Manic Joy | Couples Podcast About Life and Relationships

In this couples podcast episode, Dave and Reese try to enjoy winter while it actively tries to ruin their house. It starts with a “Clean Snow” martini and quickly spirals into roof leaks, ice dams, emergency pool towels, and Dave ordering knee-high pantyhose for entirely practical reasons. Reese shares the backstage reality of snorting vitamin B12 for her latest role, they debate the true joy of snow days versus the slow claustrophobia of being snowed in, and somehow Olympic curling becomes must-see television. They also react to a surprise U2 EP drop, talk about why it hit at exactly the right moment, and swap childhood snow memories that range from wholesome to mildly traumatic. Featured drink: Clean Snow Martini Warning: Do not eat the snow. Definitely do not eat the yellow snow. Life is a group project. Be kind to each other.

Dave and Reese try to have a chill Valentine’s Day at home. Tulips. Jalapeño sliders. A “French Kiss” cocktail. Instead? A towed car. Chick-fil-A timing drama. Surprise visitors. And a couples card game that somehow leads to an old “possible STD” story. They talk Type A vs. Type B marriage, early dating memories, broken windows, editing obsessions, and what actually keeps them connected. It’s romantic. It’s ridiculous. It’s very on brand. Life is a group project. Be kind to each other. And… wear a condom.

Dave and Reese do a pre-Super Bowl check-in, roll into their party with Faith-triots energy, and come back after the game with the emotional range of “honor to be nominated” to “I’m in mourning in the afternoon, evening, and whatever time this is.” They hit the important stuff: Dave’s “40 12” birthday math, Reese’s deep research spiral on halftime shows and Super Bowl history, their extremely non-expert game prediction, and the real scoreboard everyone cares about: which commercials were funny, which ones were trying too hard, and why the AI ads felt a little… gross. Also, Reese delivers a truly poetic review of the game using the only scale that matters: fart categories.

Dave and Reese spiral over streaming services, the “Google box,” and why watching football now feels like a hostage negotiation. Along the way, they rave about Dexter: Resurrection, debate dumb bands versus genius bands, mourn Catherine O’Hara, and wander into a big question about art, meaning, and whether everyone already lives in their own version of reality. Expect pop culture, philosophy, and a reminder that life is a group project.

What happens if Dave and Reese treat their marriage like a sitcom? You get a cold open derailed by a single thumbs-up text, a debate over whether “two minutes is quick,” Reese chasing a feeling before it escapes, and Dave trying to start the show like a man paid by the sentence. Add a vibration plate, an unexpectedly emotional hockey show, and a roast beef sandwich that turns Dave into a local food critic. They finish by casting themselves as sitcom characters and realizing the joke is on them. Reese opens the door. Dave tries to keep the hinges on.

Dave and Reese accidentally tumble back into 2016 after noticing everyone suddenly posting throwback photos. What starts as a light nostalgia trip turns into a very real conversation about aging bodies, internet chaos, Snapchat filters, and why everything online feels heavier now. They talk about what felt easier back then, what they miss, what they definitely don’t, and how a random toe injury can apparently qualify as a personality trait. There’s laughter, loss, infinity scarves, SpongeBob bedrooms, and a reminder that time moves fast, whether you’re ready or not. Pull up a chair, scroll your camera roll, and join Dave and Reese as they look back on a year that somehow feels both recent and ancient.

Are we actually more stressed than our parents were… or are we just louder about it? What starts as a post-holiday purge of closets, junk drawers, and emotional baggage turns into a bigger conversation about how different generations deal with stress, feelings, and expectations. Dave and Reese dig into “I’m fine” parenting, modern mental health language, social media overload, and why contentment feels harder to reach than it used to. They talk about therapy versus group chats, self-awareness versus self-obsession, and the question nobody asks enough: when something bothers you, how do you regulate without letting it run your life?

It’s 2026, and Manic Joy kicks off the year by going live! Dave and Reese ring in the new year with straight whiskey, a few tech hiccups, and a long overdue retraction (stupid, Cathy). They rewind through the holidays, unpack one of the most elaborate Yankee Swap pranks ever pulled, relive a chaotic and joyful New Year’s trip to New York, and talk Broadway, Bobby Darin, Jonathan Groff, heavy pours, and passing out fully dressed. It’s messy, funny, warm, and very on-brand. A perfect reminder that life doesn’t reset neatly on January 1st and that’s half the fun.

It’s a special four-person episode as we hit “Manch Vegas” with Emily and Jonnie to celebrate graduating early, being legal drinkers, and testing the limits of day drinking turned night drinking. Along the way, Dave loses his card in a way that somehow stays calm, we chase late-night food like we’re in Manhattan, Reese loses a concert pretzel that was never actually lost, and we unpack the weird emotional whiplash of finishing college and stepping into real adulthood. Also: an overnight Amazon delivery becomes a porch pirate’s holiday shopping spree, which turns into a surprisingly useful lesson on what to do when your packages walk away at 1:30 a.m. Come for the family chaos, stay for the proud parent feelings, the “home alone” bit, and the reminder that relationships are basically everything.

