163: Jake's Faves: Hot Takes with Mr. H (Re-release)
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And we are back with a re-release Wednesday. And for the people who go, I don't like a re-release. Okay. Okay. Sorry the free show's upsetting you. Exactly. Sorry the free...

Yeah, but there's ads. And then, oh, by the way, you guys, you got to stop blaming Rob and Nat Attack and Sherlock for the ads. They don't put the ads in and neither did Shark. That's the ad company. That's HeadGum. And they got to recoup. That's life in the podcast business. This is the podcast world. I'm coming in hot. No, it's good. The Wednesday, listen, or don't listen. Wednesdays, we're adding some new pepper to an older stew. What?

And I'll tell you why we're doing it. Because we like this. Yes. And I'll tell you another thing. Garrett and I are losing money on Wednesdays. Yeah, we're down. We're literally paying for the show you don't like on Wednesdays. We're paying for you guys to get mad at us. We're paying for negative spam comments.

It's a failing model. By the way, that is 2025 and that is the internet. Yes. Where you're like, we're having a little bit of fun. You know what? Financially, this is a mistake, but let's do it. Why? I'm enjoying talking to you right now, Garrett. I also enjoy it. So I'm like, yeah, let's just do it. This is fun. This is why the comments. You get in trouble. Well, you get greedy with the comments. Oh, I got a couple of good ones. Oh, four good ones. Ow!

You and I view it differently, I think. Oh, yeah. You view it more. So I don't view the good ones as like feel good. I view it as if we're on Shark Tank, this is our test audience. If you always hear everyone, you got to test that. You know who I might be becoming? I got real bad news for myself. This is good. I might not be Barb. I might be Mr. Wonderful. Oh, Jesus, Jake. And think about it. Get help. Call the show.

You know what I would ask for on every single one? You'd want $1 on everything in perpetuity. Of course I would. That's a great fucking deal. Stop. This is about the re-release. It's like he's got a catchphrase bid. But one out of 100, he gets it. I know. One out of 100.

I mean, why does he even talk on that show? Everyone's crafting interesting deals with notepads and Sharpies and there's equations and then he's like, I want $1 on everything you make forever. You're Robert. I'm Mr. Wonderful. So today is a re-release and I got to tell you, Gareth, I got excited about the one I picked. Okay. What do you mean one? You picked an episode or a call? A caller. Oh, so we're going through the trajectory of a call life?

Yeah. Okay. I think that's a fun way to do it. I agree. I think there's a fun way to do these where I have a hard time remembering what was what and where the follow-ups are. So I thought one thing we could do, we started hitting with celebs, which was fun. We did Sandberg. We did Max EG. We did Lamorne. Yeah. We're trying to appease the audience who's died into the Wednesdays. So what did you do? I went Mr. Hot Takes.

and i'm doing three and we're doing three mr l calls back to back to back producer jesse here the guys are saying mr l but it's actually mr h and then he nat attack has been talking to him he's got a follow-up coming in may for his big festival so it won't be part of this but this will be a refresher and then we'll bring him back and as soon as we record that we'll air it but

What a joy this son of a bitch has been for me, for you, for our show, for creating what the reason when I thought we were done after season one, when I realized we're coming back and we might be back for a while is because of the community. Not only did this guy just call in with a thing and we found out hot takes, but

The thing that got me very excited was we started getting emails from other teachers saying, please let blank know I started doing hot takes with my sixth grade class and it's really working. So many teachers are using this technique and they're writing in that we don't tell the audience about because there's no jokes. Did they just say like,

His stuff is so helpful. My students are getting up and talking. We're all having fun. And I'm like, this is hilarious. I know. Like, I really hated school. And I know when we first heard of this, I was like, dude, I would be so excited to do a hot take. If we ever do a live show, where does he live? Do we remember? I think Massachusetts. We got to get Mr. L to come in.

Even just do a call or a video. Yeah, yeah. Here's my only fear. I know. I could tell you weren't into it right away. You got that Mr. Wonderful face. But I'll tell you why, Robert. Let me take this snowboard off.

I'm bleeding. My ankle's out. So one thing I do to Gareth now that makes me laugh and I know triggers him, which also makes me laugh, is when Robert does something really hacky on Shark Tank. Like, they'll be like, one of the pitching will be like, so I've got this fun thing where I have glitter on my nose and I'm glitter nose. And without anyone asking, Robert goes, I'll do it. Yeah.

