pack a suitcase.

andy

[Chuckles quietly.] I—I have supervised them packing!

john

When you say you supervise them packing, what do they—they each open their suitcase, and you walk back and forth behind them, with a long ruler? [The litigants laugh.] Watching them as they fold their clothes, making sure that the—that each shirt is folded to the appropriate inch length, or what?

andy

It's—it's not that involved. I don't even care if stuff is folded. In fact, my clothes are not always folded, but they go in a bag that you can zip up.

john

There's the closure to it.

andy

Yes.

john

You seek closure.

andy

Yes! And—and—yeah.

john

Right. Which is more disturbing to you? The fact that something might fall out of the basket? Or the fact that some of the—the things in the basket may be a mystery? [Someone laughs.]

andy

Which is more...

john

Yeah.

andy

I think the mystery-ness. The—the, uh—

john

Mystery-ness.

andy

The—no assurance that you have what you're gonna need.

john

Yeah, I gotta say, Katherine, when you said that you selected swimsuits to make sure that you brought them, and you threw them in the hamper as well, you started to lose me there. Because now I realize it's not just—it's not just random. [Katherine laughs.] I was so loving the total wild card basket. [Andy laughs.] You lost me a little bit there, I have to say.

katherine

It's also about saving time. And getting on the road before noon. I don't wanna spend another hour at home folding laundry, and packing laundry, before we get on the road.

john

Yeah!

katherine

So it's about saving time.

andy

That's what I meant by spiritual laziness, though. It's like, yes, you save a little bit of time. But you—what you get in return for that is chaos, unpredictability, and stuff—potential for stuff spilling everywhere. [Someone laughs.]

john

Yeah. Because God Or Whatever told you to telleth your wife to spend more time doing the laundry. [Andy laughs.]

katherine

Mm-hm.

john

And packing properly.

andy

Uh— [Katherine laughs.] God Or Whatever doesn't speak so clearly to me.

john

Andy, you threw in two big "a-hah"s. That I was witness to. And the first "a-hah" is very merited, because of course, "A-hah! You would not bring a laundry basket or hamper onto an airplane."

andy

Mm-hm.

john

That makes sense to me. Nor would I advise that you bring one onto a hot-air balloon. Because then you are not only dealing with moving the basket from one conveyance to another, but that is a terrifying basket-in-basket proposition. [The litigants laugh quietly.] The second "a-hah" was more interesting to me, though. And I would like to probe it. Katherine promised she would never bring a laundry hamper to your family's house.

andy

Mm-hm.

john

And you "a-hah"ed in a very gratified way. [Andy chuckles.] What is that all about?

andy

Uh, I think it—it—to me, it showed that her desire to do this is not strictly a desire to have things be easy and simple. That there's more to it than that. Because the distances are the same. To visit my family in Charlotte, North Carolina takes about two hours. It's, uh, you know, a day or two-day trip at most. It's kind of a similar trip.

john

Wait a minute! I heard it was four hours to Culpeper. Two hours to Charlotte.

andy

Yeah—two hours to Charlotte, okay.

john

You think I don't know these roads? You don't think I don't—I haven't had the distance between Charlotte and the Research Triangle of Chapel Hill, Durham— [The litigants laugh quietly, John stifles laughter.] —and, uh, what's the third part? Raleigh? Drummed into my head by David Rees all this time? [The litigants laugh.]

andy

I was banking on Hollywood elites not, uh—not understanding.

john

How would you feel if Katherine walked into your father's house with her—with her luggage in a laundry hamper?

andy

Embarrassed, frankly.

john

And what do you think it would say?

katherine

Seriously?

andy

Yes.

john

Oop. Maybe I'll stay out of this.

andy

What would I say? I think I would just give my dad a look and roll my eyes like, "Oh my god. Can you believe this?"

john

Mm-hm. And how would that make you feel, Katherine?

katherine

I mean, I don't care what they think. [Andy laughs quietly.]

