Tucker opens up about newly confirmed high cholesterol after a blood panel scare, frustration with unreadable medical metrics, and why seeing the wrong number in the "green space" finally forced a reality check. JJ shares lessons from his own health and weight-loss journey, breaking down sustainable lifestyle changes, portion control, and why gradual daily wins matter more than crash diets.

The conversation then shifts into practical territory: battery-powered lawn mowers, electric snow blowers, tool ecosystems, and why JJ says he'll never go back to gas equipment. Along the way, the episode detours into Jason Bourne, fake food mascots, aging motivation, winter hibernation weight gain, and how staying active doesn't have to mean the gym.

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JJ and Tucker break down the origins of TMNT as a gritty comic parody, how it was sanitized into a cartoon juggernaut, and why the toys, arcade games, movies, and NES ports still matter. Along the way, they revisit formative childhood memories, rank Turtle video games, defend the Jim Henson live-action films, and unpack why the first movie still holds up.

Catherine O'Hara was one of the most singular talents in comedy history. From her groundbreaking work on SCTV, to unforgettable performances in Home Alone, Beetlejuice, A Mighty Wind, Best in Show, and her iconic turn as Moira Rose on Schitt's Creek, O'Hara shaped generations of comedy lovers.

In this episode of JJ Meets World, we reflect on Catherine O'Hara's life, career, collaborations with legends like Eugene Levy and John Candy, and the subtle brilliance that made her one of the greatest actors of all time. We also share personal stories, deep cuts from her filmography, and her powerful eulogy for John Candy—an extraordinary tribute from one remarkable artist to another.

This episode is dedicated to celebrating Catherine O'Hara's legacy, her generosity as a performer, and the indelible mark she left on comedy, film, and television.

00:00 Intro & Dedication to Catherine O'Hara

01:10 Why Celebrity Deaths Can Matter So Deeply

02:28 Schitt's Creek and the Pandemic Era

03:24 Eugene Levy, John Candy, and Lifelong Collaborations

05:13 Home Alone and the Art of Playing the Straight Man

06:29 A Personal Story About A Mighty Wind

11:01 SCTV Origins and Early Brilliance

13:24 Classic SCTV Sketches & Characters

16:10 The Unreleased SCTV Documentary

17:23 Seeing Catherine O'Hara Live

19:15 Really Weird Tales Deep Cut

23:44 Home Alone, John Candy, and Perfect Chemistry

25:20 Waiting for Guffman & Best in Show

29:53 Home Alone as a Generational Touchstone

30:57 Voice Work & 90s–2000s Career Run

34:52 Orange County and Underrated Performances

38:12 Later Film, TV, and Voice Roles

41:06 Becoming Moira Rose

42:14 "Fold in the Cheese" and Subtle Genius

47:20 Catherine O'Hara's Eulogy for John Candy

57:03 Final Thoughts & Outro

Support the show on Patreon: https://www.jjmeetsworld.com Merch store: https://www.jjmeetsworld.com Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com

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Produced by Tucker Lucas More at: https://www.moonbasemaria.com Host contact & booking: https://www.linebenders.com

In this episode of JJ Meets World, JJ confronts the horrifying realization that his butt may be slowly disappearing—or worse—may have never fully existed in the first place. What begins as a legitimate inquiry into "gluteal amnesia" and dead butt syndrome quickly devolves into medical speculation, evolutionary theories, puberty metaphors, Ren & Stimpy muscle transplants, and the unsettling possibility that JJ's butt is simply hiding somewhere inside his body waiting for the right moment to drop.

For more episodes of JJ Meets World, or to find out how you can support this podcast, visit http://www.jjmeetsworld.com/

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Board games are supposed to bring people together—but some of them feel more like intellectual flexes than friendly competition. This week, JJ and Tucker dive deep into the board games that secretly say more about you than the game itself.

From Scrabble's smug superiority complex, to Monopoly house rules that feel suspiciously like modern economics, to a surprisingly revealing game of Guess Who, the conversation spirals into stereotypes, pop culture, childhood nostalgia, and why modern board games are having a full-on renaissance.

Along the way, they unpack:

• Why Scrabble feels like someone trying to prove they're smarter than you

• How Guess Who accidentally becomes a psychological profiling tool

• The evolution of Monopoly boards (and why Fargo might have messed one up)

• Carmen Sandiego, Anne Hathaway, and heist-movie logic

• Dead birds, Mr. McGregor, and childhood trauma

• The Olympics lottery, obscure events, and cheering for the flag

00:00 – Please put your clothes back on (intro)

01:08 – The board game that feels like an insult

01:49 – Monopoly trash talk and pandemic grudges

03:09 – Fargo Monopoly and questionable city design

04:33 – Monopoly house rules gone completely off the rails

05:15 – Scrabble: the "I'm better than you" game

06:14 – Scrabble boards, editions, and nostalgia

07:47 – Travel games and modern Guess Who

08:49 – Guess Who as personality profiling

10:20 – Bias, stereotypes, and reading strangers

11:25 – Why Guess Who should be a TV show

11:56 – Carmen Sandiego rights and reboots

13:20 – Anne Hathaway and heist movie logic

15:27 – The Princess Diaries (somehow gets darker)

18:50 – Board game collecting and Kickstarter culture

19:35 – Viticulture, birds, and pigeon slander

21:02 – Finding a dead turkey vulture

23:03 – Peter Rabbit and childhood fear

27:32 – Registering for the 2028 Olympics lottery

29:25 – Skateboarding, table tennis, and obscure events

32:27 – Eddie the Eagle and Olympic loopholes

34:09 – Closing and credits

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Tucker and JJ return to familiar territory—Applebee's—to discuss chain-restaurant loyalty, imaginary (but very tempting) Applebee's credit card perks, and the long-term psychological impact of good ranch dressing.