He runs up, puts glitter on his face. One, he fell and cut himself. And so I just send the clips to Gary. And you laughing.

Oh, wow. I get all watching that or it's just like he it'll all of a sudden be him like in like a sleeping bag that cools you down and he'll just be rolling on the ground going. I'm an earthworm. I'm an earthworm. And I'll just be like, and I by the way, that is it. I'm an earthworm. And I'm just sitting there just going, it's like the inner me. I try to stifle like when we were doing Jamila's podcast yesterday, there was so many times I was like, just watch, just watch. Come on now.

Let Eric cook Let him cook Growing up is so hard You know I have the same thing Just shut up Shut up

It'll work. Everything will work. Everything will work. It's a nightmare. It's hell. Fuck, where were we? We were on... The Mr. L flying in, your only issue with that. Oh, yes. My only issue is when we did the... Thank you for getting us back. When we did the 100th episode live. Yeah. Our Patreon experiment. Yeah.

which, you know, Jakey J didn't love as much as the Shark and Gareth. Right. And one of them was when we brought Luke in, the Rubik's Cube guy, and it was really fun at first. And then I didn't know what we're doing. So what I like about our show is when the premise and the game is clear. If we ever do a Boston show, which, again, we're in a hypothetical world. I know. But let's say we do one. Great town, great venues. God bless.

Let's say we do one of those. Mary Trump for a second. I was worried that you were going to point that out. Great city, great venues. You jumped into it. Hello. I'll be back. Don't worry. Yeah. Way better than New York. The patient just got out of surgery, so don't worry. It's a wonderful city. Throw in the T, in the C. Boston will have Mr. L.

He's just as a part of the show. I think we could really... So, like, we would curate a bit where he comes in, he does his hot takes, and he gets hot. Yeah, he can open for us with a hot take or something like that. That's interesting. Yeah. Or do, like, the announcing after each thing. Yeah, right. He has a hot take. Just a little something, yeah. I think so, too. By the way, for all the people saying they missed the shark, we do, too. I have reached out to Kevin, said, when you are ready, sir, we will have you on as a guest.

helper. Great. So it'd be a lot of fun to be fun. I missed the shark. There is a, uh, but I also love not attack. Sure. And Wabi Wabi. Yeah. Yeah. Uh, and I, and I just went in their studio, uh, for the Justin long one. Great. It's great. It's fun. And so I think it's fun. It's worth going in there every once in a while, just for the fun. We experienced it season one, when you and I went in, we were like, it's just a fun new energy. Oh yeah.

So whenever, if there's any excuse, every once in a while it's fun. I know the commute can get intense, so we'll just figure out those days. But every once in a while it's just fun. Yeah, I agree. It's definitely fun, yeah. So everybody, enjoy.

Hot takes. This is one of our, I don't even want to say best anymore because after on 350 calls, we have so many goddamn great calls. I was going through old calls and I'm like, you know what? These Wednesdays are going to be fun because we got a lot and I like stacking them. And so if anybody has recommendations for a re-release, like a one, two, and a three, a first call, a second call, and a follow-up,

email the show, comment on the socials. Go ahead, Garth. - Well, if you're gonna do that, how helpful would it be for you to tell us what episode these calls are from? That would do some lifting. - The numbers, that would help a lot. I know, that would do a lot of lifting. - I will also say, while we talk about a great runner on the show, we are working on something behind the scenes now that talk about a Wednesday runner

Yeah, that's going to be special. We've got something special coming. So that's what I'm saying for the haters. I agree. Yeah, I agree. And a lot of people are going to say, this doesn't seem like the show. And we're going to say, we agree. I'm going to say, hey. I don't think we've, we've never laughed harder. I'm in a cold sleeping bag rolling around on the ground saying, I'm an earthworm, I'm an earthworm. And I'm saying, I want a dollar on every sleeping bag sold. Yeah.

All right. Anyway, enjoy the show. And without further ado.

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Hello and welcome to the podcast. We're here to help. You've got Jake Johnson and Gareth Reynolds and the hunk in blue, Mr. Kevman, recently married. Can we get your name, please? We're going to go with Hank for today. Hank! Hank, and how old are you, Hank? I am in my 40s. 40s. And where are you calling from, Hank, in your 40s?

