Silver Bullet

Everyone says there are no shortcuts to self-improvement. But what if everyone is wrong? On this comedy podcast, Lewis Hobba and Michael Hing try the gadgets, the hobbies, the experiences and wellness trends that their celebrity guests swear by to find out if they also work for them.

Lying in brine in a darkened room: it's not just for pickles anymore. Comedian, philanthropist and legal resident of New Zealand Chris Parker thinks float tanks could hold a shortcut to enlightenment for him, and Hobba & Hing are obliged to hear him out. But will it be a Silver Bullet?

If hell had a yoga studio, it would be Bikram. But could litres of excreted sweat, an acrid stench and borderline heatstroke also hold the key to unlocking wellness? Former Australian Of The Year Grace Tame sent Hobba & Hing to try it for themselves - and the shirts... were optional.

Would you let someone jam their fingers in your mouth and have a fiddle? What about if you had to pay for it? Podcaster, TV host and charming friend Abbie Chatfield swears by the power of the TMJ massage, and Hobba & Hing graciously allow it to try to fix them. Is it the Silver Bullet they're seeking?

Seven meals a day. A steak as big as a man's clenched fist for breakfast. TikTok sensation Tom Cardy reckons Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson's diet builds champions, so Hobba & Hing pit themselves against a lifetime's worth of protein in a single day. 

What price to pay for good health? Comedian Becky Lucas' humble suggestion of a martini and a dozen oysters may not necessarily involve getting into activewear, but could it still be the mental and physical boost that Hobba & Hing yearn for?

Dear diary: could a gratitude journal be the key to happiness... for meee? Hobba & Hing embrace legendary drag queen & spokesmodel Courtney Act's recommendation of keeping a daily gratitude journal. Reflecting on one's blessings with neither ego nor cynicism - now just how darn hard could that be? 

Could stuff that's bad for you... actually be good? Comedian Aaron Chen introduces Hobba & Hing to the concept of yin & yang, as it applies to their journey to fix themselves. Specifically: occasionally doing something so unhealthy and antisocial it forces a course correction. You can probably imagine where this is going! 

The time has come for Silver Bullet to enter the New Age. Writer and broadcaster Veronica Milsom demands that Hobba & Hing get a reading from a psychic medium - and unlike the esteemed seers they visit, you may not be able to predict where this episode goes. Unless your prediction involves a handsome man named Deniz....

What does nearly every beautiful famous person have in common? CORRECT: supernaturally even, blemish-free skin. Podcaster, comedian and famed antagonist of Hobba & Hing Jess Perkins arrives this week with a Silver Bullet they should have already tried, getting a fake tan. But will the tanning process leave them looking like golden gods... or rotisserie chickens?

They call it “the beautiful game”, which is, we assume, because it makes you gorgeous. Exhibit A is Hobba & Hing's guest this week: songwriter, pop star & football enthusiast Ruel, who ordered them down to the field for a one-on-one penalty shoot-out with a mate. Will football fever grant them immunity against other ills, like cowpox... or just leave them hot and bothered?

Slurping on the calcium and collagen from dead animal bones: it works for wolves! And also, apparently, for AFL superstar and Collingwood captain Darcy Moore, who has been fortifying his body with regular cups of bone broth. But will it be a silver bullet for two men who straight up do not exercise?

The key to wellness is diet, exercise and rest... or so the lamestream media will try to tell you. But sometimes you need a wise friend like Matt Okine to keep it 100 and tell you that what you really need to do is catch public transport to a waterside pub that you've never been to before and write a rap verse while looking out at the water. That's what happens in this episode.

Sleep: it's one of the only things you do every day that regularly has the word "beauty" attached to the front of it. Probably worth getting better at it, then. This week's guest, musician Alex Lahey, enters the saloon with a silver bullet that's affordable, attainable and will supposedly make oyu more beautiful: memory foam pillows. Will it find its mark in Hobba & Hing?

You might assume that running is a no-brainer for improved mental health. Fresh air, exercise, endorphins? That's tick, tick, tick. But prepare to have your assumptions challenged. This episode, Lego Masters co-host and pro builder Ryan “Brickman” McNaught challenges Hobba & Hing to try long distance running - that's right, the thing that makes the guy lonely in 1962's The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner. But will the solitude be just what they needed?

Someone whispering sweet nothings into your ear at bedtime? That's what ASMR offers, and whole relationships are built on less. This episode, comedian Jordan Barr entices Hobba & Hing into being very, very quietly talked at in the name of wellness and a good night's sleep. Will it fix them once and for all?

Face, poison, needles. It just makes sense. Plus, nothing else has worked on this season of Silver Bullet. But are your brave hosts about to give up? Or are they about to pay a registered nurse to palm slam a few CCs of botulinum toxin into their facial muscles? The second one. It's the second one.