About this episode

The episode discusses impractical food trends and shares humorous personal stories related to food and workplace interactions.

Episode 193 of the "Play It By Ear" podcast starts with a discussion on the impracticality of Roman numerals and the hosts reminisce about classic comedy bits involving Roman numeral jokes. The main segment focuses on a recent list—"12 Ridiculous Food Trends That Need to Go Away"—where they dissect trends such as mashed potato fries, rainbow-colored foods, slow-cooked skinless chicken breasts, weird pasta recipes, baby shower food etiquette, mug cakes, fake social media recipes, and the overuse of avocado. Each trend sparks a mix of agreement, debate, and personal stories about food preferences and cooking disasters.They also delve into the challenges of social media food presentation, criticizing misleading thumbnails and “cheese pools,” where the visual spectacle can overpower actual enjoyment of food. The episode then shifts to more personal and humorous stories, including preparation for medical procedures, bathroom mishaps, and workplace awkwardness, especially focusing on a story involving a manager and an employee navigating perceived flirting and professional boundaries.### Highlights - [00:10:00] 🍟 Debate on mashed potato fries: crispy exterior with…

Topics covered

• food trends
• social media
• cooking disasters
• personal stories
• humor
• workplace dynamics

Keywords

• food trends
• cooking
• social media
• humor
• personal stories
• workplace
• Roman numerals

Mentioned in this episode

Products: mashed potato fries, rainbow-colored foods, slow-cooked skinless chicken breasts, weird pasta recipes, mug cakes, fake social media recipes, avocado

Books & works: Play It By Ear

More episodes of Play It By Ear

• Episode 202; Random Food Rankings · July 21, 2026 · 1h 12m
• Episode 201: most absurd Gen X toys; TIFU · July 15, 2026 · 1h 51m
• Episode 200: Live at 5 · June 23, 2026 · 3h 13m
• Episode 199: Foods that Americans eat that Europeans find disgusting · June 23, 2026 · 2h 30m
• Episode 197: Worst Chores Bracket Part I · November 13, 2025 · 2h 30m
• Episode 196: 80's and 90's foods making a comeback; Word Teasers Game · November 12, 2025 · 2h 6m

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