From the great state of Massachusetts, the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Well done. Good pivot. All right. So Hank 40 mash, what can we do for you today? So I am a seventh grade teacher. Respect. Um, and I don't know how familiar you are with seventh graders. They don't love going to school. I teach English. They especially don't love going to English class sometimes. Um, and I try to start my class every day just in a way that's fun, engaging, um,

Usually not related to class, something to get us talking. This year, my students became very interested in my outlandish opinions and stubborn takes on things. Okay. And so they asked me to start something called Hot Take Tuesdays, which every Tuesday I would give them my...

opinion on something, I would rant about it and they get to respond. Love this. Great. The problem has become, this has grown out of control. Most Tuesday mornings I'm frantically trying to think. Okay. Yes, yes. Without the eyebrows. Right. Every Tuesday morning I'm frantically trying to think of a new hot take, a new thing to get them riled up. And the more I build on it, the more they expect. Mm-hmm.

They have not let me get out of it. I've tried sunsetting it. I've tried forgetting it for a Tuesday. I do not know if you have ever had to face a 25 angry seventh graders before because you neglected to come with a hot take. That's a no bueno situation. It's also no good.

No, it's, there is a only certain amount of outrageous takes as an individual have. All right. So you want some pictures on some new hot takes? I want some new hot takes. Hank, Hank, I'm going to tell you what we're not doing. We're not getting you out of hot take Tuesday. I might. I might.

I'm not because Hot Take Tuesday is great. I hated seventh grade and I hated English. If I had Hot Take Tuesday, I would like it. Well, the reason why Hot Take Tuesday is great is because, A, you've obviously created something popular, but also for the kids, it does, it gives that. I would go to the bathroom every, you just want a few minutes away from class. Agreed. Hot Take Tuesdays are great. So what is the specific question that we can help you with, Hank? And rather than call you Hank,

Is there a last name we can call you now that you're the teacher? Can we call you Mr. something? How about Mr. H? Mr. H. So Mr. H, what is the specific question?

So originally my idea had been, well, I teach seventh grade. I just needed a bank to get through the rest of the school year. However, I have recently learned I will be going on to eighth grade with the same students. They do not know this. So I now need to either come up with an entire year's worth of how do I come up with hot takes or...

Or something new. Drop the hottest take on them at the end of the school year and then hopefully come in next year and they are not demanding me to rant about Crocs or ketchup. But so let me ask Mr. H, what are your thoughts on Crocs?

Crocs are the dumbest thing that have ever been invented. And if you want to really fight with a room full of seventh graders, tell them that they have taken the worst part of two-foot wear, no heel and a top, and put them into one. Oh, come on. I don't want to push back, Mr. H. And Mr. H., when do you make a catch-up? Yeah.

Ketchup is the grossest condiment one can have. It is just tomatoes and sugar, and it is nothing else, and no reasonable person should be putting it on anything. I'm addicted to Hot Take Tuesday already. Me too. What would you say is your most controversial hot take? Gotta be ketchup for seventh graders? Ketchup on everything. Crocs hit them. The food takes hit them pretty hard.

Another problem that they have grown now, my most recent Hot Take Tuesday, are you guys familiar with what is called mukbang? Yes. What is it? Mukbang. No. Ugh, it is. I'm probably with you on that. Mukbang is basically on YouTube where people eat, eating, basically eating on camera. Hmm.

What's your take on... And people eat a lot of it. Their favorite thing. Mr. H, what's your hot take on mukbang? Well, it was not a hot take on mukbang. I accidentally made a mukbang because I, at 44 years old, had revealed to him I had never eaten a mango before in my life. What the fuck? What's your hot take on mangoes? What?

I, well, it started as a hot take on mango jelly beans. They're gross. And then I said, well, what about regular mangoes? And I said, I don't know. What are you, a slaw? How have you never had a mango? What's your, what's your hot take on fruits? See, now there is a hot take on fruits. Strawberries, great. Honeydew melon, fantastic. Watermelon, get out of town. Honeydew over watermelon. What's your hot take on veggies? On what? Vegetables.

Oh, I love vegetables. Big fan of vegetables. Kids should eat more vegetables. Every vegetable you don't like, you're going to like when you're old and an adult. By the way, Mr. H, you're my favorite teacher. You know why his hot takes are great? There's a stance. He's got a take. It's a take. It's great. So the question today, because I can play hot takes with you my entire English class. Might be a side podcast, but yeah. Hot takes. Yeah, hot takes with Mr. H. Hot takes with Mr. H.

