Podcast appearances and mentions of jess day

Welcome back to Apartment 4D where the Nick/Jess tension and flirtation is starting to build in this week's great New Girl episode, "Pepperwood."Jenn (@notajenny) and Jaime (@jaimepoland) have returned to talk all about a hilarious B-story involving roommate "pogos," Jess trying her best to get through to the adults in her creative writing class, Nick doing everything he can to protect Jess, a whole episode of shenanigans including Nick's alter ego, Nick constantly saying "Jessica," and also did we mention a lot of flirting?Enjoy, all! We'll be back soon enough for "Cooler" (Part 1)!Our recommended media:"Full Moon Over Freedom" by Angelina M. Lopez"I'll Be Gone for Christmas" by Georgia K. BooneFollow us on Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter for more fun content. Support the Loveland Therapy Fund for Black Women and Girls, and donate if you can to the ACLU Drag Defense Fund.

Most all of us like to be nice, but some people just feel like they were born to help others. They'll take any chance to provide assistance, big or small – unasked for (and, often, unthanked…) While being helpful is a good thing, it can also evolve into a people-pleasing attitude that can have surprisingly negative effects on the helper themselves (and sometimes even the people being “helped”!) So let's take a closer look at what's really going on with Helpers and People-Pleasers, what makes them different, the problems they can encounter, and what we can really learn from these tropes. Unpacking the difference between the Helper Trope and People-Pleaser Trope on screen, people who are forced to be helpers, the *negative* side effects that can come from being a people-pleaser, and beyond. Featuring Parks and Recreation's Leslie Knope, Black-ish's Rainbow Johnson, New Girl's Jess Day, Shōgun's Toda Mariko, Friends' Monica Geller, Superstore's Amy Sosa, and more! We take a look at people pleaser syndrome / why some people are people-pleasers, what a people-pleaser is, how it's different from just being a helpful person, and how being a people-pleaser can cause you problems Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This podcast covers a recap of the fourth season of New Girl. We're your hosts, Kelly and Kritika, and we originally met through work but now we consider ourselves long distance best friends. We've bonded over our love of TV and brought you this podcast to recap one of our favorite shows -- New Girl.In Season 4, Jess finds her footing in the dating world and goes through a few different relationships. She helps her dad propose and marry an old high school classmate of hers. Nick in this season finds his footing and supports all of his friends through big decisions. Schmidt spends this season focused on becoming a millionaire and wanting power…until he realizes what he really wants is love and ends up engaged to Cece(!), who while engaged at the end, went on a journey of self discovery this season from attending community college to finding a place for herself, separately from her love for Schmidt. Winston continues excelling at his role as a cadet and eventually a police officer and Coach leans in to his “coach” and educator role until he eventually meets his person, May, and moves to New York with her at the end of the season.In this recap of Season 4, we break down the themes of each loft mate.Jess - We explore Jess's relationships, her career and how Ryan influenced her job, as well as saw more of her family.Nick - We discuss how Nick was more of a supporting character this season but how his ambition grew with Schnick Industries.Winston - We examine how Winston's cop journey progressed as well as how his character is developing further through pranking and goofy moments.Schmidt - We take a look at Schmidt's struggle to be loved and building a relationship with Cece while being friends. We also discuss his career ambitions this season including wanting to be a millionaire.Cece - We review Cece's need for growth this season, how she loved Schmidt even when she didn't know he loved her, and her growing friendship with other members of the loft.Coach - We continue to explore Coach's storyline with teaching and the relationships he had throughout this season.Additionally, we discuss our favorite scenes and quotes, “Schmidtisms”, “In the 2020s” segments, pop culture references, and guest stars we had previously featured on the podcast.  We also answered questions from you - our listeners!This season as a whole got a 7.5/10 rating from Kritika whose favorite character was Schmidt and a 8/10 from Kelly whose favorite character was Winston.Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Season 5! Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.comFollow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at whosthatgirlpod@gmail.com!Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

This week we're moving into the loft and talking about Jess Day and Nick Miller, from the sitcom hit New Girl. Join Zama as we tap into the benefits of trying again, building off the foundation of friendship, and how these two real lovers found their way back to each other. Stay for our battle as we pit two couples struggling through life. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @ StarringCupid for more content and pod updates.

Welcome back to Apartment 4D, everyone!It's a new year, and Jenn (@notajenny.bsky.social) and Jaime (@jaimepoland.bsky.social) have returned to bring you more New Girl coverage in 2025. As we head into the final half of season 2, it's time to talk about "A Father's Love."They unpack the debut appearance of Walt Miller, Nick's complex relationship with his dad, Jess' desire to help, and a B-story that was... well, it happened. Plus Jenn and Jaime talk, obviously, about Nick and Jess' growing relationship and the episode's ending.Enjoy!Our recommended media:"The Stand-In" by Lily Chu"Forbidden" by Beverly JenkinsDiscover resources and ways to help people impacted by the fires in Los Angeles.Follow us on Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter for more fun content. Support the Loveland Therapy Fund for Black Women and Girls, and donate if you can to the ACLU Drag Defense Fund.

This podcast covers New Girl Season 4, Episode 22, Clean Break which originally aired on May 5, 2015 and was written by Rebecca Addelman and directed by Trent O'Donnell. Here's a quick recap of the episode:Coach is packing up to move to New York and while the loft is helping him pack, they are also getting rid of things they don't need.This episode got a 10/10 rating from both Kritika and Kelly; Kritika's favorite character was Schmidt and Kelly's favorite was Winston.While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:Broadway / Donald Trump / Don Pardo / “New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra - In the beginning of the episode, the loft mates traded quips about Coach and his upcoming move to New York. References included: Calling Coach “Mr. Broadway” Asking Nick where his Donald Trump wig was. Imitating announcer Don Pardo, saying “Live from New York, it's Coach's good-bye!”Singing the song “New York, New York” by Frank SinatraPhylicia Rashad - The loft mates found Schmidt's “Cece box” and they called out that no one was surprised because everyone had already seen his Phylicia Rashad “box”. Thanks for listening and stay tuned for the Season 4 Recap Episode! Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.comFollow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at whosthatgirlpod@gmail.com!Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

This podcast covers New Girl Season 4, Episode 21, Panty Gate, which originally aired on April 28, 2015 and was written by David Feeney and Veronica McCarthy and directed by Reginald Hudlin.Here's a quick recap of the episode:This episode has Jess trying to help Coach and May's relationship. Meanwhile, Schmidt takes the fall for Fawn's panty-gate scandal while Cece tries to find a way forward.This episode got a 7/10 rating from Kritika and 7.5/10 from Kelly and we both had the same favorite character: Jess!While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:[Robert] Durst - While Coach and May were arguing, Winston was mostly concerned with his waffle, commenting that if it wasn't hot he would “go [Robert] Durst on them.”[Metropolitan Opera] - May accepted a job in New York as a section musician for the Metropolitan Opera, often referred to as “The Met”. Royal Stockholm Orchestra - Schmidt was excited for May's job opportunity noting that the conductor who must have liked her did a magnificent job when conducting with the Royal Stockholm Orchestra. The Pearl - Schmidt humorously critiques a pull quote that compares the book Cece was reading and its length to the novella The Pearl by John Steinbeck. "Black Velvet" by Alannah Myles - In the bar, a favorite song of Coach's – “Black Velvet” – begins playing and he starts dancing. The Vagina Monologues - Fawn was emphasizing that she was showing her true self by saying, “I'm a politician, not in The Vagina Monologues.”Beyoncé / "Crazy in Love" / "Drunk in Love" - Schmidt was telling Fawn that he wanted to be in love and then started quoting Beyonce lyrics like “crazy in love” and “drunk in love.” There was also a reference to Beyonce in S2E2 - Katie and S1E20 - Normal. Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 22! Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.comFollow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at whosthatgirlpod@gmail.com!Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

We're back for one last time in 2024 with some New Girl rewatches. (And just in time, because we're inching closer to "Cooler" every day.) This time we're pulling double duty and discussing "Santa" and "Cabin."Jenn and Jaime (@jaimepoland.bsky.social) first discuss the show's second Christmas episode, "Santa." They talk about how this episode works as a holiday one, how they feel about Angie as a character, and the return of Dr. Sam. Next up, they talk about "Cabin" where we see the last of Angie, get some Nick/Jess set-up, and also have a really bad B-story (listen to Lamorne Morris, Hannah Simone, and Olivia Munn talk about it on The Messaround's "Cabin" episode starting around minute 9 here).Enjoy, everyone and see you for more New Girl in 2025! Our recommended media:Meet Me Next Christmas (Netflix)Mead Mishaps Series by Kimberly LemmingFollow us on Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter for more fun content. Support the Loveland Therapy Fund for Black Women and Girls, and donate if you can to the ACLU Drag Defense Fund.

New Girl's Jessica Day always quietly believed in herself, but over the course of the show we got to watch her find her own kind of strong, quirky confidence. It wasn't always an easy road – while she never lost her positive demeanor for long, she definitely had to deal with her own fair share of ups and downs. But no matter how much the world tried to drag her down, she always found a way to come out on top and turn it into a great lesson for herself and her friends. So let's take a look at Jess's confidence journey and see what she has to teach us! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This podcast covers New Girl Season 4, Episode 20, Par 5, which originally aired on Apr 7, 2015 and was written by Lamorne Morris and Rob Rosell and directed by Trent O'Donnell. Here's a quick recap of the episode:Fawn takes Jess to a golf tournament to get new computers for her students while Winston starts dating someone new. Cece also helps Schmidt get ready for a photo op with Fawn while dealing with her own feelings for him.This episode got a 7.5/10 rating from both Kritika and Kelly;  and we both had the same favorite character: Winston!While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:K-Ci & Jojo - When Winston was meeting KC, he was jokingly asking, “Yo, KC, where JoJo at?", responding to himself, “In rehab, probably.”Nick Nolte - Winston said he saw Nick Nolte in the park once.Gollum / “One Ring” - Cece was telling Jess that she was going to help Schmidt with an emergency and Jess said she couldn't go over there alone because it would be like “Gollum hanging out with the One Ring.”Big Bird / Sesame Street - Jess, uncomfortable while networking, makes a joke about someone's shoes looking like they chopped off Big Bird's feet and Fawn urged her not to make jokes about murdering Sesame Street puppets.O.J. Trial - Winston shared that Nick had lost the ability to talk about race with Winston when he focused in on the white Bronco car during the O.J. trial when they were kids.Eddie Murphy / [The Nutty Professor]  / Seinfeld - When discussing race, Nick was trying to show he did a good impression of Eddie Murphy doing his Hercules bit from The Nutty Professor. Coach was able to do the impression much better. Winston said Nick was not able to comment, but Winston shared it was not the same thing when he did the Seinfeld impression.Ghostbusters - Winston shared that he knows they're going to recruit from law enforcement if there are ever real Ghostbusters.Ginuwine - When Winston showed up at KC's workplace, they put on a song for Winston to dance to and Winston asked if they had a song by Ginuwine.Additionally we mentioned in our podcast episode that we'd include the video for “There Are No Cats in America” which you can find on Youtube here.Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 21! Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.comFollow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at whosthatgirlpod@gmail.com!Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

