December 23, 2024 • 46 mins
DJ and Brad meet up to discuss a completely ridiculous topic: our NOT favorite Christmas stuff. Join us as we talk about the things that annoy us the most during Christmas time! This is purely fun and is not to be taken as critical approach of the holiday which celebrates the birth of Christ. Laugh with us!!!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Last year's Christmas ep was called Favorite Christmas Stuff.
(00:03):
This year we're going to talk about our unfavorite Christmas stuff.
Christmas stuff we hate.
Dude, what if we did that?
We don't say happy Christmas like those people in England.
(00:25):
Like the Europeans do.
Do you want to do an episode not favorite Christmas stuff?
Sure.
Sounds like fun to me.
Yeah, right.
Let the ridiculousness ensue.
All right, here we go.
Welcome. This is the Men Church Stuff Podcast.
(00:59):
This is the show where brothers-in-law DJ Culp and Brad Coleman talk about stuff from our perspective
as men. It's a show for anyone who wants to hear how Christians interact with the world.
And don't worry, we're real. We've grown up in church and we want to share our experiences with
you. We'll talk life stuff, church stuff, man stuff, and stuff stuff. Here we go.
(01:27):
Greetings listeners here and there and everywhere all across the land.
This is the Men Church Stuff Podcast with a very special Christmas episode for you today.
I'm one of your hosts DJ Culp. As always, here with my beloved brother-in-law, Brad Coleman.
Brad, what's up, man?
(01:49):
Just want to make a disclaimer that we love Jesus and we love Christmas before we get started.
Yeah, we do.
I'm a Christmas nut. I do. I love Christmas.
So listeners, today's episode may seem like it might be brought to you by two bottom bug
(02:16):
Ebeneezer Scrooges, but it's not. Last year's Christmas episode is titled Favorite Christmas
Stuff. You should go check it out, episode 29. So in lieu of that, we decided to record
not favorite Christmas stuff.
And I don't really know where this conversation is going to go, so I'm excited about it.
(02:40):
We're going to find out. All right. But hey, Brad, why don't we just go ahead and take care
of this top of the show? What do you think? Yep.
Coffee time.
Coffee time.
Coffee time. It's coffee time.
Let me cue the music here.
All right, listeners, if you're a regular of the show, you know that we have a collaboration
(03:05):
with Green Frog Coffee Company here in Jackson, Tennessee. And if you're not regulars,
you now know that we have a collaboration with Green Frog Coffee Company here in Jackson,
Tennessee. On the North Store, we are going to make our coupon code. Brad?
(03:25):
What should we make it?
Well, I thought you said we were making it Brad.
Brad?
Well, that's weird.
There we go. We can do that. I'm good with that. It's Brad. Today's coupon code.
You're going to say it's Brad.
So if you take the coupon code Brad to the North Green Frog Coffee Company store in Jackson,
(03:49):
Tennessee, all the live long day, you will receive $2 off your order online, in store,
returning customer, repeat customer. Doesn't matter what you do. And I mean, like,
and share it with people. Tell them about the podcast. Let them know, hey, say Brad.
And apparently I'm supposed to say Brad. You're going to get $2 off.
(04:15):
DJ won't let me make up the coupon codes because I would be like, the coupon code is,
I have a coupon code. OK, what is it? I have a coupon code.
I have a coupon code.
That's great. That's great. If you give it to me, I can put it in the system.
Whatever Brad.
I have a coupon code.
Your coupon codes would be something like, Goliath defeated the Philistine Army. You know
(04:38):
like, it wasn't Samson's fault. You know, I mean, those would be your coupon codes.
Second Thessalonians is my favorite book of the Bible.
Coupon code is four. F-O-R.
E.
So, listeners, go to Green Frog Coffee Company. They've got great coffee, great food,
(05:08):
built on Christian values. Brad, why don't you take the next part?
With coffee so good.
A snowman would drink it.
Bam! That's right. All right. So here we go, Brad. We're going to talk about our not
favorite Christmas stuff.
Right.
There's, it almost kind of feels like heretical.
