Dysfunction Junkies

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It's Flashback Friday.  We flashback to Big Bertha and the 7 Fishes episode. The sparkle fades, the lights glare, and the house suddenly feels too quiet—so we leaned into the holiday afterglow and compared notes on what actually makes this season work. We kick off with the mood on December 26 and the great decoration debate: keep the glow through New Year’s or pack it up fast and reclaim the living room. From there we tumble into leg lamp pride, inflatable brainstorms, and the origin story of “Big Bertha,” the colossal tree that barely fit in a station wagon and exploded open in the living room like a scene from a classic holiday movie.

Food traditions take center stage as we walk through a down‑to‑earth Feast of the Seven Fishes—shrimp, smelts, whitefish, sometimes squid—frying in shifts, sharing horror and humor in equal parts. If you’re craving relatable holiday stories, practical laughs, and permission to rewrite the rules, this one’s for you. Listen, share your own best and worst traditions, and help us build a smarter, lighter sled for next year. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell a friend who still smells like fryer oil.

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Dysfunction Junkies has all rights to the songs "Hit the Ground Running"   created by Ryan Prewett and "Happy Hour" created by Evert Z.

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Snow, lights, cookies… and questions we usually avoid. We pull back the tinsel to explore how the Santa story shapes trust, behavior, and values, and why so many of us remember the joy of belief but not the awkward in-between. The conversation gets real, candid, and funny as we test which parts of the myth build wonder—and which parts quietly train compliance.

Things turn intriguingly dark when we uncover Père Fouettard, the French folklore figure paired with St. Nicholas to punish misbehavior. We won’t import the terror, but we do ask what it reveals about how cultures balance reward and fear—and how we can choose warmth over threats while still setting boundaries. By the end, we offer a kinder script: keep the magic, ditch the manipulation, and invite kids into the “helper” role as they grow.

If this episode makes you laugh, squirm, or rethink your holiday script, that’s the point. Hit follow, share with a friend who loves a spicy Christmas take, and drop a review telling us how your family keeps the wonder without losing the truth.

#dysfunctionjunkiespodcast #santaclause #perefouettard #fatherwhipper #merrychristmas #christmasdysfunction

Support the show

Thank you for listening.  Be sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram pages for additional content. We often post polls and other questions for your feedback.  We would love to hear from you, and if you like our show please take a moment to give us a Five Star Review! 

Love our show and want to support us?  Click on this link to submit a one time or reoccurring donation.  https://www.buzzsprout.com/2398402/support
 
www.facebook.com/DysfunctionJunkies
https://www.instagram.com/dysfunctionjunkies
https://www.youtube.com/@DysfunctionJunkies
https://dysfunctionjunkiespodcast.com

Dysfunction Junkies has all rights to the songs "Hit the Ground Running"   created by Ryan Prewett and "Happy Hour" created by Evert Z.

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A simple idea turned into a wide‑open map: listeners from London to Lima, West Valley City to Riverview, are pressing play and helping this community grow in ways we can see and celebrate. We trace that journey with real places and real names, pausing to shout out the towns that showed up this week, and the countries pushing us forward—17 so far, with the UK rising and South America lighting up through Peru, Columbia, and new cities in Brazil.

If you’re new here, expect warmth, gratitude, and a few laughs; if you’ve been with us, you know the drill—tag your city, check the map, and help us reach the next place on the globe. Make sure to subscribe, share the show with someone who’d love a feel‑good listen, and leave a quick review telling us where you’re tuning in from. Your shoutout might be next.

Support the show

Thank you for listening.  Be sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram pages for additional content. We often post polls and other questions for your feedback.  We would love to hear from you, and if you like our show please take a moment to give us a Five Star Review! 

