On this episode of The Middle we're asking you: what made you happy in 2024 -- and what have you had it with? We're joined by Jennifer Welch and Angie "Pumps" Sullivan, hosts of the hit podcast "I've Had It." The Middle's house DJ Tolliver joins as well, plus callers from around the country. #ivehadit #christmas #xmas #newyears #happy #grafetul #overit
The Middle is supported by Journalism Funding Partners, a nonprofit organization striving to increase the sustainability of local journalism by building connections between donors and news organizations. More information on how you can support the Middle at Listen tooth Middle dot com. Welcome to the Middle. I'm Jeremy Hobson along with our house DJ Tolliver and Taliver. You know, the nice thing about this show this hour is we actually get to hear what made listeners happy this year, but we also get to do some good old fashioned griping.
Absolutely, you know what, I got some gripes too. The list is as long as a CBS receipt.
So actually, as you know, we usually take on serious topics each week, but two things are happening since the election, which we're noticing. Number One, no one wants to pay attention to the news anymore, and number two, everyone's afraid to talk about politics. It has actually been extremely difficult to book guests for our serious January shows, but we're going to get there. So it's a relief that this hour we are not talking about politics. We're asking what made you happy this year or what you've had it with and the reason we're doing that. Second part is that our guests this hour are the amazing hosts of the hilarious and very popular I've Had It podcast. I've been a big fan for quite a while, Tolliver. Before we bring them in and forget to do it, why don't you tell our listeners how they can reach us.
Yeah, you can call us at eight four four four Middle that's eight four four four six four three three five three, or you can write to us and listen to the Middle dot com.
And by the way, you get to pick one, what made you happy or what you've had it with? Not both, because one thing our listeners have had it with is callers that go on for too long. So joining us from Oklahoma City, the hosts of I've Had It, Jennifer Welch and Angie Pump's Sullivan, welcome to.
You both, Thank you, thank you.
We're happy to be here.
It's so great to have you. And before we get to the phones, I know that you both like to swear like sailors on your show. But the only person, the only guest who has sworn on this show is Katie Couric, who was America's sweetheart, so she got away with it but I don't know if I could, we can do that for you. Just yeah, but so don't swear. But why do you think your show has resonated so much with so many Americans?
I think that it's a time and space, even before the election or after the election, where everybody's micromanaging one another on the internet. We're all seeing what everybody's doing on the Internet, and we're seeing their representative represent them on the Internet, and it's exhausting, and Thompson, I like to call them out because we've just had it. There's so much performative adulting, parenting, family gatherings going on and it's exhausting. We all know it's BS. Am I allowed to say, BS.
You can do that. Yeah, you got away with that.
We all know it's BS. And I think that once we started kind of calling it out and talking about our grievances, it kind of resonated.
You know.
I have to say, I'm a huge fan of Seinfeld and Curb your enthusiasm and what you do sort of reminds me of the way that they kind of find comedy in all the every day experience as we have, like double dipping a chip in the dip at a party or people who abuse the ice cream sampling at ice cream stores. Do you see a similarity pumps in what you're doing and those programs from the past.
Well, that's high praise because Curb is like our favorite in the whole world, and I would say that the unique experience about everybody has those same experiences. Everybody feels that experience. But it's also kind of a show about nothing, So in that way, I see it like Seinfeld, but it's really been it's fun, and it's kind of it unifies people because everybody pretty much has the same complaints about life in general, because we're all supposed to act a certain way and it's just impossible. Nobody wants to and we're kind of tired of it, Like Jennifer said, the micromanaging of each other. Scott to stop.
Jennifer, I've seen you talk about the fact that you may have a unique perspective on your fellow Americans, in part because you live in what you describe as a purple city in Oklahoma City, and you have to sort of interact with people on both sides of the political aisle.
Yes, you know, if you live in a red state and you are progressive, you are really really progressive. I mean I always joke around with our friends that live on the coast in LA or New York, and they like to talk about the degrees of how left somebody is, and they like to complain about their democratic governors. And I'm like, we have a governor that just bought Trump Bibles and is putting the Ten Commandments up in classrooms. So I love that you all are having that moment and you can talk about the nuances of progressive politics, but we're over here fighting for our lives, and so you know, it's I think if you're a blue dot in a red state. For me, it's made me more progressive, and it's made me more liberal because I live firsthand and see firsthand how insidious these right wing policies are and once they're implemented, how dangerous and void of critical thinking they are, and it's terrifying, and so it's kind of radicalized me. More. Being around conservatives makes me more liberal.