john

Mm-hm. [Katherine laughs.] How do you feel when you're walking into the hotel you're staying in in Culpeper? The Culpeper Arms, or whatever. [The litigants laugh.] And Katherine pulls out—[stifles laughter]—Katherine, we might as well— [She laughs.] We might as well buzzmarket them, too. Where do you stay in Culpeper?

katherine

I really like this particular hotel. It's a Holiday Inn Express.

john

Sure.

katherine

We stay in the same one every single time.

john

Can't go wrong with an HIX.

katherine

It's nice! They have a pool.

john

Right. I—believe me, I've been there. [Katherine laughs.]

andy

They have the pancake machine.

john

You can definitely go wrong with the HIX. I have no— [Katherine laughs, John stifles laughter.] —I have no particular loyalty to Holiday Inn. I just liked thinking of it as HIX. [The litigants chuckle.] How do you feel when—when Katherine walks into the—what passes for a lobby at the Holiday Inn Express to check in to your room, carrying a laundry basket full of clothes?

andy

Yeah, still, uh—not as embarrassed, but slightly embarrassed.

katherine

I have a hard time believing you're actually embarrassed.

crosstalk

Andy: Why? John: Why?!

john

He's under fake oath, Katherine! Did you not appreciate that your husband might be embarrassed by you walking around with a laundry basket full of clothes in public places?

katherine

[Laughs.] I—I absolutely do not care if he is embarrassed—

john

Mm-hm.

katherine

—but I don't believe that he is embarrassed, because you should see his car!

john

Wait. Here. God or— [The litigants laugh.] Okay. Tell me—tell me about his—

andy

Objection!

john

Tell me about his car.

katherine

He rolls around town in a car—it's an old, beat-up Volvo—

john

Wait a minute.

katherine

And I almost—I almost—

john

Wait a minute. I love him already. Let's go. [Katherine laughs.]

jesse

Yeah. This is getting good!

john

I like this! What is it, a Two—

katherine

There's nothi—

john

A 240? Tell me it's a 240.

andy

No, I—I had a 240 until about 1997. [John exhales sharply.] I know.

katherine

He trashed the interior. It's just full of trash. Literally. Also—

andy

At one—[laughs]

katherine

—he lets it break!

andy

At one point a, uh, 20-quart container of chicken broth spilled in there— [John cracks up.] —in July.

jesse

[Stifling laughter] That's a lot of quarts!

andy

It's in—it was nuts, yes. And it was—I was too busy with work stuff to deal with it, and so the—it just soaked into the carpet. And, uh, I took it to the detail place. They were like, "No problem." [Katherine laughs, Andy stifles laughter.] "We use—we'll use, uh, enzymes."

john

Yeah.

andy

The enzymes did nothing.

john

What they call the classic anti-broth.

andy

Yes. [The litigants laugh.]

john

Didn't do anything, huh?

andy

No. And so for a couple years after that—

jesse

[Strained] "Have you the anti-broth?!" [Someone laughs quietly.]

andy

For a couple of years after that, it smelled like a corpse. [Jesse laughs quietly.]

john

...Yeah!

andy

[Stifling laughter] I'm digging my own grave here, but...

jesse

I like that you were too busy with work things—

andy

[Chuckling] Uh-huh.

jesse

Which basically—I think just means other 20-quart containers. [Katherine laughs.]

andy

Indeed it does, yes!

jesse

[Laughing] Of chicken broth.

john

Yeah, but this is your—this is your work vehicle! Isn't it, Andy? Allow me to defend you. I mean—

andy

Uh, no, not always. It just was that particular weekend.

john

Oh, okay. So you—you were driving your kids around in a... chicken corpse car?

andy

Yeah, except they—everybody refused to get in it for a couple years.

john

I don't even think I could— [Jesse laughs.] As much as I love a Volvo 240, either sedan or wagon—I prefer the wagon diesel if possible—I don't even think I would get into a—a chicken corpse version of that car.

andy

You get used to it.