Along the way, JJ pitches a Wikipedia project cataloging Applebee's limited-time cocktails, debate restaurant bathroom strategy, relive questionable waxing decisions, attempt to flesh out the lore of Principal Pamplemousse, and then they close with an unexpectedly philosophical breakdown of Humpty Dumpty.

As always, it's food, culture, discomfort, and ideas—served generously.

00:00 – Applebee's traditions and chain-restaurant loyalty

02:00 – Ranking Applebee's cocktails & the Wikipedia idea

06:00 – Imaginary Applebee's credit card perks (and why they'd work)

10:30 – Waiters, managers, and long-term Applebee's relationships

15:00 – Nose and ear waxing: results, pain, regret

21:00 – Ranch dressing as a culinary equalizer

22:30 – Why great bathrooms build better businesses

25:00 – Principal Pamplemousse: appearance, values, Frenchness

28:00 – Stainless steel cookware, knives, and egg philosophy

33:00 – Eggs, international confusion, and American excess

36:00 – Humpty Dumpty theories, memes, and unanswered questions

For more episodes of JJ Meets World, or to find out how you can support this podcast, visit http://www.jjmeetsworld.com/

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In this episode of JJ Meets World, JJ and Tucker talk about recurring anxiety dreams, starting with the classic "actor's nightmare" of being unprepared, missing costumes, or forgetting lines just moments before going on stage. The conversation touches on other stress dreams, including missed obligations and the unsettling experience of returning to high school as an adult who no longer knows the rules, before moving into reflections on memory and nostalgia. They explore the lasting influence of childhood roles like crossing guards, principals, and janitors, the moments of kindness—or silence—that linger for years, and how empathy, regret, teenage relationships, and pop culture memories, such as seeing How the Grinch Stole Christmas as a cast, can become permanently woven into personal history and resurface when you least expect them.

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Produced by Tucker Lucas

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JJ walks through how he unexpectedly became the concessions mastermind for a high school theater production—and what running a real concession stand actually teaches you about marketing, pricing, psychology, and human behavior.

The conversation breaks down why movie theater popcorn works, how scent and presentation drive impulse purchases, and why simplicity in pricing moves lines faster. JJ explains how he designed a concessions setup that felt intentional, handled cash flow and card payments, optimized inventory night-to-night, and accidentally sparked a turf war with another concessions operation in the same building.

Along the way, the episode touches on advertising psychology, branding instincts, crowd flow, impulse buying, volunteer logistics, and how small operational choices—tablecloths, lighting, smell, signage—change the way people perceive value. It's a practical, funny case study in applied marketing, retail fundamentals, and the unintended consequences of doing something too well.

For more episodes of JJ Meets World, or to find out how you can support this podcast, visit http://www.jjmeetsworld.com/

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Why do some Christmas movies only get better as we grow older?

In this holiday episode of JJ Meets World, JJ Gordon and Tucker Lucas dive deep into the Christmas movies that shaped their childhoods — and why films like Home Alone and A Christmas Story land completely differently as adults.

They explore:

• Why Home Alone remains endlessly rewatchable (and why the sequel actually works)
• The surprising emotional depth of A Christmas Story when viewed through adult eyes
• How A Christmas Story Christmas became one of the most underrated holiday sequels ever made
• The power of nostalgia, memory, and "magical" Christmas moments
• Whether Santa Claus is a person… or a job
• Why snow in movies is harder to fake than you think
• Holiday movies that understand family, loss, and time passing

00:00 Intro & Christmas Movie Traditions 01:12 Most-Watched Christmas Movies: Home Alone 02:35 Why Home Alone 2 Actually Works 04:30 The Home Alone LEGO Set & Holiday Obsessions 08:15 Why A Christmas Story Was Hard to Watch as a Kid 09:45 Watching A Christmas Story as an Adult 11:35 The Dad in A Christmas Story Explained 13:40 A Christmas Story Christmas: The Sequel That Matters 15:30 Grief, Family, and Making Christmas Work 18:55 Why This Movie Will Make You Cry 20:45 Why Snow in Movies Is So Hard to Fake 22:05 Most Magical Childhood Christmas Memories 24:30 Catching Santa on VHS 26:45 Is Santa a Person or a Job? 28:20 The Santa Claus, Elves, and Holiday Lore 31:10 Holiday Movies That Print Money Forever 33:00 Jingle Bells Was a Thanksgiving Song?! 35:00 Final Thoughts & Wrap-Up

Support the show:

For more episodes of JJ Meets World, or to find out how you can support the podcast, visit http://www.jjmeetsworld.com/

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The crew dives headfirst into a mystery that no homeowner wants to face: a house smelling like it's been sprayed by a skunk.

What starts as a bizarre and embarrassing odor problem turns into a deep exploration of HVAC systems, air exchangers, furnace filters, and a little-known issue called Dirty Sock Syndrome.

Along the way, JJ breaks down how skunk smells can travel through ventilation systems, how mold and dirty evaporator coils can mimic those odors, and why regular HVAC maintenance—like filter changes, MERV ratings, UV lights, and seasonal servicing—actually matters.

There's also a crash course in central air conditioning, energy efficiency, and what first-time homeowners should realistically expect when upgrading their systems.

For more episodes of JJ Meets World, or to find out how you can support this podcast, visit http://www.jjmeetsworld.com/

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