Are you able though, to talk to your neighbors. I mean, you've talked about how you live in a pretty mixed political neighborhood.
I'm not so good at that. I have a lot of very progressive friends that share my political ideology with me. Trump made my ability to be neighborly a little more black and white for me. When I have so many friends that are members of the LGBTQ, plus I have a lot of friends of color, it's difficult for me to go kumbay yaw with people whom I see to vote for hate, and I don't want to allow them the permission structure to think that's okay.
Now.
I'm not outwardly rude to their face. They're just not invited to play tennis or pickleball with metamorph You voted for dismissed, I dismissed.
I wonder how many of our of our listeners are going to call in and say that what made them happy this year was pickleball or maybe the pickleball court being taken out of their neighborhood pumps. Before we get started with the calls, why don't you tell us something that you've had it with.
So many things. I was thinking about what I've what I was happy about this year. I got a peppy, So I'm really happy about my peppy. But I have had it with potty training. It's it's rough stuff, and I went into the office the other day, as you know, Jennifer as an interior designer. Yeah, and I walked in it and I was like, I have to get any carpet, like, we have to do it today. It was a bad weekend. So I've had it with potty training and I know I'm a terrible person, but I've had it with all the Christmas music. I'm just I'm over it.
Yeah.
Yeah. We had a friend staying with us about a week ago and was working from our house and put on Christmas music on the so nos all day and I was like, Okay, we're I feel like we're early for this, but I guess we weren't early for but just guys, it seemed a little bit much. Anyway, let's go to the phones again. We're at eight four four four Middle. That's eight four four four six four three three five three and UB is with us from Aurora, Colorado. UBI, welcome to the Middle. What made you happy this year or what have you.
Had it with?
Hi, Jeremy, I was happy with having found a child free community other women who are progressive and don't or cancer or won't have kids like me. And I've had it with Cynthia Rivo's long nails.
Wow Wow.
Talk me about the child free community though, What does that mean?
Basically, there's a group in our area that's called Babes Without Babies, and it's women in their thirties, forties and fifties who have a sense of humor and who don't have kids, or can't have kids, or don't want to have kids, and so we get together and do like crafting on Sundays at a coffee shop or meet up at a brewery after work. And it's been really nice to meet people that way and to I don't know, bond with other ladies so I don't have to talk about.
Children right before Christmas. Thank you very much for that.
I think was going to catch strange today.
What have you Have you heard of these child free communities? Either of you?
I haven't. I think it's the most brilliant thing I've ever heard in my life, because people with kids, all I want to talk about is their kids. So I think that is fantastic.
And I also want to say that I love that women are doing that because we've discovered that there's so much pressure on women. There was pressure on us too, when you're going to get married, when you're going to have kids, and that's just the projected expectation of the life we're oute that you have to take. And we both have kids that are young adults, and I just no longer project that onto my kids. I don't use leading statements like when you get married or when you have kids, because I don't want to project that onto them. I don't want to project what I think they should do or what society thinks they should do on them. And I think that these childless communities, I think that's great because you don't have to have kids. They're expensive, there are a lot of work. I mean, they've prevented me from doing a lot of things that I want to do. I'm just kidding a love right now. They're wonderful, but you know, it's a lot. It's not for everybody.
Let's go to Bob who's in wake Forest, North Carolina. Bob, welcome to the middle. Go ahead.
Hey, I think in spite of all the stuff that my wife went through medically, I'm great that she's handling it well and that she's just happy to be alive and that she can share time with me and my our grandkids. You know, I guess I've just been really you know, through all the stuff that we've been through that you know, it's we're still doing well and we're uplifted. I guess, I guess I'm happy about that. Yeah.
Family. Obviously, it was at the heart of a lot of the calls at Tulliver that we got last year at this time, and people called in and said they were happy even that they were able to go to a funeral of a family member that had that had been with them for a long time. Bob, thank you so much for calling. And I want to remind our listeners you can reach us at eight four four four Middle That is eight four four four six four three three five three. You can also go to listen to the Middle dot com. Tolliver.
Uh.