john

I don't wanna get used to that. [The litigants laugh.]

andy

Perhaps this experience is why I'm worried about, uh, open-topped containers spilling. [Beat.]

john

You understand the difference between— [Someone laughs quietly.] —say, a basket of clean laundry and a gallon of scallops, don't you? [Jesse and the litigants laugh.]

andy

Theoretically, sure.

john

An open gallon of scallops (rhymes with "gallops")—excuse me, Joel, scallops (rhymes with "dollops"). [Katherine chuckles.]

jesse

I have to say, Katherine. As a person who's always been very uncomfortable with the prospect of having a—a bellhop carry his bags—not 'cause I think they're gonna steal them or break them, just I just feel weird walking next to them while they carry my stuff.

katherine

Mm-hm.

jesse

I honestly can't imagine a more thrilling power move— [Katherine laughs.][laughing] than tipping a bellhop to carry your basket of laundry to your room. Like, "Thank you so much. Here's $5. Thanks for carrying my spilling basket." [Katherine laughs.]

andy

There are no bellhops at the HIX. [Jesse laughs.]

katherine

I have one more, um, reason why I like to do this method.

john

Please!

katherine

So, it's way better, in my opinion, to come home with extra, folded clean laundry after a trip, and put it away in the drawers, than to come home to a giant pile of unfolded laundry sitting on the bed.

john

Mm-hm.

jesse

Katherine, what are you doing with the dirty laundry?

katherine

Uh, put it in, like, a trash bag. Until— [Jesse and Katherine laugh.] —until we get home.

jesse

Yeah?

john

Let me quickly understand. Let me make sure that I understand the system, so that I can rule fairly.

katherine

Okay.

john

The system is: You're gonna see your dad. You get your laundry hamper. Take everything out of the dryer, put it in there. Then think, "What—do we need bathing suits for the pool at the HIX?" Throw them in there as well. Maybe a couple other must-have items, like toe shoes for church or whatever. [Someone laughs quietly.] Walk that from your house—are you going up or down stairs?

katherine

Yes.

john

Alright. There's some—

katherine

Down.

john

There's some chance of spillage there. Like, are you topped up in that laundry basket? Like, is it a mound situation?

katherine

It's never overflowing. No. No.

john

No. Alright. Flat-top laundry basket. Walk it down carefully. Kick open the door. Put it into the back of the CRV. Start driving to Culpeper. An hour later, realize you forgot your husband and sons. [The litigants chuckle quietly.] Go back, get them. Check in to the hotel. Once you're in the hotel, you put it down. You unpack. Everything in the laundry basket goes into the drawers?

katherine

No, you dump it on the—[laughing] you dump it on the bed!

john

Yes.

andy

Mm-hm.

john

This is what I need to hear! All the details.

katherine

You dump the laundry on the bed.

john

Yeah. Fold it.

katherine

And then fold it.

john

Mm-hm.

katherine

When I have nothing else to do.

john

Right. Well, except see—

katherine

'Cause I'm stuck in a hotel room.

john

—see your father. You're not allowed to go over for a while?

katherine

[Laughs.] I mean, you're always spending some time in the hotel.

andy

Yeah, it is a couple hours in the morning.

jesse

John, you know what you do in a hotel when there's—when you're on a trip! It's Shark Week, and you don't have cable at home—

katherine

Exactly.

jesse

—so you just watch shark things the whole time.

andy

Teen Titans Go!, in our case.

john

That's true, just watch—I mean, here's what—here's what I picture. Tell me where I'm wrong, Katherine. 'Cause I've been to hotels with little kids before. You get to the hotel. The kids scream and scream about going to the pool as quickly as possible.

andy

Mm-hm.

john

Andy takes them down—

andy

Yes!

john

For the first time in 17 weeks, you have 15 minutes to yourself. To watch Shark Week, and— [Katherine laughs.] —and quietly fold clothes. And it's—it's one of the most meditative and wonderful moments you can have.

katherine

That's... pretty close, yes.