This podcast covers New Girl Season 4, Episode 19, The Right Thing, which originally aired on Mar 31, 2015 and was written by Alex Cuthbertson and Matt Fusfeld and directed by Erin O'Malley. Here's a quick recap of the episode:Jess, Cece, and Coach attend the funeral for a guy Jess went on two dates with and “sext”ed. Meanwhile, Schmidt's mom, Louise, comes to visit and Winston is trying to get his cop partner, Aly, to hang out with him! This episode got a 7/10 rating from both Kritika and Kelly and we both had the same favorite character: Winston!While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:Boyz II Men - “Motownphilly" - When Winston and Aly were helping Winston remember who attended his Bar Mitzvah, they were playing the song Motown Philly, which Winston sang along to. J.J. Watt - The real J.J. Watt guest acted in this episode and played himself where Pete was his agent. Alan Iverson / [Memphis] Grizzlies / [Philadelphia] 76rs - Jess is trying to tell a story about Pete to keep up the ruse or her working with him and mentioned that Allen Iverson should not go to the  "Grizzlies” but should finish his career off with “the '76ers!"Kieran Culkin / Owen Wilson - When Nick thought they may not have the money for the bar, Mike said the right guys would have the money, “Or Kieran Culkin's mouth” and further asked, “How about Owen Wilson's nose?” Additionally we mentioned in our podcast episode a promo video that J.J. Watt filmed for the promo of this episode.Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 20! Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.comFollow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at whosthatgirlpod@gmail.com!Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

This podcast covers New Girl Season 4, Episode 18, Walk of Shame, which originally aired on March 3, 2015 and was written by Danielle Sanchez-Witzel and directed by Christine Gernon. Here's a quick recap of the episode:Jess and Cece, emboldened by their new blowouts, are out for a good time, meanwhile, Coach and the rest of the loft is invited to watch May perform at an art show.This episode got a 8/10 rating from Kritika whose favorite character was Coach and Kelly rated this episode a 8.5/10 and her favorite character was Bearclaw!While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:Hillary Clinton - Cece and Jess were remarking on their blow-outs and Schmidt shared they can give a woman too much confidence and he then referenced Hillary Clinton.Property Brothers - Bearclaw shared that twin architects would be at his party, referring to the “Property Brothers”, Jonathan and Drew Scott.Taylor Swift - Jess and Cece were remembering what their hairdresser said while they got their blow-outs, which was that he was worried about Taylor Swift living in New York alone.[Johann Sebastian] Bach / "Cello Suite No. 1" - May mentioned that she was playing Bach's "Cello Suite No. 1” for her performance.Oscar Pistorius - Jess was making the point that “If that South African runner who killed his girlfriend can run with no legs, [she and Cece could] walk in heels.”Neoromanticism / [Wolfgang] Rihm / [George] Rochberg / [Ellen Taaffe] Zwilich / Shine / [Sergei] Rachmaninoff - When we saw Coach at coffee with May and her friend, they were talking about classical music and mentioning Neoromanticism and composers like Rihm, Rochberg, Zwilich. Coach they tried to say he knew about classical music because he “played the ghost of Rachmaninoff in a loosely based high school production of Shine.”Liza Minnelli - When Jess and Cece were found at the kids birthday party, Jess tried to pass as a Liza Minnelli impersonator.Dukes of Hazzard / Isaiah Thomas - When in the bathroom at the art show, they guys mentioned that Coach embarasses them by sitting on the hood of his car when he pumps gas into it. They thought he was doing it to be like the TV show Dukes of Hazzard, but really Coach shared that he saw Isaiah Thomas do it on a poster once and he thought it looked cool.Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 19! Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.comFollow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at whosthatgirlpod@gmail.com!Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

This week we're talking about zombie novels, adjusted schedules, and a few existential crises. It's time for "Eggs"!Jenn and Jaime (@elspunko) break down why this episode is so significant for the sitcom, New Girl episodes written by women, Schmidt's revelation about being in love with Cece, Nick procrastinating writing his novel, and an emotional story for Cece.Enjoy!Our recommended media:How to Die Alone (Hulu)"Do Me a Favor" by Cathy YardleyFollow us on Twitter and Instagram for more fun content. Support the Loveland Therapy Fund for Black Women and Girls, and donate if you can to the ACLU Drag Defense Fund.

We're releasing this episode before American and Canadian Thanksgiving but we hope you enjoy it nevertheless. That's right: it's time to discuss New Girl's second Thanksgiving episode, "Parents."Jenn is joined by Jaime (@elspunko) and returning friend and journalist Alicia (@AliciaGilstorf) to talk all about this guest star-centered holiday episode! The group talks about the loft's unsuccessful Thanksgivings, Schmidt trying to prove himself to his cousin (guest star Rob Riggle), and the fact that Jess attempts to enact a Parent Trap scheme on her divorced parents (guest stars Rob Reiner and Jamie Lee Curtis) ... not for the first time.Enjoy, all!Content warning beginning at the 1:20:39 minute-mark for discussion about a book that features a plot line involving suicide.Our recommended media:Simone Biles Rising (Netflix)SPRINT (Netflix)"How to End a Love Story" by Yulin KuangInterview With The Vampire (AMC+/Netflix)Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more fun content. Support the Loveland Therapy Fund for Black Women and Girls, and donate if you can to the ACLU Drag Defense Fund.

This podcast covers New Girl Season 4, Episode 15, The Crawl, which originally aired on February 10, 2015 and was written by Kim Rosenstock and directed by Jay Chandrasekhar. Here's a quick recap of the episode:After his breakup with Kai, Nick wants to complete a bar crawl with all his friends… on Valentine's Day. All had other plans – Jess with Ryan, Schmidt with Fawn, and Winston on call for work – but they all end up going to the Bar Crawl. This episode got a 8.5/10 rating from Kritika and 9.5/10 from Kelly and we both had the same favorite character: Winston!While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:Elijah Wood - When sharing a job option for Ryan, Winston shared that he heard “Elijah Wood's looking for a stunt double.”[E.L. Fudge Keebler Cookies] - This reference was by Winston about Ryan saying, “Get back in that tree and make me some cookies”, which resembles how the mascots on the Keebler cookies make the cookies.Krumping - Schmidt noted that he “even krumped at that anti-gang initiative” for Dawn.The Walking Dead - Nick shared that sometimes Jess didn't hear him with all her hair, like when she didn't respond after asking her what she thought about his “Walking Dead fanfiction”The Temptations - “My Girl" -  The tune of this song was sang by Winston and Nick during the karaoke bar, but instead of “My Girl” they sang “Bar Crawl”.The Wright Brothers - Winston thought sparks were “flying like the Wright Brothers” between Cece and Schmidt.Tom Colicchio - The bartender Mike thought Nick wasn't going to make it to the last bar on the bar crawl and that he himself would never ride a jet ski with Tom Colicchio.Mary Poppins - Schmidt said Winston is like a Black Mary Poppins.Additionally we mentioned in our podcast episode a site with some notes by Cathy Guise, the creator of the comic Strip “Cathy”.Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 16! Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.comFollow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at whosthatgirlpod@gmail.com!Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

Jess is still unemployed and is also on her period, both of which affect the loft dynamic in New Girl's iconic episode, "Menzies"!Jenn and Jaime (@elspunko) are joined by TV writer and friend Alrinthea (@alrinthea) to talk all about this episode which features: a puppy in a cup, Nick trying (and failing) to deal with his anger, Winston's sympathy PMS, and Schmidt embarking on his own personal journey.Enjoy, all!Our recommended media:"Just Playing House" by Farah HeronYo Gabba GabbaLand (Apple TV+)Fancy Dance (Apple TV+)Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more fun content. Support the Loveland Therapy Fund for Black Women and Girls, and donate if you can to the ACLU Drag Defense Fund.

Happy Halloween (in summertime), y'all! We're entering a season of holiday-themed TV episodes of New Girl and we're excited about it!Jenn and Jaime (@elspunko) are joined this week by their podcasting pal Catrina (@CatrinaTParker) to unpack all the hilarity and drama of the appropriately-titled "Halloween."This week's New Girl rewatch focuses on a story where Jess puts her heart on the line with Sam, Schmidt annoys Robby and Cece, while Winston and Shelby finally break up and Nick deals with his own relationship woes.Enjoy!Our recommended media:"The 7-10 Split" by Karmen LeeFine Beats & Cheeses podcast"Black Widow: A Sad-Funny Journey Through Grief for People Who Normally Avoid Books with Words Like 'Journey' in the Title" by Leslie Gray Streeter"A Love Song for Ricki Wilde" by Tia WilliamsWe Are Lady Parts (Peacock)Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more fun content. Support the Loveland Therapy Fund for Black Women and Girls, and donate if you can to the ACLU Drag Defense Fund.

This podcast covers New Girl Season 4, Episode 14, Swuit, which originally aired on February 3, 2015 and was written by Noah Garfinkel and directed by Trent O'Donnell. Here's a quick recap of the episode:Nick and Schmidt have brought their old company, Schnick Industries, to life and are trying to sell a new product. Meanwhile, Coach and Winston help Cece pay for college.This episode got a 9/10 rating from both Kritika and Kelly; Kritika's favorite character was Schnick Industries and Kelly's favorite was Jess.While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:Lori Greiner - Nick and Schmidt had a pitch meeting with Lori Greiner. We also featured her as the guest star in this episode. Hewlett Packard - While bickering, Schmidt said, “You think Hewlett had to put up with this crap from Packard? Think Again.” Howard Hughes / Spruce Goose - Schmidt told Nick he can't be “loosey-goosey”, which prompted Nick to say that Howard Hughes invented the Loose-Goose. However, Schmidt corrected that the plane was called the “Spruce-Goose”. But Nick did know that the plane did fly “for over a mile at an altitude of 72 feet!” Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Kai wanted to have “Ninja Turtle sex” with backpacks on with Nick. David Hockney - While discussing Cece's classes at school, Winston and Coach asked “What you gonna do, Cece, join the South African space program and be the first woman to put a David Hockney painting on the moon?” Batman and Robin - By the end of the episode, Nick and Schmidt felt like they were “Batman and Robin”, but both wanted to be Batman. Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 15! Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.comFollow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at whosthatgirlpod@gmail.com!Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

Welcome back to Apartment 4D where unfortunately some of our best friends are fighting with each other in "Models."Jenn is back with Jaime (@elspunko) to talk through the conflicts between Jess and Cece, as well as Schmidt and Nick. They unpack friendship expectations, Jess' response to Cece's career, Schmidt's emotional vulnerability, and maybe the most iconic exchange in the show thus far: "gave me cookie, got you cookie."