You know, I want to bring you in to do something that that Angie and Jennifer do on their show, which is that they they read hate mail. So we actually had Tolliver find hate mail about our show, which you know, our listeners, I know everybody thinks everybody just loves everything about that.
Not everybody, Tolliver, I had some hate mail myself. Yea, I have a recall. This one comes to us from Ray and Tallahassee, Florida. He says, I've had the displeasure of listening to your show twice at this point. The first is right after the twenty twenty four President Show elections and got to hear your panel. Your own promo states that this is a place to meet in the middle. But honestly, from the two episodes that I've heard, you're hardly meeting in the middle. You'd be better off naming the show the same old craft that NPR usually does.
Wow.
Thanks Ray, thank you, Happy Holliday.
Yeah, that's really nice. Well, A Reminder of the Middle is available as a podcast in partnership with iHeart Podcasts on the iHeart app or wherever you listen to podcasts, and we'll be right back with more of the Middle. This is the Middle. I'm Jeremy Hobson. If you're just tuning. In the Middle is a national call in show. We're focused on elevating voices from the middle geographically, politically, and philosophically, or maybe you just want to meet in the middle. This hour, we're asking you what have you had it with in twenty twenty four and what made you happy? Tall What is the number to call in.
It's eight four four four Middle. That's eight four four four six four three through five three. You can also write to us at Listen to the Middle dot com. I want to take a quick second to shout out the dog that watches every show with us. M I d As Midas. Shout out to our studio.
We're thankful for him. Yes. Also, we're streaming on TikTok for the first time ever right now, so tune in there too. I'm joined by Jennifer Welch and Angie Pumps Sullivan, host of the I've Had It podcast. Before we get back to the phones, how did the two of you meet?
She was my I hired her to decorate my house when I was pregnant with my third child. I just found out it was pregnant, and she was a fabulous designer. I'd seen her work in other people's homes and I absolutely loved it. And she came in and I said, I've just got terrible taste. She was like, I know you do, because you have silk flowers on your table and you have a picture of silk flowers on your wall. And I fell head over hills in love immediately.
Jennifer, you agree with that entire story. Is that all correct?
The silence?
Yes, I mean it's it was. It was a disaster. When I walked in, she was this young darling attorney, early thirties, and her house looked like an eighty five year old looked in it. And I was just like, this is just not going to work like this is you desperately need me. And I'm very direct like that, So I'm not for everybody. But she loved it and I loved her, and then we've been friends ever since.
That's how you met. How'd you get in her house?
This was all in my entry way?
She hired?
Yeah?
No, she yeah.
Now I'd seen her work in other homes and I let hired me.
Yeah, So I went, I went to her house. This took place in her house, this conversation.
What have you had it with Jennifer? Or what made you happy?
This year?
God?
You know this year was so schizophrenic. You know, it was a really it was fun. We got to go to the DNC and that was amazing. We interviewed Kamala Harris, Barack Obama, like five governors, all of this stuff that we never for two middle aged women from Oklahoma City. We never thought would be able to do. And then in October, this wonderful young man that had worked for me for six years named Hovey, he was shot and killed and some kids tried to rob him and he was shot and murdered, and it's just been devastating. It's just devastating when you have somebody in your life that you spend that much time with, and then you think about the larger implications of access to guns. Oh, I'm sorry, access to guns and gun violence. Oh god, I'm so sorry listeners, access to guns and gun violence and all of those things. And how you know, I think there was just a school shooting a couple of days ago, and we just couldn't really talk about it anymore. But I think that I've come to the thesis sentence that if you live in America long enough, somebody you love is going to die from gun violence. And that happened to us in October, and it's just really difficult to move on from. And then, of course, the election results were not what we wanted, so won't won't.
Let's go to Jason, who's in Warsaw, Indiana. Jason, welcome to the middle What made you happy this year?
Well, but it.
Made me happy this year was the fact that we as an agent were able to persevere another cataclysmic election cycle and go scooch Hood at the end of it. And here we are.
Yeah, and it sounds like you're driving, You're on the way somewhere.
Well, yeah, I just actually leaving my office called in accidentally as it was snapped. Who thought we were on a different show.
But well, thank you for calling in. I appreciate it. Let me go to Shelley, who's in Antrim, New Hampshire. Shelley, welcome to the middle What what what made you happier? What have you had it with this year?