By the way, that's a podcast. Not a bad idea. So the question is, is next year you're going to eighth grade with the same kids. They love Hot Take Tuesday. They love it. I don't think there's a world that you get rid of hot takes. Yeah. But for, I have an idea. Let me pitch you something, Mr. H. I have one too. So here's what I would pitch to them. And you pitch it. Your hot take on the last day of school is, I am going to be your teacher next year.

But we are doing something fundamentally different because you are no longer babies in the seventh grade. You are young adults of the eighth grade. Each week, one of you is assigned the hot take platform, but you need to write something

A little speech of your hot take in essay form and then read it to the class on a Friday and we as a community take you down. Because for seventh graders, it's all Mr. H.

But in eighth grade, I took a year. I trained you. It is now time for your written hot take. Completely where I was going. Yes. That, I think, is the move. You're going to take the workload off yourself. The kids like it. You still get to have the discussion. You still get to have a hot take on their hot take. Which you will.

I think that's the way to do it. What do you think about that, Mr. H, of the franchising it out? See, I like the pitch. I like the pitch. What's your hot take on the pitch? Yeah, what's your hot take? Very delicate. Okay.

Well, I take on the hot take pitch. I like the pitch, but you got to be really delicate with seventh graders. I think they will find a way to get angry. Okay. But explain that. They will find a way to get angry at it all. And they just want to build. So the mango thing, my last video, I had to eat a mango for the first time on camera in front of them. What's your hot take on parent-teacher conferences? Sure.

My hot take, well, I'll tell you one hot take on parent-teacher conferences on kids that I can't give my seventh graders, if you want to hear that. I do. That your seventh grade kids are pretty much just you drunk. Amazing. That's a great hot take.

Okay. It is. That is what teaching seven. If you wonder, if you have your own children and you wonder what they are like at school. Great. That's a great. And there you are. Mr. H, what's your hot take on hot takes? They are exhausting. They are. My hot take on hot takes is they're exhausting. They also have to be done right. I used to do, I did stand up comedy for a few years. Yep. I can tell. No, I know the value of having something.

Versus just rushing through it. Okay, I think here's the problem with our initial pitch, which we both signed off on, is it might feel like additional homework. Here's what I'd say. Why don't we do it? You say this to the kids. You...

After the year of hot takes, you've run out of your own hot takes. So what you're doing is every Wednesday or after hot take Tuesday, you get class submitted hot takes. And that is sort of audience submitted. The class submits things that you could do a hot take on. And that way they kind of feel like they're involved in it. But you still get to have the wheel.

What do you think, Mr. H? What's your hot take on that? I have already pitched that to them, and they come up with nothing. And in fact, their response to that idea from me was, it's your hot take. You need to have the opinion on something, to which I said, well, then we won't have them. And you are really. I'll tell you what's happening. So can I tell a quick story that shows me as a kid version of Moe from Three Stooges? Cannot wait.

When I was in maybe a little bit younger, I think I was fifth grade. My buddy Kent and I got in a lot of trouble in school. And the school therapist was kind of a hippie guy named Mr. Dithart, D-I-T-H-A-R-T. And he realized my mother was in the hospital with my sister. Kent's parents were working. We didn't we were alone a lot.

So they thought we were getting in trouble for attention. So he said, come to my therapist. He was a cool dude. This was the 80s. He was still connected to the late 60s, early 70s. Hippie vibe, cool sweater, big beard. And he said, how about this? You guys feel like you don't have any control? So the next hour is your hour. I'm not the boss. You're not the kids. You're the boss.

So either me or Kent said, we appreciate that, Mr. Dick Fart. And he had a ball in there and a little hoop. And we go, can you pass us the ball, Dick Fart, so we can shoot? And he said...

I would rather you not call me Mr. Dick Fart. And we said, it's our hour, Dick Fart. Dick Fart. And it went so sideways for him and so funny for us. After the one session, he said, I don't need to see you two guys anymore. And his experiment was over. The look on his face where you immediately hacked his beautiful plan with Dick Fart, where it's like...

Well, I... Obviously, Dick Fart I didn't think was coming at me right away. And you realize I'm being cool to you. Pass the ball, Dick Fart. All right, we're not doing this again. I'm going to give you 15 minutes and send you back to school, you little pricks. And we were like, feels more right. So... Later, Dick Fart. So, Mr. H...