This podcast covers New Girl Season 4, Episode 13 which originally aired on Jan 13, 2015 and was written by Sophia Lear and directed by Bill Purple. Here's a quick recap of the episode:In this episode, Coach lost his status as the guy people want to sleep with, so he encourages Jess and Ryan to come out about their relationship at school. Schmidt is dealing with an ulcer which Nick & Kai try to help him with. This episode got a 8/10 rating from both Kritika and Kelly; Kritika's favorite character was Winston and Kelly's favorite was Coach.While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:Da Vinci - Schmidt agreed that Nick has always been physically lazy, but went on to say that mentally he was like “Da Vinci in tie-dye.” Dennis Rodman - Nick felt that Schmidt lived by his own rules in college and said he was like “a fat, Jewish Dennis Rodman.”Mars Rover - Ryan's field trip idea was to let the students talk to real astronauts and operate the Mars Rover.Additionally we mentioned in our podcast episode the “Old Girl” spoof with Helen Slayton-Hughes. You can watch it here. Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 14! Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.comFollow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at whosthatgirlpod@gmail.com!Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

This podcast covers New Girl Season 4, Episode 12, which originally aired on Jan 6, 2015 and was written by Jacob Brown & Rob Rosell and directed by Alex Hardcastle. Here's a quick recap of the episode:Winston is graduating from the police academy and Nick and Coach are worried about him. Meanwhile, Schmidt and Jess are trying to stop the night construction going on outside of the loft.This episode got a 8/10 rating from Kritika whose favorite character was Winston and Kelly rated this episode a 6.5/10 and her favorite character was Fawn!While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:Bollywood / The Office (UK) - Schmidt thought he was going to make Cece and Ryan laugh, but when they didn't he said he wasn't a fan of Bollywood movies or the UK Office.Karl Lagerfeld - Before Dawn Moscato met Schmidt at the restaurant, Schmidt requested that a waiter let him know he had a call from Karl Lagerfeld at some point in the evening. Dudley Moore - When Ryan was drinking red wine, Jess said “You got a real Dudley Moore thing going on right now, and I like it.” John F. Kennedy - When Schmidt was recapping his date with Fawn, he shared that she said he was like a “Jewish Kennedy”. O. J. Simpson - Schmidt shared that Fawn told him they could “have sex in the room where O.J. tried on the glove.”Jolly Green Giant - Jess exclaimed that Fawn “can't just walk all over the people of the city like the Jolly Green Giant.” Then Schmidt and Jess disagreed about the Jolly Green Giant's character. Bill and Hilary Clinton - Schmidt was excited to be potentially groomed by Fawn, saying, “This could be a real Bill and Hillary situation.” Jess thought Schmidt wouldn't be Bill or Hillary in that scenario.Abraham Lincoln - During Schmidt's city hall speech about not moving the loud construction, he referenced Abraham Lincoln and the crowd was upset because “he was our quietest president”. Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 13! Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.comFollow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at whosthatgirlpod@gmail.com!Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

This podcast covers New Girl Season 4, Episode 11, LAXmas, which originally aired on December 9, 2014 and was written by Matt Fusfeld & Alex Cuthbertson and directed by Trent O'Donnell. Here's a quick recap of the episode:In this episode, Jess, Nick, Winston, Schmidt, Cece, and Coach are traveling for Christmas despite doubts and setbacks.This episode got an 8/10 rating from both Kritika and Kelly; Kritika's favorite character was Schmidt and Kelly's favorite was Nick.While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:Santa - The opening play blamed Santa for eating “Gingy's” arm. Additionally, Jess thought the man at the bar with the white beard was Santa. We talked about Santa for our Pop Culture reference on our podcast in S2 E11 - Santa.Annie - When Jess is pleading with Barry for plane tickets, Barry says he sarcastically says, “Oh, I didn't know that [it was Christmas]. I thought they just did a black version of Annie for no reason.”HBO GO - Schmidt proposed to Cece that they should wait in the first-class lounge, “like the other HBO GO subscribers.”Oprah Winfrey - Barry quoted Oprah Winfrey in this episode, saying: "Greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude."McDuck - Nick thought Ryan's family had “McDuck money” based on the picture of his house in England.Downton Abbey / Anna and Mr. Bates - When looking at the picture of Ryan's house the gang asked where the characters from Downton Abbey were and if they had seen the show.Scrubs - When Jess and Barry were talking at the bar, Barry said meeting his ex-boyfriend's family over the holidays was worse than the last season of Scrubs.Billy Joel / "Piano Man" / "Goodnight Saigon" - When Schmidt was recounting to the guy in the lounge that he was from Long Island, and not Manhattan, he exclaimed aspects of Long Island culture, including Billy Joel and some of his songs.Paul Dano - Barry shared that he thought Paul Dano was on Nick and Winston's flight where they got first class seats.Daniel Craig - When Schmidt shared to Cece that the guy in the lounge disrespected something more important to him than “any stupid lounge”, Cece questioned if it was  Daniel Craig's tailoring.Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 12! Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.comFollow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at whosthatgirlpod@gmail.com!Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

It's only three episodes into the second season of New Girl, but we've already hit such a big Nick/Jess episode: "Fluffer"!Jenn and Jaime (@elspunko) have returned to discuss Schmidt's feelings about his relationship with his father, a story involving Winston and Shelby (remember Shelby?!), and a Nick/Jess story that highlights the messy line between their friendship and something more. Hmm, wonder if that is foreshadowing anything this season...

This podcast covers New Girl Season 4, Episode 10, Girl Fight, which originally aired on December 2, 2014 and was written by Danielle Sanchez-Witzel and directed by Bill Purple. Here's a quick recap of the episode:Cece and Jess get into a “girl fight” while Nick goes on his first date with Kai, Tran's granddaughter.This episode got a 7.5/10 rating from Kritika and an 8/10 from Kelly and we both had the same favorite character: Coach!While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:Charlie Rose - Schmidt was upset at Coach for deleting all his episodes of Charlie Rose and replacing them with “American Football matches”. Madeleine Albright - Jess was surprised at how they guys handled their fight and because of that, didn't think either read Madeleine Albright's biography she had given them for Christmas.Lena Dunham - When Jess said she keeps her feminist writings in her purses, Coach name dropped “Lena Dunham”.John Popper - Schmidt said Cece played him like “John Popper plays that little harmonica and fiddle thing.” The West Wing - When Nick and Kai were playing a word association game, Kai answered The West Wing to the question Republican or Democrat? [Chicago] Bears / James Taylor - Nick told Kai he has all the ticket stubs to all the Bears football games he's been to as well as the guitar pic for a guy who played with James Taylor one night.Karate Kid II / Mr. Miyagi - Nick shared that he has an autographed Karate Kid II poster from the movie's character Mr. Miyagi.LeBron James - Winston exclaimed “Sweet Baby LeBron James” when he realized he screwed up and wasted his studying time. Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 11! Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.comFollow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at whosthatgirlpod@gmail.com!Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

Welcome to season 2 of New Girl, everyone! It's a jam-packed season of romantic tension, character growth, and unexpected surprises. And it all starts with the season's double premiere of "Re-launch" and "Katie"!Jenn and Jaime (@elspunko) are joined by their friend Amanda (@fangirlw_oChill) to talk about the fallout from Schmidt and Cece's breakup in season 1, Jess being laid off, the introduction of Dr. Sam, and a Nick/Jess-centric season opener that sets the stage for what will happen later on.Enjoy, everyone!Our recommended media:The Marvels (Disney+)Nia DaCosta's episode of the Couples Therapy podcast"Mickey Chambers Shakes It Up" by Charish ReidAbbott Elementary (ABC/Hulu)Finding Mr. Height podcastFollow us on Twitter and Instagram for more fun content. Support the Loveland Therapy Fund for Black Women and Girls, and donate if you can to the ACLU Drag Defense Fund.

This podcast covers New Girl Season 4, Episode 9, Thanksgiving IV, which originally aired on November 25, 2014 and was written by David Feeney and directed by Fred Goss. Here's a quick recap of the episode:Schmidt is still committed to helping the loft mates have a hook up, so he proposes Bangsgiving, where everyone draws a name and brings someone to the party for that person to hookup with. But, as expected, things don't go according to plan… This episode got a 8/10 rating from both Kritika and Kelly; Kritika's favorite character was Cece and Kelly's favorite was Nick.While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:Pharrell [Williams] - Schmidt was being compared to looking like the “Jewish Pharrell” at the party.Guardians of the Galaxy - Coach was surprised by his date's strength and told Winston that he “should've warned [him] you were setting [him] up with one of the Guardians of the Galaxy.”Monopoly - Tran brought a game like “Thailand Monopoly” to the “Bangs-giving” party.Sean Connery - Jess was trying to back-track what Coach told Ryan about “Bangs-giving” being a singles party, asking, “Did Coach say that with a Sean Connery accent? Did he say "shingles"? 'Cause he was… He actually meant shingles. Like the... like… Everybody here is a-a roofer.”Oasis - Jess shared that she sings songs by the band Oasis to herself and pretends they're about Ryan caring for her.Oliver Twist - Coach was egging Jess on that Ryan would be polite because he's British, comparing him to the Charles Dickens novel protagonist, Oliver Twist.Additionally we mentioned in our podcast episode a video of Hannah Simone doing accents. You can watch it here. Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 10! Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.comFollow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at whosthatgirlpod@gmail.com!Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

Nick is moving in with Caroline and absolutely nothing goes wrong in the New Girl season 1 finale, "See Ya."Jenn and Jaime (@elspunko) are rejoined by their friend Nicole (@NicoleAckman16) to talk all about how this season finale measures up. They discuss Nick's insecurities, Schmidt and Cece's demise, Jess' confession, and the dance party at the end of the episode. Plus, one last time this season: Things Nick Miller Did That Were Hot!Enjoy!Our recommended media:Grace Callaway's booksOut of Darkness (Amazon Prime)All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (Amazon Prime)We have officially reached the end of our New Girl season 1 rewatch! Can you believe it? Stay tuned in the next few weeks because this spring we'll be starting season 2, where nothing notable happens at all.

Picking up from where we last left off in "Tomatoes," Jenn and Jaime (@elspunko) have returned to talk all about "Backslide"!We discuss Nick and Caroline's toxic relationship, how Schmidt and Winston handle Nick backsliding, Paul's return (plus a problematic and odd storyline for Jess), Schmidt and Cece's emotional intimacy, and the sad note this episode ends on.There's only one more episode to go until we've reached the New Girl season one finale, so enjoy! Our recommended media:"A Love Song for Ricki Wilde" by Tia WilliamsThe Color Purple (HBO Max)Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more fun content. Support the Loveland Therapy Fund for Black Women and Girls, and donate if you can to the ACLU Drag Defense Fund.

This podcast covers New Girl Season 4, Episode 8, Teachers, which originally aired on Nov 8, 2014 and was written by Kim Rosenstock and directed by Trent O'Donnell. Here's a quick recap of the episode:Jess and Coach go to a teachers' conference where she has to spend the weekend with Ryan, forcing her to face her feelings for him. Meanwhile Winston, Nick, and Schmidt have a “guys night”.This episode got a 8/10 rating from Kritika whose favorite character was Winston and Kelly rated this episode a 7.5/10 and her favorite character was Jess!While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:Chicago Bulls Logo - When the guys were looking at a health textbook, they said the female reproductive system kind of looked like the Chicago Bulls symbol.[Pi Beta Phi] - In the flashback of Schmidt doing laundry, he saw a group of women he referred to as “Pi-Phis”, likely referring to the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women. Elizabeth - When Cece was reading Jess the letter Jess wrote to herself, she posed the question, "Did you learn nothing from the movie Elizabeth, you stupid little bitch?" because “No one respects a queen who sleeps with her subjects.” Denzel Washington / The Preacher's Wife - When Jess was describing Ryan to Cece, Jess shared “he might be an angel sent down to Earth like Denzel Washington in The Preacher's Wife.” She later also shares the same reference directly with Ryan. Magic Johnson / Kobe Bryant - When Coach was determining how he would teach Health, he said he would maybe bring up Magic Johnson or Kobe Bryant, but the other teacher's weren't sure that would be effective. Agic Chin-Chin - When Jess and Ryan were drinking from mini alcohol bottles they cheers with Jess saying “Chin-Chin”.Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 9! Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.comFollow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at whosthatgirlpod@gmail.com!Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

Nick decides to give up on women and try to go tomatoes on the loft's rooftop in New Girl's aptly-titled episode, "Tomatoes."Jenn and Jaime (@elspunko) returned to talk about Russell and Jess' relationship woes, the (brief) reappearance of Shelby, Nick's inability to garden, Schmidt and Cece figuring out their relationship, an intense Nick/Jess fight, and the return of one of Nick's exes.And since this episode leaves us on a relationship cliffhanger, it's time for our first-ever TBD... So see you next week for "Backslide"!Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more fun content. Support the Loveland Therapy Fund for Black Women and Girls, and donate if you can to the ACLU Drag Defense Fund.