I think I've basically had it with our absolute stupidity in using more and more electricity, like with bitcoin, uh and with AI. It's just it's ridiculous. And the lovely woman who answered the phone asked me if I'm a conservationist, if that's why I'm concerned. I said, no, I'm concerned about survival. I mean it's going to take one good soula flare and the electricity will go out and Bitcoin will get lost, and AI will get totally messed up, and I think people will go berserk.
Interesting that that's a surprise that that that was one of the dragon ones that came in. I also, I will say, and I don't mean any negativity to our tour last caller, but this does happen every I have had it with people who break the fourth wall and talk about the call screeners that they've already talked to. Obviously, we have people to answer the phones. I'm not just going straight to the live line. By the way, Tolliver, what have you had it with this year?
The McDonald's ice cream machine being out, first of all, a preenial problem, the bus being late, the weather in Chicago. I can go on and on and on. Taxes, my cats.
I would say that for me, and it is the fact that they're still using the QR codes at the restaurants, Like could you just make a menu at this point? Do I have to still like use my camera and all of that. Let me ask you, Jennifer, what do you say to people who unfollow anyone on their social media who have different views than they do?
Good for you. Here's the thing, Like I I just think that there are certain moral declarations that have been made on the right regarding the dehumanization of other human beings. That is unacceptable to some people. And you know, I can't follow somebody that posts a bunch of magacrab I don't want to see that. And I get to follow whomever I want to, and I feel the same. If somebody doesn't like what I post, unfollow me. Go live your life, spread your wings and fly, don't follow me. The Internet is full of all of these things that you can follow, and so I think it's I think the unfollow is it needs to be used more.
Let's go to Seth, who is in Barnard, Vermont. Seth, Welcome to the.
Middle Go ahead, Yeah, Hi, good evening to you. Thank you so much for creating a wonderful platform for vocality. I just wanted to relate my concerns for the past year and years prior, and what I recently saw was a very concerning report where apparently between ten to twenty percent of those in the human creative world are not being supported as much as they had been in prior years. And relating to that specifically, I, especially in the holiday season that we're in, must suggest that people make an extra effort to support their local creatives and buy art, support human intelligence AMEN.
In the DJ community. That's higher than twenty yeh right exactly.
Tara is in Chicago, Tara, welcome to the middle.
Go ahead, hello.
Yes, So twenty twenty four has been a big year for me. I issued two goals. Them was becoming the executive director of a nonprofit in Chicago, and the other was buying a house in Chicago. Both of those are things that I wasn't ever sure were really going to happen for me, and fell into place this year.
Congratulations, What do you think made it possible for you to do those things this year? Was it skill? Was it luck? What did you do?
I think it's the perfect combinations of the two. I think the role that I found for myself professionally happened to be just this ideal combination of all of the skills that I'd been acquiring through my career in nonprofit work. I had been in an organization for fifteen years that didn't see me as a potential candidate for an executive director role, so I left. I went to one other organization, and then I found this opportunity that really was perfect for me. It blended all my skills, so that was just really incredible. And then at around the same time, my family, we've been looking for a home in Chicago, and we've been living in a very small place with two children for twelve years, and we've found just the perfect fixer upper, an old, old home not too far from where we lived, where our kids could still go to the same school, and it was just really all things just kind of aligned this year. So despite all of the terrible things, there were some really great things personally that where I'm just very fortunate and grateful for.
That's great congratulations. Yeah, you know, Pumps. Not everybody can afford a home these days, especially with these interest rates the way they are.
Yeah, it's very uplifting to hear about her new position, moving into a home. And I do think that's one thing with our young adult children that as you look to their future, are they going to be able to find affordable housing for their families. I mean, it's a huge problem, and unfortunately, I don't know that this administration will address that appropriately, so it might be kicked down the road another four years. But I do think that first time home buyers and the struggle to find appropriate housing is such a problem for young people, particularly.
Joel is in Monterey California. Joel, Welcome to the middle What did you what made you happy this year or what have you had it with?
Yeah, no, I've had a pretty good year. Thank you. I actually called to talk about AI, but I guess there's a mix up on the broadcast.
But I was.