john

Yeah.

katherine

Yeah! It's—

john

I don't mean to tell you your feelings the way you tell Andy his feelings, but that's what I'm picturing. Oh, yeah! Yeah, I tagged you for telling him that he shouldn't be embarrassed for— [Katherine laughs.] —for the laundry hamper. You're gonna be hearing about that in the verdict for sure. I heard that.

katherine

Oh boy. I don't understand why he would be embarrassed.

john

I know. That's a different—but you'll understand when we get to the verdict.

andy or jesse

Yeah! That's clear!

john

[Stifling laughter] Yeah. [Katherine cracks up.]

andy or jesse

That's part of it! [The litigants laugh.]

jesse

Katherine, what do you watch in the hotel room?

katherine

Usually the kids are in charge of that. Um, so it—but it—but they—you know, it's always Spongebob or Teen Titans Go! Yeah.

john

Yeah.

jesse

Yeah, you could do a lot worse.

katherine

Yeah!

jesse

You could do a lot worse in a hotel room than Spongebob and Teen Titans Go!

john

And then—just so that I understand—you fold the clothes, you put them away.

katherine

In the drawers. Mm-hm.

john

In the drawers. Right. And then you use them over the visit. You're putting your—the things that are dirty now into, like, a garbage bag.

katherine

Yes. Or you know, like the laundry bag that they give you at the hotel.

john

Right. The hamper, meanwhile, is just not being used at all at this point?

katherine

Well, you put your dirty clothes in the hamper.

john

In the hamper. Right.

katherine

Mm-hm.

john

Then at the end of the trip, you put those into the garbage bag—

katherine

Yes.

john

—and then you put the remaining clean clothes into the hamper, garbage bag goes on top of that. Put it into the CRV, go home. Phew! Good visit with dad. And then you put the dirty stuff into the laundry, and the folded stuff gets put away.

katherine

Yeah!

john

[Exhales thoughtfully.] Gotta say, Andy, I love it. Gotta say I love it.

jesse

Now, Andy, your system is... You take the 20-quart jug— [The litigants crack up, Jesse stifles laughter.] —of chicken broth.

andy

Mm-hm! Extra thick and rich.

john

Make sure the top is loose.

katherine

Yes.

jesse

You go—[laughs]—you go to the detail place, ask: [Rasping] "Have you the antidote?" [Katherine cracks up.]

andy

Well, you're skipping a step. Which is that you put it in the back of your car, and you wedge it in with some things you think will probably hold it.

john

Right.

andy

And then... when you have to brake very rapidly, you suddenly realize that it—it cannot, because you hear a very loud "glug, glug" sound.

john

And then you have trauma that you experience for the rest of your life. [Katherine laughs.] Around any open container, which I understand!

andy

Yeah. I have flashbacks sometimes.

john

Andy, Katherine has already said that she's not going to embarrass you in front of your father by using her routine at your house. You dad's house, I mean.

andy

[Laughs.] Uh-huh.

john

What would you have me order besides that, if I were to find in your favor?

andy

Uh, that she is never again to suggest bringing an open container of unfolded laundry on a trip, rather than packing a bag like any sensible person would do.

john

Katherine, what would you have me order if I were to find in your favor?

katherine

That next time I suggest doing my method, I don't get any pushback! That he just keeps his mouth shut, [laughing] and lets me do things my way!

john

What are you afraid, finally, Andy, is going to happen if I were to rule in Katherine's favor? That your sons will take this as a habit?

andy

[Laughs quietly.] No! No, I'm not afraid of that.

john

That—that you will lose your standing? That everyone will know... that the guy who runs Geer Road Garden— [The litigants laugh.] —is married to the laundry hamper packing lady?

andy

Hmm.

john

That your—that you—

andy

Yeah, I—

john

That God Or Whatever— [Andy laughs.] —will smite your house?

andy

I think the—

john

For the sin of spiritual indolence?