You're in a spot where you can't keep doing hot takes is what you're saying, because if you could, you would just be doing it. Yeah. I got another pitch. Go ahead. Correct. Okay. Okay. Why don't we do this? We're done. We're retiring it. We're no longer doing hot takes. Hate this. What we are doing, it's not great, but what we are doing is still giving you the platform to have a bit of a rant.

but it's no longer going to be just generated by you. What if you do, every week you bring in an in-the-news story that you kind of rant about? So you find a weird story from the news, which there's tons of, you bring in that weird story, you walk the kids through it, and you kind of rant on that. Mr. H., hot take on that. I like it. I'm honestly thinking that the best direction is...

Again, they want the stupidest. They're not interested in the news. But I'm talking about man holds up liquor store with alligator in Florida. I think we're going in the wrong direction, Mr. H. and Gareth. Call me Mr. G, please. It would be Mr. R.

Okay, that's better. Thank you. Dick fart. I became dick fart. Yeah, dick fart. Oh, man. Get out of my classroom. So here's what I'm thinking. And I know this. Look, I'm not pitching you something easy. But guess what else isn't easy? Here's my hot take. Go. Eighth grade ain't easy. Go. Seventh grade is easier. If you were teaching the same seventh grade, you keep hot take Tuesday.

The unfortunate reality is, you little brats, you grew up over summer.

You do one Tuesday. I do the next Tuesday. A different student does the next Tuesday. I do the next. So you've got to incorporate them doing them because that is the beginning of getting ready for high school. That is that is a fun way to do an essay. You have your thesis statement. My thesis statement is like mango jelly beans are disgusted.

Paragraph one proves it. Paragraph two proves it. Paragraph three proves it. And in conclusion, they are disgusting because of all said reasons. That is what you're learning in eighth and ninth grade. You're just showing them how to do it in a fun way in seventh. The hot take for them is, I know you don't like it, babies.

But mommy and daddy are done cutting your chicken because you're in eighth grade. Guess what? There was an era where your parents wiped your butt. Then one day you wipe your own. Hot takes half yours, half mine. When you get to high school, it's all your hot take. And this is your first hot take of the year. Yes. The

The first hot take of the year. The first hot take of the year. Your hot take of the year is how you wanted to stop hot takes. They wouldn't let you. So here's the hot take on how to hot take it. Guess what, Mr. H? Here's a frigging turn. When they all go, no, no, we don't like it. And you go, here's another hot take. You'll be graded on it.

Your hot take gets a grade that goes towards your actual grade and will be on your freaking report card, babies. Well, that is a great way to maybe present it as a, are you in or are you out? Either we are. No, you don't give them an option. Okay. All right. Then, yeah, I like that. So then you prove it and you go, now am I making you guys do them all? No, I do every other one. Mr. H, this is a good solution, but it ain't comfortable.

No, I mean, again, I teach middle school, so I live in discomfort. I'm on board with this, too, because I tell my students all the time I am the most stubborn old man already they will ever meet. And this is just, I will prove it. And then here's the catch, because most likely in a full year, each student's going to have to do two or three hot takes. When their hot takes get better at the end of the year,

You know it. Then the final day, you give your hot take on an assessment of their hot takes. How about this? We do the hotties where you're giving awards away for the best hot takes. Yes.

I might change the name of them. I don't know if I'm going to call them the hotties as I call kids up to the front of the room. I think that's fair. I think that's fair. Well, you guys enjoy your weirdo world. Mr. H, that's why you're you and he's Mr. R. And Mr. R doesn't teach at his school. He lives in a jail cell. And Mr. R also doesn't feel bad when Dick Fart tries to shame him. Mr. H, you're the best. Good luck, Mr. H.

Hello. Hello. How are you? I am good. How are you guys? Good. We know this is a follow-up, but that's all Gareth and I know.

Okay, well, I called in a few months ago. You guys referred to me as Mr. H. Hot takes. I was a teacher. I'm a teacher. And I got caught up in hot takes. We've talked about you just like off the air, just because you were a great personality and what a great problem. So what's going on, hot takes? So let me start before I forget, just to say thank you because...

Because you guys killed it. Yes. Yes. Yes. When I originally called, I wanted you guys to get me out of it. Right. Yes. Yes.

And you pushed hard back against that and said, no, there's a way to shift this on to the kids. And so I had a few months to kind of do this and I dove right in. So I had been doing these hot takes. It had been a chore. I had been trying to come up with stuff. And then I knew if I just went with the hot takes and really leaned into them and show the kids what I could do or what I what I thought they were.