This podcast covers New Girl Season 4, Episode 7, Goldmine, which originally aired on Nov 11, 2014 and was written by Berkley Johnson and directed by Russ T. Alsobrook. Here's a quick recap of the episode:Jess is trying to get to the next level with dating, but learns she needs to follow the guy's advice and lie about living with her ex. Nick pretends to be gay to help her. Cece shares she's getting a breast reduction consultation and Schmidt processes the five stages of grief. Meanwhile, Coach and Winston pay a visit to the new neighbors but have different methods of how to hook up with them.  This episode got a 7/10 rating from Kritika whose favorite character was Nick and Kelly rated this episode a 7.5/10 and her favorite character was Tina!While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:Kool-Aid Man - The guys thought that if Jess shared she lived with her ex, that he would want to run out so quickly that he'd run through the wall like the Kool-Aid Man. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel - Coach shared nothing was less hot than a male secretary, but Winston felt that even though Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's eyes “are so pouchy” he was a male secretary who was “still killing it.” Peter Pan - When Jess and Cece were looking at Jess's bras, she mentioned one was called the Peter Pan. Freaky Friday - Cece was considering getting a breast reduction and was looking at Jess's bras, prompting Jess to ask “Are we doing, like, a boob Freaky Friday?” Anderson Cooper - When Nick was pretending to be gay, he referenced Anderson Cooper and his stance on being out. A Christmas Carol - Jess was proving how she could keep up a charade by reciting her one-woman production of A Christmas Carol. Sophie's Choice / Harold & Kumar [Go to White Castle] - When Cece was only going to let Schmidt say goodbye to one of her breasts, Schmidt felt like it was “the ultimate Sophie's Cho-Cho”, referring to the film Sophie's Choice. He also shared that he had named her breasts “Harold” and “Kumar”, the main characters from the film Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle.[Schindler's List] - Schmidt ran in to stop Cece from getting a breast reduction surgery (even though it was only a consultation) and felt like he had saved her. He then referenced the film Schindler's List, saying “I'm your Schindler. One day, your children are gonna put rocks on my grave.” Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 8! Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.comFollow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at whosthatgirlpod@gmail.com!Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

Jess decides it's time to invite Russell into her world, so he stays at the loft in this week's New Girl rewatch of "Normal"!Jenn and Jaime (@elspunko) invited their lovely friend Alrinthea (@alrinthea) on the podcast to talk all about Jess and Russell's relationship, the first ever game of True American, Winston's career woes, and more.Enjoy!Our recommended media:Past LivesThe audio book of "Honey and Spice" by Bolu Babalola"Seven Days in June" by Tia WilliamsFollow us on Twitter and Instagram for more fun content. Support the Loveland Therapy Fund for Black Women and Girls, and donate if you can to the ACLU Drag Defense Fund.

The secret about Schmidt and Cece hooking up is out! It's time for the aptly-titled "Secrets" in New Girl.Jenn and Jaime (@elspunko) are back to talk about how Jess reacts to Cece's secret and their subsequent fight, plus Winston's Saturday outburst, Nick going to Schmidt for dating advice, and running a 10k in Los Angeles with no training.Enjoy!Our recommended media:Perfect Days"Take a Hint, Dani Brown" & "Act Your Age, Eve Brown" by Talia HibbertFollow us on Twitter and Instagram for more fun content. Support the Loveland Therapy Fund for Black Women and Girls, and donate if you can to the ACLU Drag Defense Fund.

This podcast covers New Girl Season 4, Episode 6, Background Check, which originally aired on November 4, 2014 and was written by Rebecca Addelman and directed by Lorene Scafaria. Here's a quick recap of the episode:Winston has to pass his background check for the police academy and wants his friends' support…but…Jess gets worried because she has a secret!This episode got a 9/10 rating from both Kritika and Kelly and we both had the same favorite character: Nick!While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:Boys & Girls Club - Coach made up that Winston has a “little brother” as part of the Boys & Girls Club volunteer program. Ray - Jess shared the only “drug” movie she's seen was the movie Ray, which Cece points out does not count. Mark-Paul Gosselaar / Slater and Screech - Schmidt is telling Cece she shouldn't be with a normal guy, when Cece shared she was dating Mark-Paul Gosselaar. This caused Schmidt to freak out and ask if he could come to the wedding and then he wondered if “Slater and Screech are gonna be there”. In the podcast, we mentioned this link of a list of funny moments from this episode that we wanted to share with you!Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 7! Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.comFollow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at whosthatgirlpod@gmail.com!Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

This podcast covers New Girl Season 4, Episode 5, Landline, which originally aired on October 14, 2014 and was written by Rob Rosell and directed by Trent O'Donnell. Here's a quick recap of the episode:Because of some construction, the loft doesn't have good cell reception. Jess's answer to this is to get the loft a landline which prompts Nick to act as a secretary and Jess to find out about Coach's relationships with their coworkers. This episode got a 8/10 rating from Kritika whose favorite character was Nick and Kelly rated this episode a 8.5/10 and her favorite character was Coach!While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:Blanche / Golden Girls - Coach called out Jess for commenting on his sleeping with other teachers and Coach said she was like the character Blanche from Golden Girls.War Games / Short Circuit -  Nick told an elaborate story about why you shouldn't trust technology and as the loft mates called out he likely stole that from the movie War Games or more likely Short Circuit. Splash - In response to listing out other movies, the loft shared that Splash was a good movie.Carson Daly - When Winston pretended to be Schmidt during the interview, he said the last book Schmidt read was Carson Daly's biography.Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 6! Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.comFollow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at whosthatgirlpod@gmail.com!Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

We're back again to talk about not one, but two New Girl episodes: the "Fancyman" arc!Jenn and Jaime (@elspunko) are joined once again by their friend Alicia (@aliciagilstorf) to unpack this little story arc. They talk about Dermot Mulroney, what Russell brings to the loft dynamic, his relationship with Jess, Nick's love for Jess' new beau, Winston discovering Schmidt and Cece's secret, and more!Enjoy, everyone!Our recommended media:The Couples Therapy podcast episode with Alexis Nikole, a.k.a @blackforagerGodzilla Minus OneThe Boy and the HeronAmerican FictionFollow us on Twitter and Instagram for more fun content. Support the Loveland Therapy Fund for Black Women and Girls, and donate if you can to the ACLU Drag Defense Fund.

Jess injures Nick in a friendly game of football that leads to a minor existential crisis for our favorite bartender. That's right: We've reached "Injured"!Jenn and Jaime (@elspunko) are joined by their friend Alicia (@aliciagilstorf) to talk all about why this episode is so iconic, the way Nick handles his health crisis, Schmidt and Cece's minor storyline, how the group supports Nick and, of course, Nick/Jess.Enjoy!Note: Near the end of the episode, Alicia talks about Scream (2022). This episode was recorded at the end of October, prior to Spyglass firing Melissa Barrera. Melissa has our support for using her platform to speak out against the genocide happening to Palestinians. Take action by demanding a ceasefire today.Our recommended media:Starstruck (HBO Max)"All Things Burn" and "Play to Win" by Jodie SlaughterScream (2022)Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more fun content. Support the Loveland Therapy Fund for Black Women and Girls, and donate if you can to the ACLU Drag Defense Fund.

This podcast covers New Girl Season 4, Episode 4 Micro, which originally aired on October 4, 2014 and was written by Josh Malmuth and directed by Jay Chandrasekhar. Here's a quick recap of the episode:After the guys start to rate women by their physical attributes, Jess dates a man with a micropenis to prove to the rest of the loft that she's not shallow. Meanwhile, Cece and Winston decide to mess with Coach and Schmidt and get them “into” modeling.This episode got a 7/10 rating from Kritika whose favorite character was Winston and Kelly rated this episode an 8/10 and her favorite character was Nick!While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:Vietnam War / Korean War - When the guys were comparing "cans" one of the guys noted the "Post-Korean war, pre-Vietnam war" time was the size he liked the best. Paula Cole - In the bar, Winston put "five dollars in the jukebox" to play a "Paula Cole rock block." Hercules - In the modeling sequence, Schmidt was told he looked like "the only Jewish Greek God, Hercules."Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 5!Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.comFollow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at whosthatgirlpod@gmail.com!Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

This podcast covers New Girl Season 4, Episode 3, Julie Berkman's Older Sister, which originally aired on September 30, 2014 and was written by Nina Pedrad and directed by Fred Goss. Here's a quick recap of the episode:Jess's Dad, Bob, comes to visit and is bringing his new girlfriend...who happens to be someone that Jess went to high school with. Meanwhile, Schmidt asks the guys for help to land a new sponge ad campaign.This episode got a 6.5/10 rating from Kritika whose favorite character was Schmidt and Kelly rated this episode an 8/10 and her favorite character was Winston!While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:Ed - Ashley shared she did “so much E” while watching the show Ed. Annie - Schmidt felt like he was living in reverse Annie going from “riches to rags”. Seal - Jess's Dad, Bob, and Ashley thought they saw Seal at the airport, but it wasn't him.Crabtree and Evelyn - Jess was threatening Ashley and referred to her fists as “Crabtree and Evelyn.”Thor / Mjölnir - Winston was reading Schmidt's focus group cue cards, saying “I am Thor” but didn't know how to pronounce Thor's hammer, Mjolnir.NPR - Jess said they needed to “turn Ashley off” by playing NPR. [Weeble] - Ashley said Bob was her, “big, round, bald, fuzzy Weeble-Wobble.” Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 4!Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.comFollow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at whosthatgirlpod@gmail.com!Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

It's the most romantic day of the year... sort of. If you're a tenant of Apartment 4D, it's going to be hit or miss. That's right, we're talking about "Valentine's Day"!Jenn and Jaime (@elspunko) reunite to talk about Jess' story, that almost-moment at the end of the episode between her and Schmidt, the actual end of the episode between Schmidt and Cece, Winston's girls' night, and Nick's first Valentine's Day with Julia.Enjoy the episode!Our recommended media:Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Amazon Prime)"The Stand-In" by Lily ChuPlease support the SAG-AFTRA strike for fair wages and treatment by donating to the Entertainment Community Fund if you can!Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more fun content. Support the Loveland Therapy Fund for Black Women and Girls, and donate if you can to the ACLU Drag Defense Fund.