Pajamas. Emergency gin. Doritos as a serving utensil. This week, Dave and Reese kick things off with holiday party chaos before diving into a round of absurd hypotheticals. Sasquatch vs. Loch Ness. A mysterious clay that changes everything. And a banquet no one asked for. Somewhere in the middle, someone realizes there’s f*cking chicken in this. You had to be there. Or you can just listen.

This week, Dave and Reese try to shake off the seasonal slump by trading five things they’re proud of and five things that make them happy. Along the way, Reese declares war on dynamic pricing, Dave wonders when he’ll finally start wearing pajamas, and a very warm Old Navy coat becomes a full character in the story. They look back on a year of big wins, tiny joys, creative surprises, adult children who still text “look at the moon,” and the kind of relationship moments that only happen when one person accidentally scares the other in the bathroom. It’s cozy, chaotic, a little sentimental, and just the right energy for the end of the year.

This week, Dave and Reese are fueled by an Upside Down Old Fashioned and ready to defend our latest TV obsessions. Stranger Things hype, Thanksgiving chaos, kids recovering from questionable decisions, and a whole stack of shows we’ve genuinely loved… allegedly. We run through everything from post-apocalyptic hive minds to holiday Jonas Brothers joy, with a few questionable picks that one of us refuses to apologize for. Settle in, grab some leftovers, and prepare your queue. You’re bound to find something here you’ll want to watch next—and maybe a few things you absolutely won’t.

This week, Dave and Reese go all-in on the tiny, ridiculous, wildly specific hills they’re fully prepared to die on. From toilet-paper crimes to pineapple-pizza justice to the eternal Star Wars debate, nothing is too petty to unpack. It’s chaotic, it’s therapeutic, and it’s basically a masterclass in meaningless passion.

Dave just got back from the UK, where no one asks you for 25 percent on a cup of coffee. That turned into a full-blown debate between him and Reese about where tipping came from, why the U.S. can’t seem to stop, and all the ridiculous places we’re being guilt-prompted to tip these days. Along the way, they swap travel stories, pet chaos stories, and a truly unhinged $70 tip mistake that still haunts Reese. Buckle up — this one goes places.

Turns out, you really can turn off the U.S. government. Wild, right? Dave and Reese dive into how a shutdown actually happens, what it means for normal people (like, can it mess with your flight?), and why arguing over “fine print” can grind everything to a halt. Come for the martinis and tangents, stay for the cat-hair confessionals and government trivia you didn’t know you needed. — Try Endel with this free code! 14 days of science-backed sounds to help you focus, relax, and sleep. https://endel.sng.link/Ezeow/6l18q/r_b95ce67d97

Dave and Reese’s Connecticut getaway turns into an unforgettable mix of surprises: a black bear sighting, pizza pilgrimages, wedding dance floors, and a full-blown debate over tribute bands. (Spoiler: Dave would rather see a bad original band, Reese is all in on the cover songs.) Add in some Gen X dance moves, indigestion prep, and a cat-created crime scene back home, and you’ve got classic Manic Joy.

What keeps you grounded—and what throws you completely off? In this episode of Manic Joy, Dave and Reese dive into the rituals and routines that shape their days, from the comfort of morning coffee to the chaos of lost glasses. Along the way, they revisit the 30 minutes of brilliant conversation they forgot to record, debate whether routines are freeing or limiting, share stories about kids wrecking the house, and laugh about blow-dried balls, candy corn confessions, and Gordon Ramsay’s early-2000s insults. It’s a mix of habits, humor, and heart—just like life.

Are our phones secretly listening? Dave and Reese pull the curtain on why that ad “mysteriously” finds you: identity graphs, data brokers, co-location signals, and lookalike audiences—aka your shadow profile. They test Instagram’s “Why am I seeing this ad?” tool live, share a simple privacy checklist anyone can do in five minutes, and… detour into simulation theory and the interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS. Light, witty, practical, a little spooky. You’ll leave a bit more private—and a lot less paranoid. CNET Article: No, Your iPhone Isn't Listening to You. Here's What's Really Happening?

Back on the mics after a month. We cover the birth of “F*ck Brain,” a surprisingly great pear martini, Reese’s shift on ChatGPT for teaching, Dave’s notes-to-action workflow, family reunion game nights, a summer of spiders, and a final lake day that claimed another pair of sunglasses. Fun, messy, honest.

In this episode of Manic Joy, Dave and Reese return after a summer break to sip coffee (spiked with Kahlúa), unpack the viral Coldplay kiss cam drama, and spiral into everything from public meltdowns to AI-written student essays. Reese recounts her blood pressure saga, her obsession with internet sleuths, and the existential dread of watching your childhood idols implode. Plus: water aerobics with a beer in hand, the creeping rise of AI influencers, and a call for more humanity in a world too eager to hit “record.”