I got a new sales job and for an international company out of Sweden, and it's been very, very good. The page is great, the benefits are great. I've never worked for a European company and it's just been a game changer for me. And yeah, very grateful for the opportunity and what coming in the future. So, yeah, it's been a good year.
That's great. You know, political thing, a new job, a new job. You know, it's true that the job can really make or break a year. I mean, if you if you lose your job or if you get a new job, it's a it's a game changer.
Shout out to working at the Middle, right, Jennifer.
Your thoughts, Oh, you know, I think that I'm happy for the caller that he's working for a European company. I think that would be fun. I always love to travel to Europe. Never been to Sweden. I think they kind of have a lot of things figured out, maybe more sustainable systems of economy and government that seem to have a good mixture of the common good. You know, I worry about America because it always seems so focused on individualism and not collectivism. And so, I mean, I don't know, I know, I'm worried. Probably a lot of your listeners are worried. But I'm happy for that color. That would be like really fun to work for an international company like that.
You know, you both brought up politics a bunch. Let me ask you, Pumps. I guess I'll start with you. Why do you think Kamala Harris lost this race after all of that?
You know, I've heard so many different theories on it. Whether it was that Biden didn't drop out sooner, we didn't have a robust primary, people didn't know where, things of that nature. My personal belief is that the right wing media mechanism is so much larger than the democratic especially with Elon Musk, with Twitter and the algorithms and the manipulation there. I just think that they have a first of all, it pains me to say this, but I think the right has better messaging. They are able to hit people viscerally in when that nuances of policy don't strike people. But I do think a lot of it is the right wing media infrastructure that the Democrats just don't have.
But the thing is, you're both You are both communicators. You've obviously tapped into something among your listeners. Is there something that you think that, let's say, the Democrats should be doing to more viscerally connect with people that you see the right doing but not the left.
Yes, go ahead.
I think we need to be more aggressive, more direct. I think that there has been an appeasement from twenty sixteen on where we just treat a lot of the things that Donald Trump and his sycophants do as normal, and we normalize them. I think that Kamala Harris should have not trotted around with Liz Cheney. Liz Cheney is on the record for creating so much of these right wing conspiracy theories that got us here, and then we have to parade her around and say, oh, look, we found a Republican that supports us. This is a woman that perpetuated the lie that physicians execute babies after they're born. And it's just she was a part of the problem. She was a part of the hysteria that feeds into all of this. And I think the Democrats seem to go left. They need to have a very Bernie Sanders, AOC populist agenda. When you pull people in our state, in a deeply read state, on gun control, on raising them minimum wage, on abortion, on gay marriage, they're to the left on all of these issues individually, but they vote Republican. And I don't think the Democrats do woul get enough message saying. If you want to look at what Republican policies look like, look at the states that are ranked fortieth through fiftieth in the United States of America. Look at them, and look at the Republican supermajorities that all of these states have had. These policies are disastered. And I think they just need to be aggressive. And I think people good, bad, are indifferent felt like Donald Trump cut through the BS brownie points for saying BS again. I think they felt like he cut through the BS and he fought for them. Whether that's rational or not, I'm not going to get to I'll leave that up for the psychiatrist to analyze. But the Democrats people need to feel like they're fighting for them. And I just think when they were calling when Kamala Harris and Walls were calling Republicans weird and seeing they're weirdos, it was working. She was up in the polls, and then they started to.
Stopped doing that, try it out. They stopped, They trotted her out.
And that's when I said to Pumps, what is she doing running around with Liz Cheney? Why are we acting like she's a hero because she can say that clearly Donald Trump is a criminal, which a five year old could recognize that, you know, just like, why are we doing this? And that's when I started kind of thinking, I don't know about this.
Reminder that you can reach us at eight four four four Middle that is eight four four four six four three three five three, or you can write to us at Listen to the Middle dot com and Tolliver. As we go to our next break, do you have any more hate mail for us?
I do you know? Never ends? This one comes courtesy from Eddie and Hendersonville, Tennessee. He says, I understand that you want to appeal to everyone, but a lot of times I think your program should be renamed to the meek Ouch. The meat is the meekle. It's good to talk and listen, but occasionally you need to take a position, call out lies. I think doctor Phil McGraw once said there are only two things in the middle of the road, yellow stripes and dead Armadillo's.