We're back for a New Girl episode — and this one is all about the dynamic between Jess Julia!Jenn and Jaime (@elspunko) are rejoined by Chels (@chels725) to talk all about how this storyline could have been handled better, the startlingly short arc Julia gets, why Winston's behavior is so strange in this episode, and — most importantly of all — Schmidt's determination to figure out why his towel is constantly damp.Enjoy!Our recommended media:"After Hours on Milagro Street" and "Full Moon Over Freedom" by Angelina M. LopezAnything with Nicole Byer in it.BBW (Big Beautiful Weirdo) (Netflix)Elemental and Good Chemistry: The Story of Elemental (Disney+)Please support the SAG-AFTRA strike for fair wages and treatment by donating to the Entertainment Community Fund if you can!Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more fun content. Support the Loveland Therapy Fund for Black Women and Girls, and donate if you can to the ACLU Drag Defense Fund.

This podcast covers New Girl Season 4, Episode 2, Dice, which originally aired on September 23, 2014 and was written by Matt Fusfeld and Alex Cuthbertson and directed by Lynn Shelton. Here's a quick recap of the episode:Jess takes a risk and learns how to use dating apps from Schmidt while Nick and Cece get Coach stoned for the first time…right before they get invited to a party with Winston's cop coworkers.This episode got a 8/10 rating from both Kritika and Kelly and we both had the same favorite character: Schmidt!While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:Babar - Nick thought Schmidt's hookup, Barb, was the name of the cartoon elephant Babar.DTF - Jess thought “Darn tootin' fun” could be represented by the acronym “DTF”.Hemsworth - When training Jess on Dice, Schmidt showed a photo of a man who looked like a Hemsworth. Taboo Buzzer - Schmidt used the loft's Taboo buzzer to train Jess on Dice.Kings of Leon - Schmidt commented that Kings of Leon was a good band, but stuck in one place musically.Titanic - When Nick was high, he claimed, “No man or piece of scientific technology has ever been to the bottom of the ocean.” However, Cece, who was also high, confirmed the man who made the Titanic did. Al Pacino - When Nick was high, he poorly did imitations and Coach guessed he was imitating Al Pacino. Broadway - Jess felt she wasn't ready to Dice date yet, saying, “I'm not ready. That's like taking a musical from rehearsals straight to Broadway. You got to workshop it first.”Beatnik - Jess was asking one of her Dice dates if he was a chef or Beatnik because of his turtleneck shirt.Charlotte's Web - Winston was telling a story about a spider and shared how he hoped it was “Charlotte's Web and [it's] nice" before spoiling the plot for the partygoers who didn't know the story of Charlotte's Web.Michael Strahan - One of Jess's Dice dates said, “I'm not gay, but I would go crazy on Michael Strahan.”Meryl Streep - One of Jess's Dice dates said he thought Meryl Streep was dumb.[Hockey Positions] -  Jess used an excuse to get out of a date mentioning the “Center Wing” in hockey and he confirmed that's not a position. “Pomp and Circumstance” - Coach, Cece, and Nick were singing this song in the closet after they said they could “see” Cece going back to school.Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 3!Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.comFollow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at whosthatgirlpod@gmail.com!Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

This podcast covers New Girl Season 4, Episode 1, The Last Wedding, which originally aired on September 16, 2014 and was written by J.J. Philben and directed by Trent O'Donnell. Here's a quick recap of the episode:It's been a few months since Cruise and the loft mates have been to 11 weddings this summer… This episode has the gang attending a 12th wedding with a goal to not go home alone. This episode got an 8/10 rating from both Kritika and Kelly; Kritika's favorite character was Winston and Kelly's favorite was Jess.While not discussed in the podcast, we noted other references in this episode including:Academy Awards / Anna Paquin - Schmidt gets “angry and scared” that Jess knits and likens it to when he hears the phrase, "Academy Award winner Anna Paquin."[Olaf] from Frozen - Coach thought the bridesmaid Nick made out with looked like “the snowman from Frozen”.[Game of Thrones] - When Schmidt was making the case that “nobody meets anybody in fall…” he also said, “Winter... is coming” – a famous quote from the show Game of Thrones. Malcolm Gladwell - Kat shared she lost her virginity to author, Malcolm Gladwell. [Last Helicopter Out of Saigon] - Throughout the episode there was a bit between Schmidt and Nick regarding whether or not they should have a four way and they related Schmidt's desperation to the “Last Helicopter Out of Saigon”. The Best Man Holiday - A past hookup that Coach ran into again told him she “rented Best Man Holiday. You're not in it.”Batman / Teenage Simba - Jess's first crush was on a Batman cake, but her first sexual feelings were for Teenage Simba. Larry King - When competing with Kat, Jess showed a picture of her with a guy who she thought was Larry King.Thanks for listening and stay tuned for Episode 2! Music: "Hotshot” by scottholmesmusic.comFollow us on Twitter, Instagram or email us at whosthatgirlpod@gmail.com!Website: https://smallscreenchatter.com/

It's Schmidt's 29th birthday, and minor chaos ensues! Welcome back to our New Girl rewatch where today, it's all about "The Story of the 50."Jenn and Jaime (@elspunko) are joined by their longtime pal Chels (@chels725) to discuss watching the show live, Lizzy Caplan's debut in this episode, Schmidt's deep insecurities, whether he deserved to put $50 in the jar, and how to pronounce "charcuterie." Enjoy!Our recommended media:"Family Lore: A Novel" by Elizabeth AcevedoKeke Palmer in Usher's music video.A Thousand and One (Peacock)Please support the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes for fair wages and treatment by donating to the Entertainment Community Fund if you can!Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more fun content. Support the Loveland Therapy Fund for Black Women and Girls, and donate if you can to the ACLU Drag Defense Fund.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays from Apartment 4D! It's time to talk all about New Girl's first Christmas episode, "The 23rd" which finds our loft roommates out at Schmidt's office holiday party.Jenn and Jaime (@elspunko) are back to talk all about the holiday shenanigans that the group gets into. They discuss Jess' and Paul's relationship, Schmidt's office storyline, the holiday party, and that lovely ending at Candy Cane Lane. Enjoy!Our recommended media:Kennedy Ryan's books"Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI" by David Grann | Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)Survival of the Thickest (Netflix)Please support the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes for fair wages and treatment by donating to the Entertainment Community Fund if you can!Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more fun content. Support the Loveland Therapy Fund for Black Women and Girls, and donate if you can to the ACLU Drag Defense Fund.

Jess develops a crush on a co-worker (played by guest star Justin Long) and invites him over for a loft Thanksgiving. What could possibly go wrong?Jenn and Jaime (@elspunko) have their first guest to discuss "Thanksgiving" with: fellow New Girl fan and film reviewer Nicole (@NicoleAckman16)! The group discusses the first loft Thanksgiving, how they feel about Paul and Jess' relationship, what we learn about Schmidt, and how in the world no one knew how to thaw a turkey. Plus we dive deep into why Nick Miller is such a fascinating romantic lead for the show. It's Jake Johnson Appreciation Hour! Enjoy the episode, everyone!Our recommended media:Past LivesPolite Society (Peacock)Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more fun content. Support the Loveland Therapy Fund for Black Women and Girls, and donate if you can to the ACLU Drag Defense Fund.

Cece temporarily moves into the loft in "Cece Crashes," and chaos ensues!Jenn and Jaime (@elspunko) talk about Jess and Cece's friendship, the beginnings of a classic Winston/Cece mess around, Jess' weirdness, Nick's response to her behavior, and feet pointing. Plus, we continue our favorite segment: "Things Nick Miller Did That Were Hot!"Enjoy!Our recommended media:"The King Maker" by Kennedy RyanCouples Therapy episode feat. Vincent Rodriguez IIIWith Love (Amazon Prime)We recorded this in Pride month,

Break out your best attire and your slow dance chicken dance because it's time for "Wedding"!Jenn and Jaime (@elspunko) talk about all the weddings this show featured, how this episode marks an early shift for the series, the glimpse we get into Winston's character, Nick and Caroline's relationship, and how the guys really do need Jess around.Enjoy!Our recommended media:Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse"Friday I'm in Love" by Camryn Garrett"Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute" by Talia HibbertThe Little Mermaid (2023)Happy Pride month, friends!

Who's that girl?! It's... ... the kickoff of Jenn and Jaime's (@elspunko) New Girl rewatch podcast! Come on in to Apartment 4D and relive the FOX comedy series with us.This week, the cohosts cover "Pilot" and talk about their journeys with the show, why it was good that New Girl pivoted away from the "adorkable" marketing messaging, how the show set up the loft dynamic, and much more. Plus we make our very first Community connection (and there will be more to come, so stay tuned).Join us as we journey through the first season with some of our friends in the coming months.Episode references:The floorplan of the loft.The New Girl loft being used in Only Murders in the Building.The original exterior shot of the bar was actually used as the exterior shot of the Brooklyn Nine-Nine bar.Our recommended media:"Seven Days in June" by Tia Williams& Juliet (Original Broadway Cast Recording)Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more fun content. Support the Loveland Therapy Fund for Black Women and Girls, and donate if you can to the ACLU Drag Defense Fund.