Then I could shift. I could get them to give it to me. So I really leaned in. I went strong. Sweatpants and pajama pants are both the same thing. I refused to wear them. In the summer, summer is great. Beaches, ice cream, they both stick.

So I kept doing these. Kids are going crazy. They eventually start talking about them. I have other teachers coming up to say, hey, what's going on with the hot takes? I've got kids emailing me from their house to say their parents prepared hot dogs the wrong way, according to me. And it just kept growing. So eventually another teacher, also the soccer coach, came up to me and said, hey, I can't shut these kids up about hot takes. I said, damn.

You come in and do one. Oh, wow. I brought in a guest hot take. The kids recruited him. He came in. He gave a rant about how his friends made fun of him for eating Domino's, but he was going to stand by it and say Domino's was underrated. Great. That's a hot take. That's the one that Kevin would like. Yes. He had Domino's last night. It was a great dish. Oh, my God. Then I fed Trump.

Okay, keep going. I read from the kids, parmesan-ed them, if you will, into, hey, how I would change hot takes for my students next year without telling them most of them would be my student next year. Great. And said that I was going to get the kids to do it. They got jealous, so they committed to it without knowing what they were committing to. Great. Starting to tell me what they wanted to give their hot takes about. Wow.

So we start school in a week. I've got a slideshow ready to go. I've got my first couple of hot takes ready to go just to set the pace for the year. Can you send us the slides?

I sent Kevin one unfinished slide, but I sent him the hot take intro, which is just how I'm going to introduce it to the kids. Jake, you had had a great pitch about how they were old enough and I wanted to use the audio, but you dropped about five frigging minutes in it. I swear? I think you said frigging. Frigging, okay. Oh.

It's fine. Yeah, I hear you. Okay, maybe not. Maybe not the first week of school from your English I understand. I understand. Mr. H. Mr. Hat. Okay, so we're trying to get in to say but if not no matter what we'll post Anything you send us about it, but so basically mr. H you're back. Not only you back you're better than ever because now it's like it's a teaching tool and the kids are into it and

Yeah, the kids are super into it. And I got to say, like, I am terrible at, like, not telling people things. So I ended up confessing to my boss, the principal, the assistant superintendent of the district that I had called into a podcast show with the name Hank. They listened to it. You guys were described as pedagogically sound. No, you tell him that if he wants to get that compliment. Oh, what's that word mean for the shark? Oh,

- It's like a education thing. It's about like how you teach. - Listen, I'm sorry I got so heated. It just sounds like the guy in the last cast. - So this is a win. - Yeah, that's great. That's a big win.

And you feel good. I mean, we, because what you've done now is something you wanted to retire has now become your calling card. That's exactly right. And something that people, I mean, when you think, when I think back to school, I was so bored by school. Always. Little things like this would keep me going. Hot takes would be a guy like you and a guy like me. The best. The best. That's the chance to really show your actual acumen in some way. 100%. So, so you've really flipped it. Um,

So I guess what we're asking is probably... Well, quickly, we've got your first slide of hot takes. Oh, wow. Can we... Are we... I mean, is it a spoiler if we... No, these kids aren't. If school starts in a week...

I will say, bizarrely, the kids aren't listening to how we're here to help, but the co-teacher in one of my classrooms, we had never talked about the podcast. She listened to it, and the day I came out, called me out when she walked in the building. Oh, that's hilarious. By the way, this is great. What you have up here, how can I share my hot tags?

Hot taking on the day of your hot take. Have two to three slides prepared that slate your case. Be prepared to defend your opinion and your honor as we all push back. You have no more than five minutes, so use your time. Mr. H, this is excellent. This is great. You have schooled up the hot takes. Like you have a hot take syllabus, basically. This is excellence, man. Yeah.

It is extra credit. They will get double extra credit if they completely change my mind on something. Oh, so if they win, they get extra credit. This is phenomenal. I totally agree. You know what I would like? I'm very excited. Any other teacher hearing this? Yes. To use... Franchise. To franchise. To use Hot Takes to get your students hot taken. We want to fight club Hot Takes. But it's got to be called... Do you want your real name or Mr. H.?