Doctor Phil, a famous Oklahoma Our next, doctor Phil, Yeah, and a reminder. The Middle is available as a podcast in partnership with iHeart Podcasts on the iHeart app or wherever you listen to podcasts and wherever you rate podcasts, and you give us at high rating on this podcast, We'll be right back with more of the Middle. This is the Middle. I'm Jeremy Hobson. This hour we're asking you what have you had it with in twenty twenty four or what made you happy? Call us at eight four four four Middle. That is eight four four four six four three three five three. You can also reach out at Listen to the Middle dot com. I'm joined by the host of the I've Had It podcast, Jennifer Welch and Angie Pumps Sullivan. And before we go back to the phones, let me ask you the question. Uh, Jennifer, I'll ask you the question that everybody always asks me, and I find it to be very difficult to answer. But who do you want to interview that you have not?
Oh, my gosh, Larry David. Right, it's Larry David. I am obsessed with Curb Your Enthusiasm. I've watched every episode two or three times. I love how cranky he is. I love how cynical he is. I laugh at all of the nuances of it. And I just don't think Larry's ever going to do it. And I'm thinking that's who I need. And if not Larry David, then I would take Roger Federer.
Wow.
Yeah, Okay, Pumps, what about you? Who would you like to interview?
I think I'm a huge Dolly Parton fan, Yes, And I would like to talk to her and just ask her like how does she do it? How does she sustain so much success? And her reading is it? What's it called? Her reading? Where she donates books? Like a million books have been donated to underprivileged communities. I love that. Yeah, And I just her story is inspiring and I love how she says takes a lot of money to look this cheap? My favorite.
Yeah, let's go to Leon, who's in Las Vegas. Leon, what have you had it with this year?
Yeah? You know, just over the years, I noticed like a growing list of people who are of wealth or fame, you know, like Harvey Weinstein, PDDY. And I'm also gett kind of concerned that a number of people I'm seeing on the news who've been doing stuff like this, Like once Cosey went down, I knew nothing was sacred, you know what I mean, just that.
Famous people are getting in trouble for bad things that they're doing.
Yeah, I'm just it was very disheartening because it's like, you know, Cosey was America's dad.
You know, what did you two think about that?
I mean, I'm not going to cuss Jeremy, but I would say this is where you enter the f around, find out the situation. And even you know, celebrities. The only person who seems to consistently get away with things is the president elect of the United States, which is just dumbfounding, but you know, he seems to be able to dodge all of those bullets that other people have been held accountable for.
Let's go to Alana in Tampa, Alana. What have you had it with this year?
I have absolutely had it with people who pretend to be one way on social media and then you either know them in person and they act a completely different way, or they come as an insoluence and they come out with an article and they are a meet a bad person. They treat all their employees like crap. I'm just over it. I need people to act like the way they act drag.
Allen, Yeah, pumps, what do you think about that? There are a lot of people like that. I have friends even that I think, are they trying to be a model on social media? But then I don't see them like this in person.
Yeah. I think that's great, and I think it's so true when you know people and the things that they post are just so opposite of their personal behavior. And one thing we talk a lot about on the show is these people that we get hate comments, Like your hate comments are mild compared to our hate comments. I mean, people come after everything about us. And it's so funny because when you go to look Jennifer taught me how to do this, you go look like, what's their bio say? And it's always peace, love and laughter. Jesus is my key, and we're just like, what how are you? How are you being so ugly to people you don't know? Randomly on the inner, but yet you're, you know, sitting on top of the Bible acting holier than now. So the posers on social media, it's just too much. And I just will say, my kids and I are going on a vacation over Christmas, and my daughter said to us at dinner last night, I need everybody to get better of taking pictures of me for my Instagram while more advocation. And I was just like so many people in her age group, which she's twenty two, it's all about the photos for Instagram. And sometimes I feel like people don't enjoy what they're actually doing because they're so worried about getting the perfect picture for Instagram.
Yeah, James is in East Texas. James, welcome to the middle. What made you happy this year?
I was really pleased with just the expanding amount of platforms in PR, PBS and a lot of independent graders online book to hear from actual people.
It seems like Fox.
News, DNN, News Max, none of these platforms. I mean, I'm sure he can ride into Roger Ailes. I'm sure he can ride into Dana Bash. I don't think they looked through any of their comments.
Roder Ailes is dead. Just to be clear, Roger Ailes is dead definitely, so you can't write into him anymore.