Love our show and want to support us?  Click on this link to submit a one time or reoccurring donation.  https://www.buzzsprout.com/2398402/support
 
www.facebook.com/DysfunctionJunkies
https://www.instagram.com/dysfunctionjunkies
https://www.youtube.com/@DysfunctionJunkies
https://dysfunctionjunkiespodcast.com

Dysfunction Junkies has all rights to the songs "Hit the Ground Running"   created by Ryan Prewett and "Happy Hour" created by Evert Z.

Send us Fan Mail

Did Kerry Suffer?  Well, the “perfect” Christmas took a nosedive—three times. We brought home a gorgeous live tree, filled the stand with sugared water, and watched the branches settle like a promise… until gravity introduced itself to our slanted old floors. What followed was equal parts comedy and gut-punch: sticky wood, late-night triage, and heirloom ornaments that didn’t survive the third fall. We walk through the mess with humor and honesty, then ask a bigger question: when the tradition breaks, do we double down or choose peace?

Support the show

Thank you for listening.  Be sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram pages for additional content. We often post polls and other questions for your feedback.  We would love to hear from you, and if you like our show please take a moment to give us a Five Star Review! 

Love our show and want to support us?  Click on this link to submit a one time or reoccurring donation.  https://www.buzzsprout.com/2398402/support
 
www.facebook.com/DysfunctionJunkies
https://www.instagram.com/dysfunctionjunkies
https://www.youtube.com/@DysfunctionJunkies
https://dysfunctionjunkiespodcast.com

Dysfunction Junkies has all rights to the songs "Hit the Ground Running"   created by Ryan Prewett and "Happy Hour" created by Evert Z.

Send us Fan Mail

Holiday chaos feels different when the gift list is short, shipping is smarter, and the advent calendar has whiskey. Listen to this week's episode, come for the laughs, leave with real gift ideas and cookie strategy. Which cookie must make the tray this year?

#adventcalendars #holidaybaking #christmascookies #lettersbylanternlight #kolachi #dysfunctionjunkiespodcast

Support the show

Thank you for listening.  Be sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram pages for additional content. We often post polls and other questions for your feedback.  We would love to hear from you, and if you like our show please take a moment to give us a Five Star Review! 

Love our show and want to support us?  Click on this link to submit a one time or reoccurring donation.  https://www.buzzsprout.com/2398402/support
 
www.facebook.com/DysfunctionJunkies
https://www.instagram.com/dysfunctionjunkies
https://www.youtube.com/@DysfunctionJunkies
https://dysfunctionjunkiespodcast.com

Dysfunction Junkies has all rights to the songs "Hit the Ground Running"   created by Ryan Prewett and "Happy Hour" created by Evert Z.

Send us Fan Mail

The holidays promise wonder, but the calendar creep can quietly turn December into a performance. Remember when holidays felt simple? We break down how Elf on the Shelf and early decor timelines hijack our brains, budgets, and sleep. Listen now and tell us: keep the elf or call it quits?

#dysfunctionjunkiespodcast  #elfonashelf  #menschonabench #dwarfinadrawer #christmasdysfunction #podcast #comdey #holidays

Support the show

Thank you for listening.  Be sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram pages for additional content. We often post polls and other questions for your feedback.  We would love to hear from you, and if you like our show please take a moment to give us a Five Star Review! 

Love our show and want to support us?  Click on this link to submit a one time or reoccurring donation.  https://www.buzzsprout.com/2398402/support
 
www.facebook.com/DysfunctionJunkies
https://www.instagram.com/dysfunctionjunkies
https://www.youtube.com/@DysfunctionJunkies
https://dysfunctionjunkiespodcast.com

Dysfunction Junkies has all rights to the songs "Hit the Ground Running"   created by Ryan Prewett and "Happy Hour" created by Evert Z.

Send us Fan Mail

We open the month by focusing on the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank, a regional engine that turns dollars into fresh produce, pantry staples, and lifelines for neighbors across northeast Ohio. With more than 600 partner pantries and programs, 11,000 volunteers, and a facility that runs like a clean, efficient warehouse built for care, this team moves over 40 million pounds of food a year and keeps dignity at the center. Learn more about this months Dysfunction Junkies  CARE organization.