- Let's go with my, I love a good pseudonym. I love being Mr. H. - So guys, if anybody is a teacher, 'cause we get a lot of emails that people are teachers and they're with the students, and you wanna do a Hot Take Tuesday with your students,

Please call it Mr. H's Hot Take Tuesday. Please follow up with us about it. But I think you've started something here that I know if I were a kid. The best. This would be my favorite day. I would think about it. I would do homework. Yes. Because I would try to have a really weird hot take. Yes. That really made the people in the classroom laugh. And I would really, if the teacher said to me, you've convinced me, I would be like,

See, I am smart. Yeah. I'm not as dumb as my test scores. Exactly. And it would change it. Exactly. I'd have confidence. Exactly. That's exactly. Huge win. You've done great work because it's really like even just looking at the packet you put together like your deck. It's awesome. It's awesome. So before we go. Yeah. Do it. Mr. H, what's your hot take on this podcast?

My hot take on this podcast is that if you are listening to it just for a comedy podcast, you are doing it wrong. This is truly an advice podcast. And if you are thinking about calling it and you want to get in there, listen to you guys. Yes, and it. Don't nobody. Don't, you know, and just open your mind. Don't go in with the solution you want and hoping you get the solution you want. It's been a funnier, zanier way, which has been my initial idea.

But Colin, listen to you guys. You guys know what you're talking about. Open mind, open heart. We're here to help Mondays and Thursdays. And let me ask one more thing, just because we have a teacher who really knows his shit. Mr. H, our advice, what are you going to give us as far as our grade? That's right.

Oh, you know what? Here's what you're getting. You're not just getting an A. You're getting a phone call home that says, Mrs. Reynolds, Mrs. Johnson, your kids have figured it out.

The call neither of our mothers ever got. Ever. Never. Mr. H, here's my hot take on you. We love you, man. Love you, buddy. This is the best. Great work. Great work. Thank you for teaching these kids. You're inspiring a generation of hot takers. This couldn't be a more feel-good ending, and we appreciate you. Please call back with a follow-up. Yes. Because it would be nice to hear from you. Absolutely.

Yes, absolutely. You guys, thank you. The impact on my classroom, huge. Couldn't have foresaw this without you. Just as good as it gets. Thank you, Mr. H. Appreciate it, buddy. All right. Have a good one, guys. You too, buddy. Bye.

This episode is brought to you by Booking.com. Booking.com. Yeah, every time I use Booking.com to find a place to stay in the U.S., I know they'll have exactly what I'm looking for. I've mentioned this before, but Booking.com is something that I use. It makes it very, very easy.

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Whoever you are. Oh, thanks for welcoming me back. It's good to be back. Who is this person? Sounds like Hot Takes. Yeah, it could be. We know you're a follow-up. We just know you have great energy. What's your name and what was your first call or your last call? Jake got it in one. Hot Takes! It is Hot Takes. Yeah, it's me. Hot Takes is back. How you doing, brother?

I'm doing great. Listen, part of the reason I'm excited is just because, Garrett, you said I was on your Mount Rushmore, and that has been filling my head for weeks since I heard it. You need a big head to be on Mount Rushmore. I know, I'm ready to be chiseled. Now, let's just say again, we call you, I want to guess...

Mr. K? What do we call you? Mr. H. Mr. H. Mr. H. Mr. H, I know you're on my Mount Rushmore. I don't want to insult you. No, you are, because you are like... I feel like we ring the bell on you every time we catch up with you. So what is going on? As you know, or if people who maybe are not familiar, you are a teacher. You were giving hot takes for a while to your students, things that made you riled up.

hot thoughts you had and then eventually that became too much we suggested that you start giving the students the spotlight for them to come in with hot takes so you could still kind of carve out your niche at your school that worked uh and now it's sort of caught on and it's a trend so is that a pretty good summation

That is a very good summation. I would say the latest update is, if I were to ask you what do you think best case scenario would have been, I think I'd beat it. We are killing it. Okay, what's going on? We are killing it at Hot Takes. We have started to design the Hot Takes Festival, which will happen one of the last Tuesdays of the school year. Holy shit.

I think science fair, but for hot takes. Oh, that's awesome. Check out the library. We're inviting people in to come in to argue with my classes about their hot takes. They are very excited for it. I think that's excellent. This is great.

We are booked. My class is booked months out. I have teachers who want to come in and give hot takes. I'll tell you, I've had, like, I knew it was a success. The very first student won of the year. The kid finishes, looks right at me and says, when can I go again? Wow. We got it. We got it. And we've been firing in all cylinders since. We've got great hot takes. I mean, some of the kids...

