Podlet: Can We All Just Act ‘Normal’? | Ep. 108

What happens when your much-anticipated NYC getaway turns into a medical nightmare? Apparently, you discover a whole new side of New York City! 🗽❤️What was supposed to be a fabulous long weekend of sightseeing, Broadway show (w/Ariana Madix!) and introducing Kevin to the Big Apple took a VERY unexpected turn. We're talking excruciating pain, a raging tooth infection, emergency oral surgery, and a face swollen like a chipmunk. 🐿️😳But here's where the story gets good. From hotel staff and dental professionals to complete strangers, New Yorkers showed up in ways Deanna never expected. And despite everything, she even made it to Broadway with an ice pack on her face! 😂In this Podlet, Deanna shares the wild story of her NYC weekend, the incredible kindness she experienced along the way, and why the city that never sleeps just earned a very special place in her heart.👇 Your turn! Have you ever experienced an unexpected act of kindness from a complete stranger? We'd love to hear your story!Send us your thoughts or questions!

Another remake. Another reboot. Are we seriously running out of original ideas? From endless movie franchises and recycled TV shows to fashion trends making their third comeback, it feels like everything old is new again. But is Hollywood playing it safe because familiar stories sell? And are younger generations missing out on the excitement of experiencing something truly original?Of course, the conversation takes a nostalgic turn as Deanna and Ashley debate which classics should NEVER be remade (hands off The NeverEnding Story!) and what they'd actually love to bring back. 📺We're discussing:·       🎬 Are Hollywood studios just afraid to take risks?·       💰 Is nostalgia driving creativity, or killing it?·       📱 Are younger generations getting anything truly original?·       🍿 Which classic movies and shows should NEVER be remade?·       📺 What would we bring back from our childhoods if we could?👇 Your turn! What movie or show should Hollywood NEVER touch again? And what's one thing from the past you'd love to see make a comeback?Send us your thoughts or questions!

Everyone loves saying things were better back in the day. But were they really? Or are we all just romanticizing the past? In Take Us Back! (Or Maybe Don't) | Ep. 109, we're hopping into our imaginary time machine to find out.First up: Wrong Place, Wrong Time. Ashley and Deanna throw each other into some very specific (and sometimes VERY uncomfortable) situations from the 1880s through the 1970s. The catch? We have to figure out what we'd do using ONLY the options available during that time. No modern technology. No 2026 solutions. Just two women trying to navigate life in a completely different era.Then we're settling the ultimate debate: Which Decade Did It Better?🎶 The best music and artists 📺 The most iconic TV shows 📢 The commercials, jingles, and slogans we still remember 👗 The fashion and beauty trends we loved (and regret) 🍔 The best restaurants and fast-food experiences 📱 The products, gadgets, and brands that changed everything 🪩 The most fun decade for going out and socializingSome decades deserve all the hype. Others we're happy to leave in the past.🎧 Listen to Take Us Back! (Or Maybe Don't) | Ep. 109 now! And don't forget to follow Ducks Unplugged wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss an episode.Send us your thoughts or questions!

Apparently, asking a friend to crash for ONE night is rude now. And handing out full-size candy bars on Halloween? Also a problem. 😂🎃Seriously. What is happening?!This week, Deanna surprises Ashley with two things she stumbled across online that left her questioning whether we've completely lost perspective.First, a viral TikTok debate about whether it's rude to ask a friend if you can stay at their place for a night. Is that crossing a boundary, or is helping each other out just part of being a good friend?Then there's the neighborhood association that actually asked residents NOT to hand out full-size Halloween candy bars because it might make other households feel pressured to keep up. 🍫😳Naturally, we have some thoughts.We're debating:🏠 When did asking a friend for a place to crash become rude?🎁 Does staying overnight mean you owe your host a fancy dinner?🎃 Should an HOA get to decide what Halloween candy you hand out?🍬 Have we taken the need to make everything fair a little too far?👇 Tell us what you think! Would you let a friend crash for the night? And would you follow a neighborhood rule banning full-size candy bars?Send us your thoughts or questions!

In this Halloween-inspired episode of Ducks Unplugged, Ashley and Deanna are sharing all the things that scare us—some completely irrational, some surprisingly relatable, and others that probably require a little explanation.We're talking childhood fears that are even MORE terrifying as adults, social situations we'd rather avoid, the scary side of getting older, and those moments so embarrassing we'd consider leaving the country.And then it's time for the return of our annual Halloween game: Build a Brand Monster! 🎃We randomly pair iconic scary characters with brands and have to create a brand-new mascot on the spot. A name, a backstory, maybe even a tagline. No preparation. Just our marketing brains trying to make some very questionable combinations work.Will we create marketing genius or actual nightmares? You'll have to listen to find out.🎧 Listen to Scaredy Ducks! | Ep. 107 now!Then follow Ducks Unplugged wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss another episode.Send us your thoughts or questions!