Sorry about that. No, no, no, that works like you guys in the middle.
Yes, no, I appreciate. I appreciate the comment. I agree with you that being able to hear from regular people is really important and and it's it's very rare uh these days. Uh, let's go to Janics in Chicago. Janis what made you happy this year? What have you had it with?
Oh?
So mine is actually what I've had it with. I'm really over people telling other people what to do with their bodies. It doesn't bother me if someone who's trans wants to take hormones, someone wants to have an abortion, someone wants to get vaccinated or doesn't want to. I'm just so over both the left and the right trying to tell other people what to do.
I feel like our guests are going to have a comment about that. Yeah, I mean.
I think that, you know, I agree with the caller, and I feel about you know, the trans community. You're talking about less than one percent of the population, So these people smallest numbers, really really marginalized, very high rates of suicide. And to sit and criticize gender affirming care number one at center your business. But number two, I mean, isn't it like Joe Rogan he's pumping up on steroids and I'm sure he's popping viagra, And isn't that gender affirming care?
You know?
I mean, come on, It's like if they would put the science into anything curring cancer that they put into the erection, we would all be so much healthier. But it seems like when it comes to women or marginalized groups, we're all up in the business. But when it comes to men and they're a regtile dysfunction, it's game on. We can ship it to you anonymously. You know, there's no restrictions whatsoever. Hell, let's give it out for free. And so I've had it with that.
I agree.
I'm in the same camp as the caller. If you don't want to get a vaccine, I think it's crazy because I believe in science. But that's your business. I don't care. And we live in a state with more and more restrictions on what people can do, and it is very disconcerting to live in a country where banning books has become the norm. Yet we're not talking about banning guns, and we're more worried about transgender care than we are whether somebody has healthcare. You know, it's just I could go on and on about all the hypocrisy, but I'm kind of in that mind your own damn business.
Oh sorry, that's okay, mind your own probably twenty twenty four. What has kept you both in Oklahoma City by the.
Way, children, Yeah, you know, you set up your life and you have a job, and then in your thirties, you really it doesn't really matter where you live because you're living groundhog Day. You're you know, getting kids up, and you're like, you know, completely beholden in them going to school. Then you show for them around. And I have one son left that's a senior in high school and he'll graduate and then he'll go off to college. My oldest son is a senior at Syracuse University in New York, and so I think that when the youngest one goes off to school, wherever he goes, my only rule is go out of state. That well, PM smar thinking about moving to you know, Manhattan for a couple of years. I mean, why not, you know, we're still young enough.
So let's go to Carolyn and Cincinnati.
Carolyn, what have you had it with I've had it with legans.
I am over legan I would.
Bring back down them.
You've had it with leggings? Yes, why do you hate everyone?
But everyone has adopted them.
I just they're not They're not attractive on everyone.
I'm wearing some right now. Either of you want to take that one? Do you feel that way about leggings?
I have to agree with the caller that leggings are overused and sometimes they don't look that great. And maybe that's not PC to say, but you know, in Trump's America, can't we just say how we feel? Does everything have to be taken away from this? And I just love how the caller just went straight in with I've had it with leggings. I mean, I love that. That speaks to me. It's relatable and I'm gonna let her have that. And I think she's one hundred percent right. Some people don't look good in them, and it's unsightly and it's okay for us to see it. It doesn't mean we're mean, it doesn't mean we're Trumpers, It just mean we're human.
Wow, bringing back jeans.
Let's go to Gabriella, who's in Fort Lauderdale, Gabriella, What have you had it with?
Hi, guys, I've had it with two things. The first thing I've had it with is people hiding behind their religion acting like they're really good people when behind the screen they're hateful, homophobic, racist, but still post on social media Jesus is King, God is good and I'm like, I know your true colors. The second thing I've had it with is inaccurate braw sizes. Kim Kardashian, you are a billionaire. Get it together, girl, I am a thirty two f.
Wow, we're covering leggings.
Last second, we get some good ones. Yeah, I got one of the emails here says I hate it when people add right at the end of a sentence without waiting for an answer, So I kind of agree with You're getting real petty.
Yeah, yeah, right. Let's check out Lisa, who is in Rockford, Illinois. Lisa, what have you had it with?