You can also check out this episode on Spotify!In honor of Mental Health Awareness month, we welcome Dr. Samatha Boardman. Dr. Boardman is a New York based positive psychiatrist who is committed to fixing what's wrong and building what's strong. She writes the popular newsletter called and is the author of Everyday Vitality, a book about leaning into our strengths to bring about positive change. Historically, psychiatry has focused on the diagnosis of disease and the treatment of individuals with mental illness. Positive Psychiatry takes a more expansive approach, focusing on the promotion of wellbeing and the creation of health.Dr. Boardman is passionate about cultivating vitality, boosting resilience, and transforming full days into more fulfilling days. Today Dr. Boardman sits down with Dr. McBride to discuss finding wellness within illness, strength within stress, and how to live with anxiety rather than being defined by it. Dr. Boardman is here to help!Join Dr. McBride every Monday for a new episode of Beyond the Prescription.You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on her Substack at https://lucymcbride.substack.com/podcast. You can sign up for her free weekly newsletter at lucymcbride.substack.com/welcome.Please be sure to like, rate, review — and enjoy — the show!The full transcript of the show is here![00:00:00] Dr. McBride: Hello, and welcome to my office. I'm Dr. Lucy McBride, and this is Beyond the Prescription, the show where I talk with my guests like I do my patients, pulling the curtain back on what it means to be healthy, redefining health as more than the absence of disease. As a primary care doctor for over 20 years, I've realized that patients are much more than their cholesterol and their weight, that we are the integrated sum of complex parts.[00:00:33] Our stories live in our bodies. I'm here to help people tell their story to find out whether they are okay, and for you to imagine and potentially get healthier from the inside out. You can subscribe to my weekly newsletter through my website at lucymcbride.com and to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. So let's get into it and go beyond the prescription.[00:01:01] Today's podcast guest is Dr. Samantha Boardman. Samantha is a positive psychiatrist, a clinical assistant professor at the Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, and the author of a book called Everyday Vitality. It's a book that combines her research as a clinical psychiatrist in New York to help readers find strength within their stress.[00:01:24] I met Dr. Boardman through a mutual friend. I started reading her book and listening to her talk on Instagram, and it was clear that we had a common interest in helping people marry mental and physical health. Today on the podcast, we will talk about when is therapy not appropriate? We'll talk about medication, we'll talk about Zoom versus in-person therapy, and we'll talk about leaning into our strengths as opposed to focusing on the negatives. Welcome to the podcast, Samantha. I'm so happy to have you.[00:01:53] Dr. Boardman: Thank you so much. Thank you for having me. I'm a huge fan.[00:01:57] Dr. McBride: So today, Samantha, I'd love to talk to you about many things. One is your definition of health. What does it mean to be healthy? So let's just start there.[00:02:07] Dr. Boardman: Great place to start. And so I think my definition of health has really changed over the past 20 years. Like you, I went to medical school and then I did a psychiatry residency. The definition of health for me then was the absence of illness. And what I thought of myself as doing my role was to make people less miserable as a psychiatrist.[00:02:30] And I've gotta tell you, I got pretty good at misery along the way. But one day I was actually fired by a patient who said, when I come to see you, we just focus on what's wrong with me. We don't really focus on what's going on, what's wrong with what's going on in my life? [00:02:47] And she was right. I was so fixated on symptoms and dialing down the issues, dealing with conflicts in her life and that type of thing, and less focused on what makes life meaningful for her, what she enjoys doing and where she finds purpose. It sort of woke me up and I ended up going back to study applied positive psychology, which was sort of the opposite of everything I had learned in medical school, in psychiatry residency.[00:03:14] I studied optimism. I studied resilience. I studied post-traumatic growth. All these data-driven experiences that were really absent in my education and so much that had been focused on pathogenesis, which is the study and understanding of illness in switching over more to salutogenesis, which is the creation of health.[00:03:36] So this is a really long-winded way of saying, I think of health as so much more than the absence of illness, and I'm deeply interested in how we can help people create wellness within their illness and strength within their stress, and add vitality even into their very busy lives. And as you know, when we ask patients, what's most meaningful to you?[00:03:57] What do you care most about with your mental health? Or your health in general? People say, I want to have a good day. I want to feel energetic. I want to feel strong. I want to be able to give back. I want to spend time with friends and family and those types of things, that's what salutogenesis is—creating experiences of health and joy and meaning and vitality and energy for them in their everyday lives.[00:04:24] Dr. McBride: It's so important because just like you discovered along the path of your training and clinical work, I too realized that my job isn't just about helping people not die. It's about helping people live. And it's not enough to tell people at their annual physical, “Hey, your labs look fine. Get a little more exercise, eat a little healthier, and I'll see you next year.” Not dying is good. But what about living? What about having agency over our everyday lives the 364 days a year that you're not in the doctor's office? And what has always struck me since I was a pup of a medical student is that self-awareness is like ground zero for our health.[00:05:14] When we are able to pull the curtain back on who we are as people to understand not just our genetics, but really our stories and how our stories inform how we feel—literally our body parts—and then how we organize our everyday behaviors and thoughts around the narrative that we tell ourselves, and that's really why I became in interested in mental health and why I find your work so compelling is because I think we're having a moment in our culture where mental health is more acceptable to talk about; where people are more empathetic about mental illness.[00:05:55] I still think we don't have a great understanding of what mental health is. And to begin with that we all have it. And I wonder what you think about this concept of everyone having mental health and it's just on a continuum versus mental health versus mental illness. And then secondly, to what extent do you think just mere self-awareness is an important ingredient in having mental health?[00:06:25] Dr. Boardman: Both [of those are] awesome questions and I think that kind of you have it or you don't is this binary, and really limits us about either you're mentally healthy or you're not. And I think that's sort of the way I was trained. Not to be critical of my training, but that was either: you need to be hospitalized or you don't, you're ready for discharge… and not kind of looking at all of those other factors that you look so closely at.[00:06:51] They kind of give you and provide for you even this scaffolding around you to help you make better choices, to have more better actual days in your week. And this idea that how do you find wellness within illness? And it's something Dr. Ellen Sachs was the one who first I heard speak about this and she was a graduate student.[00:07:13] I think she was at Yale where she had her first psychotic break and she was diagnosed while she was a student there as having schizophrenia and having a psychotic illness, and her parents were told at the time that they should remove all the stress from her life, that she should withdraw from school, that it was too much for her to bear and that, you know, that maybe she could get some very simple job somewhere.[00:07:38] Maybe she could pump gas. She could do something that was not going to strain her or stress her in any way, and that most likely she should be hospitalized over again and again, and she might end up rocking back and forth in some institution watching television on lots of medication and drooling.[00:07:54] And she said her parents understood this diagnosis, but they refused to accept this prognosis. And she had support, she had resources. She went back to school. She had psychiatrists, she had therapists. She, I mean, she was, she was supported by so many buoys around her and scaffolding.[00:08:15] She returns to school, she finishes at Yale. She then goes on to Oxford where she gets a degree as a champion of mental health law. She goes on to win a MacArthur Genius Grant. She's an extraordinary woman and defies how people like me are trained into sort of expect that runway of what schizophrenia can do to a human being.[00:08:36] And you know, and she says that actually having this meaningful work in her life has really been, is what saved her. When her voices get loud, she uses her legal training to say, what evidence do you have for that? And how having a really strong sort of sense of purpose in her life has really saved her.[00:08:55] So when psychiatrists like me say, take all the stress out of your life. Remove anything difficult. How do we find that balance for people of helping them lead that kind of meaningful life in finding wellness within their illness, and even for those who don't have a diagnosable condition… [finding] some strength within their stress so they can live with it.[00:09:18] It's not being able to… I think we've all learned about Winston Churchill, who had that black dog of depression, but learning to live with it rather than trying to sweep it under the rug or be in denial about it. Or completely defined by this. And we know even with the language we use when you call somebody a schizophrenic versus somebody who has schizophrenia, not only does it change the way that the person thinks about themselves, but it also changes the way that the people who work with them think about them.[00:09:47] If that is part of their identity, that's who they are versus that something they live with. And it comes and it goes. And there's interesting, Jess Day has done some really interesting research on schizophrenia looking at how a significant number find happiness, find meaning, and it's those who have some of these more lifestyle factors available to them that do make them more resilient.[00:10:09] Dr. McBride: It's a really good point. You wouldn't be surprised to hear, I had a patient who exhibited all the symptoms of depression. Fatigue, sort of that psychomotor fatigue, that sort of hopelessness joylessness, and then was gaining weight. And we didn't have another diagnosis because we had done all the tests, we'd done the scans and everything was normal.[00:10:28] And I said, “do you think it's possible that you're depressed?” And she looked at me and said, “what do I have to be depressed about?” And I thought, gosh, this is such an interesting thing. This is someone who unfortunately is a victim of this concept that you're either mentally healthy or you're mentally not.[00:10:46] When we all have moods, it's a continuum, and my question to patients isn't, do you have an ICD 10 code of F 32.9? My question is, where are you on the continuum of mood and what tools do you have to manage them? What symptoms are you having and what tools do you have? Because it's not about are you mentally healthy? Are you mentally well? And it's not about, are you happy all the time and joyful and gleeful and skipping through the streets, or lying in bed or standing on the edge of a cliff about to jump. It's where are you located on the continuum of these universal conditions of having moods, having fears, having anxieties.[00:11:26] And so I said to her, it's really not about a thing, it's about what's happening to your body and mind right now. And I don't need to name it. I don't even need a code or a label for it. I just want to understand if this is an organic depressive phenomenon, what agency we can carve out to help you feel better in your everyday life.[00:11:47] Dr. Boardman: That interesting point that you're making too, that she's feeling guilty about, what do I have that… that question your patient asks, what do I have to be depressed about? And that's something I hear a lot in people who think, “I'm so lucky. How on earth, how dare I be in this state of mind? It's shameful.” And I think this sort of goes hand in hand with some of this toxic positivity we hear all the time as well. You have to be happy all the time. You have to not have stress, you have to sort of have that sort of fan wind blown hair and that everything has to be perfect or there's something really wrong with you.[00:12:24] And what you're pointing out too is this notion of over the course of a day, over the course of a week, over the course of a minute, how our emotions can shift and it's calling into question, this idea of your personality type, you're just a grump and all those different things.[00:12:42] Maybe I'm a grump right now because I just got a parking ticket. But if I actually filled out some of those forms testing my personality an hour or two later, I would probably be in a better mood. All of these, we have so much emodiversity in our days and how things come and go and actually there's evidence to show that people who honor and are able to acknowledge their emodiversity…we have this like binary idea that either people are good or you're bad. You had a good day, or you had a bad day, you're happy or you're sad. Anything that really kind of limits the way we think about our own mental health. It's even the way we think about our loved one's mental health, trying to tease apart the nuance and appreciate the emodiversity that we're handing, like enjoying the laughter through tears.[00:13:28] How we can hold emotions side by side. It's not that either or situation. And the other side of this is this kind of wellbeing industrial complex that is: feeding off of toxic positivity too, this idea that we need to really make these radical changes and transform every single thing we do. Like: we should move neighborhoods. We need to go on vacation for six months. We need to buy this candle or this bubble bath, or this new exercise bike, or all of these wildly expensive and time consuming endeavors that we are kind of constantly told are the only way that the clouds will part and that we will be able to be happier.[00:14:15] And I think that it really frustrates me and it's sort of like a pet peeve as you can tell. I'm getting sort of animated and annoyed by it. But this, this idea that you have to buy it and consume it and carve out all this time for it and that we're kind of missing a lot of these everyday actions that we can take that boost our everyday wellbeing.[00:14:34] Dr. McBride: So let's talk about that. I'm assuming that in your practice you see patients who are experiencing relationship stress, who are experiencing anxiety symptoms, who are having insomnia, who are dealing with substance abuse issues, who are depressed. Obviously you can't speak to every person you see, but what are some common themes that you see in patients where they have more agency than they think they do?