Support the show

Thank you for listening.  Be sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram pages for additional content. We often post polls and other questions for your feedback.  We would love to hear from you, and if you like our show please take a moment to give us a Five Star Review! 

Love our show and want to support us?  Click on this link to submit a one time or reoccurring donation.  https://www.buzzsprout.com/2398402/support
 
www.facebook.com/DysfunctionJunkies
https://www.instagram.com/dysfunctionjunkies
https://www.youtube.com/@DysfunctionJunkies
https://dysfunctionjunkiespodcast.com

Dysfunction Junkies has all rights to the songs "Hit the Ground Running"   created by Ryan Prewett and "Happy Hour" created by Evert Z.

Send us Fan Mail

Stuffing or dressing, real tree or fake, canned cranberry or homemade—choose your fighter. We share fails, fixes, and a must‑watch holiday list. Listen and weigh in: which hill are you dying on this Thanksgiving?

#dysfunctionjunkiespodcast #holidays #thanksgiving #familydysfunction

Support the show

Thank you for listening.  Be sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram pages for additional content. We often post polls and other questions for your feedback.  We would love to hear from you, and if you like our show please take a moment to give us a Five Star Review! 

Love our show and want to support us?  Click on this link to submit a one time or reoccurring donation.  https://www.buzzsprout.com/2398402/support
 
www.facebook.com/DysfunctionJunkies
https://www.instagram.com/dysfunctionjunkies
https://www.youtube.com/@DysfunctionJunkies
https://dysfunctionjunkiespodcast.com

Dysfunction Junkies has all rights to the songs "Hit the Ground Running"   created by Ryan Prewett and "Happy Hour" created by Evert Z.

Send us Fan Mail

It's Thankful Sunday! Gratitude meets chaos: we shout out listeners in 15 countries, plot Thanksgiving sanity, and invent a “farmtini.” Hear the sauerkraut love story and a hilarious city‑name struggle. 

Support the show

Thank you for listening.  Be sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram pages for additional content. We often post polls and other questions for your feedback.  We would love to hear from you, and if you like our show please take a moment to give us a Five Star Review! 

Love our show and want to support us?  Click on this link to submit a one time or reoccurring donation.  https://www.buzzsprout.com/2398402/support
 
www.facebook.com/DysfunctionJunkies
https://www.instagram.com/dysfunctionjunkies
https://www.youtube.com/@DysfunctionJunkies
https://dysfunctionjunkiespodcast.com

Dysfunction Junkies has all rights to the songs "Hit the Ground Running"   created by Ryan Prewett and "Happy Hour" created by Evert Z.

Send us Fan Mail

Ever doomscroll social media at 3 a.m.? We confess our favorite reels: chaotic fart pranks, baby hippos, Gen X anthems, and cooking roasts. See what we binge then tell us what you binge and what we should make next. Dance? Pets? Pranks? Listen to this week's episode and weigh in—what’s your guilty scroll?

#marsthepygmyhippo #rhettandlink #holdernessfamily #gerrybrooks #EZSMB #tanganyikawildlifepark #dognamedstella #grannyspills #jimmyonrelationships

Support the show

Thank you for listening.  Be sure to check out our Facebook and Instagram pages for additional content. We often post polls and other questions for your feedback.  We would love to hear from you, and if you like our show please take a moment to give us a Five Star Review! 

Love our show and want to support us?  Click on this link to submit a one time or reoccurring donation.  https://www.buzzsprout.com/2398402/support
 
www.facebook.com/DysfunctionJunkies
https://www.instagram.com/dysfunctionjunkies
https://www.youtube.com/@DysfunctionJunkies
https://dysfunctionjunkiespodcast.com

Dysfunction Junkies has all rights to the songs "Hit the Ground Running"   created by Ryan Prewett and "Happy Hour" created by Evert Z.