andy

The—the fear of embarrassment and the idea of spiritual indolence is less annoying to me than just the inconvenience of happing this open-top container rather than a handy suitcase that's easy to manage.

john

I see. I think I've heard everything I need to in order to, uh, make my decision. I am going to go down the street to the laundromat and smell it for a while. And, uh, ruminate. And then I will be back in a moment, uh, with my verdict.

sound effect

[As Jesse speaks below: Door opens, chairs scrape, footsteps.]

jesse

Please rise as Judge John Hodgman exits the courtroom.

sound effect

[Door shuts.]

jesse

Katherine, this is an extraordinary system you've developed. [One or both litigants laugh.] How are you feeling about your chances in the case

katherine

I'm—I'm hopeful! I really am. I think it's a good system. It's a lifehack. [Jesse laughs quietly.] Anybody is welcome to use it.

jesse

[Stifling laughter] Oh, you're open-sourcing it, huh?

katherine

Yeah!

jesse

Creative Commons License. [Laughs.] Andrew, how come you're not folding the laundry?

andy

I do fold my own laundry. I'm not allowed to fold her laundry, because I don't do it the correct way.

jesse

Who folds the kids' laundry?

andy

We both do.

jesse

That's good. My wife folds the kids' laundry, so... God bless her forever. How are you feeling about your chances, Andrew?

andy

I feel like I presented my case well. I—I think that, you know... I have logic and common sense on my side.

jesse

Plus that corpse smell. [The litigants and Jesse laugh.] We'll see what Judge Hodgman has to say about all this when we come back in just a second.

sound effect

[Three gavel bangs.]

sound effect

[Three gavel bangs.]

promo

This dynamic ad has not been transcribed, as it changes weekly.

sound effect

[Three gavel bangs.]

sound effect

[As Jesse speaks below: Door opens, chairs scrape, footsteps.]

jesse

Please rise as Judge John Hodgman re-enters the courtroom and presents his verdict.

sound effect

[Door shuts.]

john

So first of all, Andy, I'm gonna say this. I think—I think you need to get your theology correct. I do not live in a world where there is a God Or Whatever that casts favor or displeasure, whom I must please in some way in order to be spiritually un-lazy. I don't wear toe shoes to church; I don't go to church. I am a—an agnostic. In the sense of "I truly don't know." And not knowing means not... really... caring. You say that there isn't a moral component to this, but I think that you're misstating your position. Or... I don't understand it. Let me put it that way. Because your practical arguments are all sound, and we all agree you would not take a hamper on an airplane, or a hot-air balloon. Or through a train station. Right? Or any place where you're getting in and out of taxis and moving around a lot. Right? Think we all agree that. And there are some practical pitfalls to Katherine's procedure here. There is the possibility of spillage. There is that one staircase. You don't know what's gonna happen on a staircase. And you're absolutely right that there's nothing particularly un-practical about a suitcase! Particularly if it's on wheels! It's—it's eminently practical.

john

But what truly seems to bother you, I think, is the embarrassment you feel when you contemplate seeing your father see your wife standing there with a basket of unfolded clean laundry, saying, "This is my wardrobe." What really seems to bother you is the reality of going into the Holiday Inn Express with your wife carrying a hamper of laundry. Because you feel being seen, and you feel embarrassment, and you feel shame. Right? You say that this is not a moral issue, but I would ask you to interrogate that a little bit in yourself. Because shame and embarrassment have a—a kind of code. They're kind of encoded with, "Someone is watching. Even if I can't see them. Someone is judging, even if they're not here." You know what I mean?

andy

Mm-hm.

john

I mean, my morality is "Don't hurt other people." Right? But there is a—there is a different kind of... traditionally patriarchal morality that comes through various religions, which is, "Here is the right way to live. And if you don't do it... I shall smiteth you." That's a painful way to live, in my opinion. Because the truth of the matter is that at the Holiday Inn Express, no one cares about you. If they see you, they don't care what you look like. [Stifles laughter.] They don't care how you pack! You don't need to impress them! There is no judgment in the Holiday Inn Express. And it should remind you that truthfully, in this world, if you're not hurting another person, there really should be no judgment at all. And the fact is you're in this Holiday Inn Express, right? And you have two relatively young kids, who—you know, toddlers are hard. But what are they, nine and ten? Eight and ten, did you say?