[00:15:04] They may think if they just had a different job, everything would be okay, or if they could just take a six month vacation, they'd be okay. Or if they didn't have the mother that they had, they would be okay. And I think what I'm hearing you say is that sometimes radical changes are necessary. Certainly if you're in an abusive relationship or if you're addicted to alcohol, change is appropriate, external change. But sometimes it's a mindset and it's an internal change. And so what are the sort of simple tools that you commonly dispense to your patients? [00:15:37] Dr. Boardman: Well like you're describing, I think these people sort of living in this as soon as space in their head, like as soon as I get this project done, I'm going to start working out. Or like as soon as I deal with this thing with my kid, then I'm going to… And that as soon as can kind of create this, we end up inhabiting this kind of liminal space where this penumbra of just kind of flailing and not really embodying and I, you and I, I think, share this belief in embodied health, kind of actually doing as you say, and acting as you do… wanting to kind of have your intentions align with your actions and I've been really interested in that research of how do you kind of close that intention-action gap. Like we, how do you get from where you are to where you would like to be? And that's such a, I think a common experience for all of us. I just consumed a huge bag of Cadbury mini eggs, like I didn't want to, but there they were.[00:16:38] And there's a limited edition. So that's just the way that it is. But those intentions that we have don't always translate. And so identifying what is the barrier between you and actually the action that you wanna take. And Gabriele Oettingen, who's at NYU, she's been doing a lot of research on mental contrasting, this idea of figuring out what your reality is versus what your hopes are. And as much as maybe it's an American thing, that whole idea of like dream big, think positive, you know, you can manifest your dreams. You wanna manifest that you have lost 20 pounds, or that you're going to the gym all the time.[00:17:21] All of this actually really doesn't help us. And it might feel good at the moment when we're sort of thinking positive, but it really doesn't translate into action usually, and typically, it makes us feel worse when our reality, when we bump up against our reality in some way. And so how do you close that?[00:17:42] And so her research shows with mental contrasting—she calls it using this acronym of WOOP, W-O-O-P. And this is an exercise I think all of your listeners can do, and it, it, it really works. And they've seen it with weight loss, with saving money, with exercise, in relationships, all these different domains where WOOP translates into actionable change because as we know, it's quite hard to sustain change.[00:18:07] We can get somebody to stop smoking for a day, but. A week later, they'll probably go back to it. So here's what whoop is. The W stands for like what is your wish? It has to be something that's intrinsic to you. It's not that something your partner wants you to do, something you care about deeply that aligns with your values. Make it as specific as you can. Like my wish is I would use my phone less when I'm with my kids or whatever that thing is. And then the O stands for, okay, what would be the outcome of that? Like really think about what that outcome would be. I'd feel more connected. I'd feel less pulled in a thousand directions. I'd feel more present. What would that outcome be? And kind of feel it. Literally feel it. And then the next O is, okay, what is the obstacle? You've got to identify the obstacle. Okay. Well, it's always in my hand. Whenever I pick them up from school or whenever I'm sitting at home, it's always next to me. If I'm cooking or at the table, it's always there. [00:19:04] Okay, so you've got your wish, you've got your outcome, you've got your obstacle. The fourth part is what is your plan? How are you gonna deal with this? Okay, I'm going to turn it off when I'm at home, when we're all together, I'm not going to have my phone at the dinner table. Knowing that wish, but also understanding what is getting in the way of that thing, that obstacle and then having a plan around it is much more likely to produce actionable change. And she's shown this in over 35 papers and, and just really shown the positive outcome of doing that. So just thinking positive, it's not gonna get you anywhere. But actually kind of having, contrasting that, thinking positive with that plan and that identification of the obstacle will. [00:19:47] Dr. McBride: I think that's so important. I think what people don't like doing, myself included, is turning the mirror on themselves and looking at hard truths about themselves that they maybe go on their phone because it sort of quiets the noisy brain, or it's sort of a distraction from all the messiness in our internal world, and we haven't thought through what the consequences are, and we think we'll do better in the next day. [00:20:15] And so we do much better liking an Instagram meme that says, think positive than we do at actually looking at our interior and making changes. So like you, I'm particularly interested in that gap between our best intentions and the execution of them, because that's really the most interesting part of my job and the hardest part of my job is helping people start an exercise program, put down the cigarettes, lose the weight they need to lose for their diabetes. And a question I have for you is, because to me a lot of the gap is about self-awareness and sometimes mental health, but not mental illness necessarily. Mental health being defined as really an awareness of our moods, our anxieties, and how are they calibrated to the actual facts in our reality.[00:21:11] And my question is then, how often do you find people not being aware of their own sort of internal barriers? How common is denial and an absence of self-awareness and an absence of wanting to look at people's stories the problem as you try to affect change?[00:21:34] Dr. Boardman: I mean, I think we're all in denial.[00:21:36] Dr. McBride: Yeah, I think we are. I think it's convenient.[00:21:38] Dr. Boardman: Yeah and it serves us really well in the short term. And we're not even meaning, I mean, denial is sort of an unfair way to put it. I think we're trying to live in a different reality than what we're in, or we tell ourselves stories as you know, like, well tomorrow I'll do it, or, today it's somebody's birthday or whatever. There's so many justifications in the moment, but it is at the same time, I think that gap between our intentions and our actions is an annoying feeling. It's what kind of keeps us up at night. Why didn't I? It's a lot of regret and beating oneself up. [00:22:12] Even though maybe we're going through the day putting out lots of fires, I do think there's that lingering sense of, especially in the evening, or especially if you can't sleep at night, of why didn't I, why did I do this? And that sense of when we're not aligning our values with our actions, and it's something that I actually ask patients to do when I first meet them, as in, it's part of that kind of self-awareness tool I think you're describing is to write down or just to think about what are three to five things that you value most. [00:22:47] What matters? What do you care about deeply, what is most meaningful to you? And oftentimes, we're all such busy people, [so we] don't take the time to figure out what those things actually are. And it might be being a good grandparent. It might be taking care of my dog. It might be my health, it might be learning something, whatever that is. [00:23:09] And then I ask them to think about when you last, on Saturday or when you had some free time, how did you spend it? And really trying to kind of break down how they spend their time and how that aligns with what they value most. And ideally trying to create as much overlap as possible between the two.[00:23:32] Because I think when there is this disconnect, even when things don't go the way we hope, that at least I think when you feel like you're embodying those values and they're manifesting in your life, even when things aren't going your way, it kind of creates a bit of an armor around you because you actually feel that you're embodying what you care about most, even if it didn't work out for you.[00:23:53] The other thing is just to remind people, I think we often feel like a failure. [In terms of] I made this commitment, I was going to go to the gym every day this week, and Wednesday just got so busy or whatever. I'm a failure. I'm not gonna start till next week. This idea that every day is an opportunity for a fresh start, even this idea that, oh, I have to wait until this landmark in time… I'm gonna wait till New Year's to stop smoking…[00:24:18] Tomorrow's a new day, and I think you can kind of just try to harness that fresh start effect at any point. We know typically that people who went, who do, and this is Katy Milkman's research, if you do it on a Monday or you do it on your birthday, or you do it the first day of the month, you might have more momentum behind you, which is great, but you know, I also think that every day is a new opportunity, rather than thinking, oh, I just gotta throw this all out. You know what? I'm just gonna have a crazy binge eating weekend and just let it all go, versus, you know what? Tomorrow's a new day. And we're really good at beating ourselves up over the stuff that we didn't do well.[00:24:52] Dr. McBride: Yeah, I mean, I think so many patients that I see who are having a hard time losing weight, exercising more, eating healthy, whatever it is, they lead with a heavy sense of shame and fear in their lives and I'm interested always in pulling back the curtain to figure out what is driving those feelings. Sometimes it's just not doing what they know they should be doing. Sometimes it's pretty simple. It's like, well, I wanna lose weight, but I ate a plate of cookies, so I feel bad about myself. But I think you might agree that there's something deeper going on, and maybe there isn't. I'm not trying to say that everyone's experienced childhood trauma and that pops up at the minute they look at the cookies and they feel bad about that experience and then they binge eat.[00:25:33] I just think that there's, there's something about our stories and our childhoods and our past that holds us back from being honest about ourselves and overlapping, as you said, the intention with the execution and living that sort of authentic life that we wanna lead.[00:25:56] And I wish we had an injection for pulling the walls down of shame. If we could take shame and fear away, we would be… we don't want to take away too much fear, otherwise we'd be walking into traffic and we'd jump off of high dives without water in the pool. We need a little bit of fear and we probably need a little shame too, otherwise we'd be sociopaths. But so many people that I see who are trying to make changes in their lives and live authentically, adhere to the rubric of whatever the meme on Instagram said. They can't execute on their best intentions because they are so ashamed of who they are and the stories they tell themselves.[00:26:36] And that's when I send them to you. That's when I send them to a psychiatrist. Not because they're crazy, but because they're human. And I say, look, I literally say those words and I don't think you're mentally ill. I just want to help mine that space. I could just tell you to do better tomorrow, and I could tell you that you're okay. But I, I think there's something there that I think… I just wish we all had more of a permission to explore those parts of ourselves.[00:27:01] Dr. Boardman: As a psychiatrist, maybe this is weird to say, but sometimes I think we don't need to always be looking under the hood. Maybe just to push back a little bit on this, that there isn't always an explanation… like my mother did this, or whatever that thing is, or this is my comfort food and that's why I do this now, and it is wonderful. I think when you have those light bulb moments, you know that you have this idea of, oh, this is why I do that. But here's the thing. I mean, research shows that it doesn't necessarily translate into behavior change. You might be like, oh, this is why I do that but you're not, you're still not going to make any meaningful, or take any meaningful steps to stop that thing.[00:27:47] It's kind of a cool thing, but it's not necessarily transformative. And so one thing that I'm deeply interested in is this mode of therapy called behavior activation that is really asking people rather than to focus on their emotions or always kind of trying to excavate the past in some way is to just focus on the change, the actual behavior, and then see how that changes the way they feel.[00:28:18] Because I think so much of psychiatry is the whole idea of if you can change how you think and you can change your emotions and your relationship to them, then that's going to change your behavior. And behavior activation kind of flips that on its head and says, oh, if you change what you do, you're going to change the way you feel. And we know that to be the case. If you ask people to, for 30 minutes a day, four days a week walk on a treadmill slowly, it immediately changes their mood. We know that going outdoors, you get this transformation. Even if you're sitting and you're kind of hunched over and then you stand up and you put your shoulders back, you actually feel differently [00:29:00] That idea again of embodied health, what you do changes how you feel, as much as how you feel changes what you do. And I think in psychiatry and therapy, we've been so focused on one side of it and not looking at that kind of more embodied health of the behaviors that are going to impact what you do because we often get wrong a lot of stuff. We think the thing that's gonna make us feel better is not. Like, oh, I had a long day. I'm going to binge watch tv. I'm going to open up my favorite bucket of ice cream and that kind of short term emotional junk food or actual junk food that we indulge in.[00:29:37] But we all know that we had to, the first bite's good, the next one, not so much, you end up feeling worse about these types of things. And they are de-vitalizing, I think of them as like a vampire, as a vitality. And the stuff that makes us feel better is actually when we're learning something, we're actually not just engaging in efforts, sparing activities, we're actually doing something that stretches our minds or stretches our bodies in some way. That's, that's kind of engaging us in some meaningful way. And so, I guess I'm a big fan of doing, not dreaming in some way and engaging and acting and seeing how that makes you feel. And this is research out of Stanford that looks at behaviors and what creates behaviors, it's either motivation. That is something we focus on probably way too much. And it's either a trigger, like you see somebody light up a cigarette and you're like, oh, I want one too. Or it's accessibility, how easy is that behavior? And I think an underrated part of this kind of equation is accessibility and making it easier for people to do the behavior that they want.[00:30:48] Because when we're so focused on motivation, self-control and self-control as we know it comes and it goes. You have it in the morning, you have the best intentions by the afternoon. Somebody puts a plate of cookies in the conference room. You can't help yourself. But if you make it a little bit harder to do that behavior that you don't want to do, like you get rid of those M & M's or you you make it a little easier because you put your sneakers out in front of your bed the night before and you make, so the behavior you want to do easier and the behaviors you don't want to do harder.