I've had it with our increasing impatience on all kinds of front traffic waiting in line, but now we're down to the dialogue. I hate it that I have to get what I want to say in three sentences or less, and the default of a feeling where people have to debate and have an opinion instead of listen and learn.
Not not enough sort of taking time in communicating, is what you're saying.
Yes, the communication we're in too big of a hurry to even communicate back and forth.
Very interesting?
Yeah, like six sentences right there?
Well no, but I'm glad she brought that up. Jennifer, what do you think about that? Do you think we're communicating too quickly?
Listen? The caller is one hundred percent right. We do need to stop and communicate more. But I'm at the phase in my life where I'm trying to talk to people less. I'm trying to have a conversation using the fewest sentences possible and then tuck and roll out of the situation. I wish I was more like the caller. I wish I was a better person. But I'm the host of a podcast called I've Had It, So there we are.
OK, let's do an uplifting one. Tara is in Denver, Tara, what made you happy this year?
What has made me happy this year is women in music. It feels like women are finally getting the stage and the attention that they deserve as musicians from Taylor Swift to Chapel Roon to Billie Eilish, And it's awesome to see women being able to write music and and talk about their sexuality instead of being sexualized. And it's really incredible to see women want to be part of music and kids looking up to them and wanting to be part of music. This year, every woman that is, every person that's up for Artists of the Year is a woman year and that is incredible to see. And even though we maybe didn't take the presidency, we are taking music by storm. And I mean just Taylor Swift in general.
Great points, great points all around. And you know, always happy to see Taylor Swift get even more money. No, I think she's great. Think Brett Brett is into Tonia, Idaho. Brett, Welcome to the middle. What made you happy this year, Well.
What made me happy is seeing the Grateful Dead being being appreciated and celebrated with the Kennedy Center honors. A band that was so pivotal in our country, just like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, that really set and changed the culture of our country at a time that it needed that. But they were a band that came from our country, and it was the band that really heavily affected my life. That's the thing that I really appreciated seeing because they were a band that a lot of people didn't really seem to understand. But they are a band that now that we look back see that they should be appreciated and celebrated like that.
Did you see them this year? I'm sorry, did you see them in concert this year?
Well?
Not this year, they haven't been playing as Grateful Dead truly, But I saw the Grateful Dead with Jerry Garcia and the full regiment of the band for over one hundred shows and toured with them throughout the country, and they were a band that I really appreciate. They showed me my country right with my loving of their music and the idea that when you went to a show, you saw a different show from the night before, so that you could see many shows in a row, and if you chose to seem many chosen in a row, you've got to go to de Moine Iswa.
Yeah, and.
Grateful for the Grateful Dead.
If Taylor Swift and Grateful Dead going tour together, I'll be there. Yeah, Okay, I'm seated for that.
Okay, we actually are running out of time amazingly for this hour. But let me ask you. Let me ask you both a question which you're both as we've said in Oklahoma City. What do you think is the thing that people on the coast in this country don't understand about people in the middle of the country. I'll start with you, Pumps.
I think that what I have found when I go to the coast is the culture difference with the Evangelical Christianity, how deeply rooted religion is in every day decisions, whether it be political, children raising, all kinds of things. So I think there's kind of a the foothold that religion has in these deeply red states in the South. I don't think people on the coast appreciate how what what a different culture it is here.
Jennifer, I completely agree with her. I kind of had an interesting upbringing. My parents are total atheists, and so I grew up in the buckle of the Bible belt around a bunch of just die hard Evangelical Christians that were constantly trying to save me and warning me about the torture that awaits me in Hell with demons and Satan himself. And I was able to persevere through all of that and still remain completely secular. And I don't think politicians in general understand how much religion has set the psychological soil for people to turn away from critical thinking and to accept magical thinking, both in their faith and in politics. And so when you look at what Trump does with all the magical thinking, their religion brought them to that.
Yeah, that is Jennifer Welch. We've also been speaking with Angie Pump Sullivan. They are the host of the I've Had It podcast. Thank you so much to both of you for joining us on the Middle.
Thank you for having us Happy holidays.
Happy holidays to you too, And thanks to our satellite radio listeners, our podcast audience in the more than four hundred and twenty public radio stations making it possible for people across the country to listen to the Middle. I'm Jeremy Hobson, and I will talk to you next week.