andy

Eight and ten, yeah.

john

Hoo! You know, you heard what Katherine said. They're—they rule the roost! She doesn't get to watch any TV in the hotel room. It's all Teen Titans Go! And the other one. And you know what? That's wonderful. Because, you know, when our kids were that age and we would go to a hotel, they also ruled the TV. And that's how I learned about Phineas and Ferb, and Wonder Pets! And got to see some of the best—the best culture that I've ever seen! Teen Titans Go! is great. But you can appreciate why—[stifles laughter]—as both of you being parents to young kids, the chance for adventure is low. It's minimized when you're un—you're in the thrall of two young kids on the one side, and parental obligation of a visit on the other. Like, on a visit to Culpeper to see your dad? The most amount of adventure you're gonna have is, [stifling laughter] "Did I bring underwear?" [Katherine laughs.] "Or not? What happens if I didn't?" [The litigants laugh, John stifles laughter.] "I might have to go to the mall!" [Katherine chuckles.]

john

So there is that element, right? There is that element. That I love from the very beginning. That I actually think is undermined by the fact that you're even picking bathing suits. Because imagine if you showed up and there were no bathing suits. What—what lesson would your children learn then? They would have an incredible story to tell, once they become short story writers later. [Katherine laughs.]

andy

Mm-hm.

john

I love—I love the wildcard aspect of this plan. And I do think that it has actual practical applications. Because when you come home, and you got a—a garbage—or you know, a laundry bag full of dirty laundry and a hamper full of clean laundry, that seems very tidy to me. And I'm someone who appreciates tidiness. But Katherine, now I must turn to you! It is true that Andy feels embarrassment. The fact that he spilled 20 quarts of chicken broth in his car— [Katherine laughs.] —does not invalidate the fact that he can be embarrassed in other situations of... less-than-tidiness, shall we say. You can be surprised that he feels embarrassed. But you can't say to Andy, "You don't have the right to feel that way." Because here's the thing. In the Holiday Inn Express, no one is thinking about you. No one cares. And why should you care what other people think? But in your marriage, you are thinking of each other, and you should care about what the other person thinks, and feels. If he is embarrassed, then you have to acknowledge that that is causing him discomfort in some way. Not just say, "You don't have the right to, because your car is a piece of junk. Full of broth." [Katherine chuckles.] "You drive around in a broth car, dude. You don't have the right to be embarrassed." That's no good.

john

All of this said, the request from Andy is this: You never again suggest packing in the hamper. And I'm gonna rule in his favor. The reason being, I don't think you should suggest it. Just do it. [Katherine and Jesse laugh.] I—I think—I think that there is an element of "Live and let live" within this arrangement. Where when you go to visit your father in Culpeper, you can go ahead and pack the hamper your way. Obviously you've already said you won't visit his dad in Charlotte and do this, and I mean, who knows? Maybe Andy would be disowned if he saw—if his dad saw you with this laundry basket. [Katherine laughs.] Be aware that it embarrasses Andy. But within this circumstance of visiting your dad, that's your family visit. Do it your way. With regard to the beach, I would advise you not to try to expand this system yet. [Katherine laughs, John stifles laughter.] Until—until and unless, and it may never happen—Andy's embarrassment level changes! It might not! You know? Andy—Andy has his own thing to reckon with. With the idea of an uncovered bucket of stuff in a car. He's gotta work on that. [Katherine chuckles.]

john

I would also say that you should make sure that your kids understand—and Andy, you should pack a bag nicely, and Katherine, you should explain to your kids what your system is. So that, much like people who are of two different faiths, the kids can decide as they grow older how they want to be.

andy

They've already taken sides.