It's BAAAAACK! 🦆After a little hiatus, one of our favorite Ducks Unplugged segments is making its highly anticipated return: WHAT THE DUCK?!Ashley and Deanna are bringing their best What the Duck?! moments to the table. And of course, Cindy is back to judge who brought the best WTD-worthy moments.Then we're introducing Make It Make Sense, where we challenge each other to defend things we find completely ridiculous. Can we convince each other that something absurd makes sense? Or are we just going to turn this into a Duck Debate?It's a little bit of ranting, a lot of laughing, and plenty of things that make us question humanity (and ourselves).🎧 Listen to It's Baaaaack...What the Duck?! | Ep. 106 now!Then follow Ducks Unplugged wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss another episode.And tell us: What's something that's made YOU say "What the Duck?!" lately?Send us your thoughts or questions!

When did tipping get so confusing? 😂We’re not talking about your server at dinner. Tip them. Tip them WELL.We’re talking about everything else.The coffee shop where someone hands you a muffin and flips the iPad around. Takeout. Furniture delivery. Dog groomers. Hairdressers. Botox. And all the other situations where suddenly you’re staring at a screen asking for 20%, 25%, 30%… while the person stands there watching you decide. 😬So naturally, we tried to figure out the rules.We debate:💳 When should you actually hit “no tip”? 🚚 Who gets tipped for deliveries and services? 💇 If the service itself gets more expensive, should the tip keep getting bigger too? 🛒 Should a $200 grocery order automatically mean a $40 tip?Spoiler: We did NOT solve tipping culture. 😂But we did discover that we're all navigating a completely different tipping world than we were a few years ago, and apparently nobody actually knows what the rules are.👇 So please help us out. Who are you tipping, how much, and where are you finally hitting “NO TIP”?Send us your thoughts or questions!

Apparently, texting has rules now. And nobody gave us the handbook. 😂A period can mean you’re mad. An exclamation point might be required to prove you’re NOT mad. Read receipts can send you into a spiral. And if someone doesn’t text back the same day… are they busy? Ignoring you? Dead? Do they hate you now?!It all started when Deanna’s 18-year-old daughter responded to a text with “ugh, thank you” — and insisted that “ugh” can be POSITIVE. According to Gen Z, apparently we’re just supposed to know this.So naturally, we decided it was time to establish some texting rules.We debate:📱 Does punctuation completely change the tone of a text? 👀 Are read receipts helpful… or psycho? ⏰ How long is TOO long to text someone back? ☎️ And if someone texts you… is calling them immediately a violation?!Somewhere along the way, texting went from convenient to a full-time exercise in decoding tone, managing expectations and wondering if someone is secretly pissed at you.👇 Settle it for us: What’s the ONE texting rule everyone should follow?Send us your thoughts or questions!

Would you REALLY want to know? 👀This week, Erin is pinch-hitting for Ashley - and we’re putting “ignorance is bliss” to the test.If you could know the complete truth about your life - every secret, every lie, what people really think of you AND exactly what your future holds - would you open the envelope… or burn it immediately?From there, things get slightly less existential. Slightly. 😂Would you want to know:💭 What your partner really thinks is your worst quality? 💰 Your exact bank balance 10 years from now? 📱 Every person who has ever unfollowed you AND why? 🕷️ How many spiders have crawled on you while you were sleeping? And so much more!Some answers we wanted immediately. Others? Take them to the grave.👇 Play along with us: What would YOU want to know and what are you taking a hard pass on?Send us your thoughts or questions!

AI is supposed to make our lives easier. So why does it keep making us look like completely different human beings? 😂In this Podlet, Ashley and Deanna are talking about the AI fails that have us questioning just how much we should actually trust the robots. From inaccurate research and generic AI “slop” to companies assuming AI can replace actual humans... we have some concerns.And then there are the photos. Deanna shares what happened when a podcast used AI to alter her headshot without her knowledge — creating a woman who was decidedly NOT Deanna — while Ashley reveals an AI-generated version of herself that looks like she was stung by approximately 400 bees. 😂We’re not anti-AI. We’re pro right time, right place, and PLEASE check your work. And maybe don’t change someone’s entire face without asking them first.Somehow this all ends with Ashley predicting robot extermination and WALL-E becoming a documentary. So... good luck, everyone.👇 Listen and weigh in: What’s the worst AI fail you’ve seen?Send us your thoughts or questions!