[00:31:21] And this comes from even a community system standpoint, you create accessible parks, you have lighting, so it's easier for people to walk outdoors. You create attractive staircases for people to be able to use in buildings, all those types of things to make it a little bit more fun and easier and more playful to engage in better behaviors. So I think about, how do I make the behavior that I want to do easier, [and] how do I make the behavior that I don't want to do harder?[00:31:49] Dr. McBride: I love it and I love the pushback. I mean, I love anybody who has an opinion. And I also love anybody who is challenging the popular narrative out there because I think the popular narrative is, and I do subscribe to it in many ways, that excavating our interior is a way to begin that laddering up of health and wellbeing, that understanding our stories can help us make the behavioral change we want to make. But I think you're right, and I see this in patients. Therapy is not a good idea for everybody. It's not necessary and it's not sometimes helpful. It sometimes does harm. And what I mean by that is that, first of all, there are some pretty terrible therapists out there. There's some pretty terrible doctors out there too, and I'm sure I'm terrible on some days of the week.[00:32:40] But also I think that the talking, the thinking, the intellectualizing can, as you're maybe suggesting, distract us from executing on some of the changes that can then feedback and change our thoughts. And I think there's also the potential risk of attributing some of our behaviors to things that aren't actually true in therapy.[00:33:01] So what my observation is is that we have two major schools of therapy as far as I can tell. We have the psychodynamic type of therapy, the sort of psychoanalysis where people are lying on a couch and talking sort of in an open-ended way. And that can be every day and can be week after week after week.[00:33:22] And then you cognitive behavioral therapy where people are trying to change the thoughts and the behavioral patterns that stem from thoughts. And so my question to you is, is this like a third way of thinking about mental health, like not in therapy and just doing the behaviors and sort of societal changes to make behavioral change more easy? Or is it outside of therapy altogether?[00:33:48] Dr. Boardman: I mean my dream is that one day we will all be put out of business. People won't need us and won't need therapists. And I wish this was part of curriculums and students were taught how to activate change and that this started in, in kindergarten and… [00:34:06] There's a third type of therapy. You talked about kind of more the psychodynamic talk therapy and then CBT, which is kind of identifying specific negative thinking patterns such as catastrophizing or engaging in black and white thinking. And then what I'm very interested in, and I think of myself as a positive psychiatrist, is kind of a third really complimentary, not an either or, but it's a both, both and kind of situation is focusing on people's strengths.[00:34:34] What are your strengths, as actually research comparing CBT with strengths-based therapies is what are your top five strengths and there are tests you can do at viacharacter.org, you can take this free test that turns out your top five character strengths. And we know that people who then use their top five strengths in new ways even in a week feel less depressed and less stressed.[00:34:57] We're so good at shining the light on our weaknesses and what we've done badly, but looking at our strengths and how we can harness our strengths. Even to look at, there was a study looking at people who had diabetes. How could they use their strengths to be more, to adhere more to their medication regimens? What were ways to kind of align, not their deficits, but what they're good at? We know even that, I think again, kind of part of psychiatry and therapy has become so interiorized, so fixated on the individual and the inner workings of what's going on in your head. And I think maybe at the expense of looking at the community that they exist within, the fabric of their relationships and a little bit too much of this whole idea that happiness only comes from within.[00:35:43] I'd always argue that it also comes from with. And when we are in a group, a community that is reminding us to take our medication that is there with us, that's helping us use our strengths, it is helping us kind of even where we feel like we are adding value in helping others. I think having a sense of mattering and meaning, it's not just feeling valued, it's also adding value in some way beyond the self. So I do think kind of having a more strengths-based approach to physical illness and mental illness is also really worth our time and our time in the medical profession.[00:36:20] Dr. McBride: Yeah, it resonates with me what you're saying. For example, I was trying to get a patient last week to think about exercising. It's sort of cliche, the doctors tell people to exercise. We all know it's good for everything from diabetes to dementia prevention. And she was beating herself up because she hadn't been exercising and she had put off the appointment to come see me for two weeks because she didn't want to get weighed.[00:36:43] And I reminded her, this is not an appointment you can win or lose. This is just a data point and there's just no shame in the number on the scale on my end. But the way I think we're gonna execute on her in getting some exercise is that we looked back at her childhood. What did she like to do before she had a busy job and three kids and a mortgage and it was dance. And so we looked online and found this dance class in her community that's at the Y and it looks it's not a class that requires designer leggings and an expensive membership. And I was like, just go to one class, just go in the back, wear shorts and just see how it feels.[00:37:24] And she's like, yeah, I remember being just sort of, entranced by the music and just the movement and the sort of the organic, it didn't feel like exercise. It felt like fun. And I'm like, that's it. That's it. Let's lean into the things that are already in your arsenal of tools. And you know, we gravitate to things as children that we like. That's what we do. We don't have this complicated sorting system in our mind. So I said, just try it. And so I think I hear exactly what you're saying, which is that we have so many strengths, but we tend to focus on the negative. [00:37:55] We've also lost a sense of community and kind of collective goodwill, I would say, in the last three years during the pandemic and certainly before that, with all sorts of political unrest and social unrest. And I think there's an intrinsic sort of sense of dis-ease among people. At least I see it in my office. And I think what I hear you saying is that you're just building back a sense of community and a sense of purpose outside of our own selves is important.[00:38:27] Dr. Boardman: Yeah I'm thinking of that study with that looked at asking people to make a New Year's resolution. We know it's very hard to stick to. But those who made kind of individually based ones that were like, I'm going to stop smoking, I'm going to lose weight, versus those that had much more socially oriented resolutions. It was like pro-social, I'm going to walk with my friend once a week. I'm going to meet up with a friend and go to the movies or do a book club. Not only were they going, they were much more likely to stick to it. They were more satisfied over the course of the year. And it was just fun. And I think we have this terrible idea about health is that it has to be punishing and we've got to somehow always be miserable and depriving ourselves. It's full of deprivation and removing that element of joy and others and whatever made you laugh as a child, that you can find things that are fun and that lift you outside of yourself rather than, I think that kind of self immersion that sometimes I think the wellbeing, industrial complex kind of green lights, that's not necessarily healthy. And if anything it can kind of remove us from a lot of those experiences that boost our mental health. [00:39:42] Dr. McBride: I think it's so true. Okay. I have two more questions. One, what do you think the biggest differences are between in-person therapy versus virtual therapy?[00:39:52] Dr. Boardman: Call me old… I definitely, just as a practicing psychiatrist, prefer seeing people in person. I think one has a much better sense of who they are in their presence, in their physicality, and I really enjoy it. I mean, I'm grateful for Zoom. I became, you know, it took me a while to kind of get fluent in Zoom in March 2020, but it happened. And certainly I think with online therapy, accessibility is a good thing. The more people who can access therapy really matters, and people are always trying to look at what's the best type of therapy. The best type of therapy is a therapy where you have a good relationship with the therapist, where you trust them, where you feel safe, where you feel connected.[00:40:34] That's the winning type of therapy. You want to have one argument, I would say, it's just always for quality therapy, not necessarily quantity therapy. I think the idea of being able to constantly text your therapist and actually not speaking to them in real time, I'm not sure about the outcome. I think maybe for younger people, that has been perfectly helpful. There is something though, just to keep in mind. Metabolizing, like when you are having a hard time or something's happened, kind of sitting with those feelings of distress, anger, sadness, frustration, disappointment, and you metabolizing it and knowing that on Tuesday at six o'clock, you're going to maybe address it because it's going to feel really different in the moment versus how it's going to feel, maybe 48 hours or three days later, and sometimes that digested way… and trust yourself, we are human beings. Human beings are supposed to bump into stress, sadness, all these negative emotions. They're information. This is stuff for us to take in and learn from and we don't necessarily need to constantly pick up the phone or text somebody and say, wait, help me. Because I think that really removes agency ultimately and basically suggests that we are ill-equipped to handle these very human experiences.[00:41:52] Dr. McBride: Yeah. As if you can discharge that emotion by texting and putting it on someone else's plate.[00:41:58] Dr. Boardman: Yes. Yes, exactly.[00:42:00] Dr. McBride: So my next question is about medication. There's no kind of short answer to it, but I think we overmedicate people. I think we under-medicate people. It depends on the person. I am a big, big fan of the SSRI medications when appropriate in the right context. What is your general sense of the psycho-pharmacology state of the US right now. I mean, do you see people commonly coming to you who have been on medications that may have been inappropriately prescribed? Do you see people who are just looking for a pill to fix their kind of broken marriage? Do you see it being an asset, a crutch? What's your take?[00:42:39] Dr. Boardman: I mean, I would say all the above. I think our culture is, Hey, I've got a problem. What's the pill for that? I can't sleep. I'm overweight. Whatever that thing is, I need a pill for that. I'm feeling down. And people feel… even like my kid has an earache, I want an antibiotic prescription. I mean whatever those, there's a culture of satisfaction when you walk out of a doctor's office. You feel like it was a job well done when you have that prescription in your hand. And so people are always blaming the doctors for this. I also think it's kind of cultural,  this is the way we've told patients, people to be, they see advertisements all the time for this medication. They go into their doctor requesting that this is going to make me happy. I think of those Paxil ads from the early 2000s of that sad looking blob and then it starts taking Paxil and really happy and like socializing at a party.[00:43:35] And so I worry about the overmedicating even in ADD. But then you also see in certain populations, it's the exact opposite as you're pointing out people who aren't getting the medications that they need for these issues. So it's not a blanket statement at all. So I'm a big believer in always re-looking at that. Especially when somebody has a tackle box of pills that they take for sleep or anxiety or depression. Wait, how long have you been on these pills? Are they doing what we want them to be doing? And what's the dose? Is this just something that you just kind of keep accumulating over time and you just feel sort of safe doing this?[00:44:15] And we also know that it's really hard to get off of antidepressants. It takes time and there's so much research about dosages when you're dialing them up, but not how you dial it down. And people who really feel bad and sometimes they can misinterpret some of their symptoms can feel like depression or anxiety returning when it's actually withdrawal from the medication itself.[00:44:35] there was a big controversial paper that came out a few months ago, maybe you discussed it on the show, looking at these medications and maybe they're not as helpful as we thought they were. We also do know that there are lifestyle changes that when people. You know, exercise a couple of times a week that they can get the, the benefits of being of like an antidepressant essentially in that movement. It also protects young people against depression, which is so important as well. So I think it's one of those things we have to look at individually, and it's kind of a default answer, but it's kind of a case by case basis. And I know people who've been tremendously helped by these medications as well. So I take it very seriously and I really think of the individual involved.[00:45:17] Dr. McBride: Same with me. And I think the downside of the article that came out, I think the one you're talking about is the one that said kind of definitively what we've known for a long time, which is that depression and anxiety are not “chemical imbalances.”[00:45:30] Dr. Boardman: The serotonin hypothesis is debunked.[00:45:33] Dr. McBride: Exactly. It's not the, it's not a serotonin deficit, which is not to say that increasing serotonin with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors cannot help. So I think some people took that study and said, oh, then why the hell am I on this Prozac? And stopped taking it. And then other people sort of used it as ammunition to say, you know, modern psycho-pharmacology broken. As with everything, there's nuance, it's somewhere in the middle and it depends on the individual and it requires listening and curiosity about the human in front of us. So Samantha, I am gonna let you go. You've been so full of information and tools and amazing thoughts, and I'm really excited to kick off Mental Health Month with you on social media and to kind of blitz our shared audiences with practical information to be healthier from the inside out.[00:46:25] Dr. Boardman: Oh, I cannot wait. We're gonna have a great month.[00:46:27] Dr. McBride: It's gonna be fun. Thank you so much for listening, everybody, and sign up for Samantha's newsletter on Substack, it's called The Dose and I love it. I love the graphics, I really love your logo and I love what you're saying in it, and I read it religiously. I'll see you next time![00:46:46] Thank you all for listening to Beyond the Prescription. Please don't forget to subscribe, like, download and share the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you catch your podcasts. I'd be thrilled if you like this episode to rate and review it. And if you have a comment or question, please drop us at info@lucymcbride.com. [00:47:08] The views expressed on this show are entirely my own and do not constitute medical advice for individuals that should be obtained from your personal physician. Get full access to Are You Okay? at lucymcbride.substack.com/subscribe