john

Oh! I didn't know that.

andy

Yes!

john

Have they both chosen the same side?

andy

No! Interestingly, the messier of our two children—the one that we can never get to help with family cleanups—uh, he sided with me, that a suitcase is more sensible. And the more, uh, tidy and, uh, rule-following child has sided with Katherine.

john

Yeah. Honestly, I—here I am talking about, like, "You should get over your shame about being judged by strangers," and I—and you know, look. We all have that! I—I wouldn't walk into, uh—I wouldn't walk into the Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles with a—well, maybe I would, actually. That would be a cool—

jesse

That would be amazing!

john

[Stifling laughter] That would be so cool.

jesse

Just think what Mary-Kate and Ashley would think.

john

That would be so cool if I walked into the Chateau with a big—a big hamper of laundry and said, "Take care of this, won't you?" and they would say, "Of course!"

jesse

David Spade's head on a swivel, "What?!" [John cracks up, Andy chuckles.] "Why didn't I think of that?!" [Katherine chuckles.]

john

But yeah. I would be wary of walking into a nice hotel with a hamper full of dirty—uh, or unfolded laundry, let's say. There are social—there are circumstances in which that would be... unusual. And maybe a little uncomfortable. I would say the Holiday Inn Express is not one of those circumstances. Let it all hang out at the HIX. But yeah, that's interesting! I think that that's an—that's—if anything, this dispute has helped you gain some insight, or points of interrogation, into how your sons think! And see the world. And obviously, [chuckles] which parent they like better! [The litigants laugh.] So have fun with that! I think you should feel good that I'm ruling in your favor, because I really am—Katherine—asking you to hold the line, for now, to this one trip to your dad. I love the system. I love the randomness. I love the adventure. Maybe it'll make more sense to Andy over time, or maybe it won't. And if it doesn't, you just have to respect that. This is the sound of a gavel.

music

Brief clip of Pitbull's "Hotel Room Service" from the album Pitbull Starring in Rebelution. We at the hotel, motel, Holiday Inn! [Music stops.]

john

Judge John Hodgman rules; that is all.

sound effect

[As Jesse speaks below: Door opens, chairs scrape, footsteps.]

jesse

Please rise as Judge John Hodgman exits the courtroom.

sound effect

[Door shuts.]

jesse

Katherine, how do you feel about your "defeat" that... steals victory from the jaws of defeat—? I don't know exactly how to characterize it. [Katherine laughs.] How are you feeling?

katherine

I feel—I feel great! I think it's fair. And as long as I can just keep doing that when we go see my dad, I'll be happy.

jesse

How do you feel, Andy?

andy

Uh, I feel like it's a travesty. It's a miscarriage of justice. The judge seized on one, uh—the way I phrased my request—that she never again suggest it—and expanded that to rule in my wife's favor. [Katherine laughs quietly.]

jesse

Someone has... spilled injustice—

andy

Twenty quarts of it.

jesse

Twenty quarts of injustice in the interior of your life.

andy

It stinks to high Heaven.

jesse

And no one—no one has the anti-stock. [The litigants laugh.] Andy, Katherine, thanks for joining us on the Judge John Hodgman podcast.

katherine

Thank you.

andy

Thank you!

sound effect

[Three gavel bangs.]

jesse

Another Judge John Hodgman case in the books! In just a second, we'll offer some Swift Justice. First our thanks to Twitter user @bikesarefun for naming this week's episode, "Hampering with the Evidence."

john

And I just—I would like to thank all of the Twitter users who suggested, uh, case names this week. They're all a lot of fun. I loved "Hampering with the Evidence." I wanna special shout-out to the many people who suggested "Basket Case," but obviously I was gonna use Basket Case for the cult ref, so I couldn't do it. But thank you, everyone! It was really great.