We have a wall at the back of my classroom that is just pictures of all of the kids after they've done their hot take. Mr. H, let me ask you this, because this is a win. I mean, obviously, this is a win that keeps winning. This feels very Shark Tank-y in that we just sort of yes-anded and you've taken it off on your own, and we did very little, honestly. But you've heard a lot of hot takes. Out of all those hot takes you've heard from your students...

What is the best? What is the one where you're like, God damn, that's pretty good. So it's not what I agree with, but the best word in all of my students have agreed with this one is a kid stood up in front of the classroom and just said, nothing is better spicy. And he went on a rant about how everything is good. Actually, Mr. What are some other hot takes the kids have had? That one is great.

We did. You can retract an apology after it's given. It was one that got the kids fired up. They got a good one. We had one that had a great follow-up this week. Speaking of follow-ups, kids on Tuesday had two boys in one of my classes. They know they're in a class with a lot of the girls who are athletes, so they ranked sports. And to poke the bear, they put all of the...

girls sports, the girls in the class were playing at the bottom just to get a reaction. And so the next day was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. It's kind of like a wasted day anyway. We did Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is Wednesday. And those two boys had to go out and play field hockey, volleyball. It didn't go so great for them.

Boy, oh boy. Mr. H, to me, you're the teacher of the year. You're the teacher of the year. And I think for our show, this is truly, when we come up with our advice on what the show is going to be, never do we think, I mean, you are the running back as far as you have taken this and just run with it.

It's impressive. To continue the metaphor, you are the offensive line. I want to push back that you guys didn't do anything because I originally called wanting to get out of it. And the very first thing you made clear was there was no getting out of it. So you guys are the offensive line if I'm the running back. I mean, I would say we're the GM and the coach, honestly. So, Mr. H, what's your hot take of the future? What's going to happen next with –

later this year, next year, and going forward with Mr. H's Hot Takes? It is going to be a permanent part of my classroom. Part of the Hot Takes Festival is going to be getting future kids in here to look at it, to see how Hot Takes are made, so they come in next year ready. A museum. Ooh, what about a Hall of Fame each year for Hottest Takes? Yeah.

So when kids come back to the school, they can have a photo of him. Well, that's what should be the end of the Hot Takes Festival. Someone should get inducted into the Hot Takes Hall of Fame. And this year is the first annual.

That could be it. One of my kids did suggest that they thought we should vote at the Hot Take Festival and the winner should have to give their hot take in front of the entire school. Yes! I found it a bit intimidating, but it is an idea. That's a great idea. And whoever gets voted and does that gets their photo. And every year, there is one kid who does that. And so part of the thing is, if you're in Mr. H's class, you're like, I kind of want to be the person who wins hot takes. It really sucks.

It's H-O-T-H-O-F. And then what you're really hoping for in like 15 years is one of those Hot Takes Hall of Famers has like a great career and does something big. Yeah, becomes an order. And then comes back and visits the school and goes like, when I did Hot Takes, I realized that, oh, I could fly fighter jets. Yeah. Sure. Or whatever. Yeah. And I like that career trajectory. I think that's it. You're doing it, man. That's great, Mr. H. I will.

Well, Mr. H. Thanks again, guys. We love you, buddy. Thank you for the call. This was great stuff. Shall I ring the bell even though we can't hear it? Yeah, ring it, ring it, ring it. I'm ringing it. Yeah, ring the bell. It's ringing right now. You just can't hear it. It's glorious. I'm hearing it in my head. Me too. Thank you, Mr. H. Keep us posted, Mr. H, and thank you for what you're doing. Oh, we will. Thank you for what you guys are doing. Enjoy the rest of your day. That's what I was fishing for. See you, bud. All right. See you. Bye.

We're Here to Help is hosted by Jake Johnson and Gareth Reynolds. If you'd like to be on the show, please email us your question at helpfulpod at gmail.com. And if you want to watch video episodes of We're Here to Help, you can go to our Patreon at patreon.com slash heretohelppod to see our entire catalog.

We're Here to Help is produced by Rabbit Grimm Productions, executive producers Rob Hollis, Jeff Porter, and Natalie Hollis, associate producer Jesse Thurston, editing, mix, and master by Chris Fowler. Theme song by Oliver Raleigh. The cover artwork is by James Fostyke. Animations by Andrew Strzelecki. And if you'd like to see Gareth do stand-up on the road, go to garethreynolds.com. Remember, all of the advice given on We're Here to Help is for entertainment purposes only, and all listeners should be adults and make their own decisions.

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