jesse

If you wanna name a future episode, follow us on Twitter for the naming opportunities, at @JesseThorn and @hodgman. While you're there you can also hashtag your Judge John Hodgman Tweets #JJHo. I like to click on that hashtag; I'll—I'll search that hashtag every couple days, check to see what people have to say about this week's episode. Lot of fun. Join the conversation on Reddit at MaximumFun.Reddit.com, and if you wanna see the evidence for this week's episode and other episodes, go to Instagram.com/judgejohnhodgman. You know—you know what I'm gonna have Jen do, John?

john

No, what?

jesse

Go on our Instagram and post the part of Waiting for Guffman where—where the narrator goes, "Oh, I love beans."

crosstalk

John: "Don't get me started on beans!" Jesse: "Big, fat, hot, juicy beans!"

jesse

"Don't get me started on beans!" Did you know that's David Arquette and Rosanna Arquette and, uh, the other Arquettes' dad that plays that character?

john

That's Daddy Arquette?

jesse

That's Daddy Arquette.

john

Oh! He's really funny in it.

jesse

Our producer is Jennifer Marmor. Our editor is Valerie Moffat.

john

And hey, everyone! We're very excited. We have an episode coming up featuring one of our favorite guests, J. Kenji López-Alt. The food writer. The food scientist. The very popular YouTube... fooder. [Stifles laughter.]

jesse

Yeah. [Laughs.]

john

Who films himself making the food with his GoPro on his—on his forehead.

jesse

That's the technical term, John. [Laughs.]

john

Yeah.

jesse

"YouTube fooder."

john

He's a YouTube fooder! He's been on the show before, we—we really enjoy him. And so if you have any disputes that are specifically kitchen disputes, disputes about food, disputes about how to make certain foods, disputes about which foods are good or bad, disputes about—no disputes about how to wash the dishes. We're done with those.

jesse

Yeah.

john

Covered 'em up.

jesse

No dishes disputes. But that's the only thing we're taking off the table within the confines—you can have refrigerator disputes!

john

Yeah. Refrigerator disputes. You could have blender disputes. You could have... immersion blender disputes! Anyway, write to me at hodgman@maximumfun.org, or obviously you can submit via the form at MaximumFun.org/jjho!

jesse

We'll take any cases, of course. But if you have a kitchen dispute, we're looking for them particularly. MaximumFun.org/jjho, or email hodgman@maximumfun.org. Now, here's some Swift Justice! Mika says: "Tupperware. My wife calls it... Tubberware. Because it's a bunch of small tubs. Her sister calls it Tufferware, because the material is tough. They both need to call it by its proper name: Tupperware."

john

Uhhh... Tupperware is a brand name.

jesse

That's true.

john

It is a brand name that has become a generic name in usage. Much like Aspirin. Or Trampoline! [Stifles laughter.]

jesse

Mm-hm!

john

You know Trampoline was a registered trademark?

jesse

Mm-hm.

john

For a—a rebounding bouncer? But unless you are—Mika, you are—I mean, I dare you, Mika, to look into that cupboard, or wherever you keep your Tubberware. I dare you to send me a picture of an actual registered trademark for Tupperware on the bottom of any of those tubs. Chances are you don't have any of that stuff. You probably have some kind of common knockoff made by any number of different, um, supply brands! Sooo unless it says "Tupperware," your wife can call it Tubberware, your sister can call it Tufferware. I love both of those words. They sound fun!

jesse

That's it for this week. We'll talk to you next time on the Judge John Hodgman podcast.

sound effect

[Three gavel bangs.]

music

A cheerful ukulele chord.

speaker 1

MaximumFun.org.

speaker 2

Comedy and culture.

speaker 3

Artist owned—

speaker 4

—audience supported.

About the show

Have your pressing issues decided by Famous Minor Television Personality John Hodgman, Certified Judge. If you’d like John Hodgman to solve your pressing issue, please contact us HERE.

Follow @judgejohnhodgman on Instagram to view evidence from the cases tried in court.

Get in touch with the show

People

How to listen

Stream or download episodes directly from our website, or listen via your favorite podcatcher!

Share this show

New? Start here...