(05:32):
Okay. I'll start. Not favorite Christmas stuff. The amount of money, the amount of money that we spend
on presents.
The amount of money we spend on presents that will never actually be used.
Oh my gosh. Why? Why do my children want these things? You don't care about it.
(05:57):
The amount of money we spend on presents when our kids are just going to play with the box.
I know. I'm so glad that you got this for me, daddy. There. Okay. I'm going to do something
else now. Are you kidding me? You've been saying for four months you want this thing.
And now you got it. Like, what the heck?
I think that's where the Dollar Tree is brilliant. Right? Go get a toy. It's going to break on the
(06:21):
way home, but that's okay. That's as much as they're going to use it anyway.
I've never thought about that. That's fantastic. That's right.
That's a buck 25 well spent.
That's right. I got 30 seconds of glory out of that. All right.
Get home, throw it in the trash. It's done. It has served its purpose. You've got your money's worth.
(06:44):
That's right. All right, Brad. What's one of your not favorite Christmas things?
I think it's no secret. I hate decorating. I love decorations.
Yeah. I mean, if somebody wanted to come in and deck my house out in Christmas, I wouldn't be like,
oh, I'd be like, this is awesome. Are you taking it down? Why would you do that?
(07:07):
Are you taking it down or am I just keeping this up till next Christmas?
That's right. Yeah. Because whether you realize it or not, I have already removed myself from
this equation. So it's up to you. It's like, look, people coming over around
Easter going like, why you got your Christmas decorations up? Oh, well, DJ came and put them
(07:29):
all up. That's right. But I'm just waiting for him to take them down. But I figure a couple more
months might as well just leave them up. Well, here, I'll explain for Brad why he
just doesn't like any of that. Ready? He doesn't care.
I wasn't sure if he was going to go, he's lazy. He's lazy. No, not lazy.
(07:55):
My brain's like, all right, I'm going to put it up and I'm a little bit time blind. So it feels like
the next day. All right, now it's time to take it down. Like, what?
Well, Brad, but we got to be honest, though. Spent 37 hours putting it out so we can enjoy
it for 20 minutes. So you are time blind, but because of your ADHD, you wouldn't actually
(08:16):
finish putting it up. You would start, not finish it, and then take it down.
Which to one of your most recent lines on one of our episodes, which is why the Christmas lights
ditto is right up your alley. That's right. He didn't even finish ditto. It just says dit.
(08:42):
That was too much work. Starting to sound lazy now.
Love Christmas decorations. Hate decorating.
And Brad, you're well aware that when you guys come over this year, our house is going to be
decorated, right? So my next not favorite Christmas thing is I love traffic. I need to say that,
(09:13):
which I know is probably really weird for people. I don't know, DJ, I might lie about other things.
No, I do. So, Brad, going from Milan to Jackson, it's four lanes. Jackson's a
like a very large town. You know, it's, I mean, it's, it's, it's a, so some people, it's a,
(09:34):
it's a city, but it's a really, really small city. But as the traffic increases on the way in, I just,
I do, I enjoy it. I enjoy the vibrancy of cars on the road. It's fun to just kind of be a part of
that unless it's Christmas traffic, because people take stupid pills. People, they're like, oh,
(09:56):
I think some people are addicted to that. But they're, they're driving as if their head wasn't
on their shoulders. It's like, this lane is mine, that lane is mine. I know I'm in a car, but I don't
care. And it's like, what happened, people? I mean, you're not, you weren't necessarily the greatest
(10:17):
drivers ever in the world, but when it comes to Christmas time, I don't know what's going on.
So Christmas traffic annoys me. There.
Most Christmas music.
No, Brad. Oh, my apologies to our listeners.
So my kids and wife, of course, like Christmas music, and then we would be traveling and driving
(10:43):
and, you know, and so they want to listen to Christmas music. And so we have Spotify, we have
Spotify, we have premium. And so a few years ago, I created an album. It's only an hour and 27 minutes.
But it's called Christmas music I don't hate.
(11:05):
And they were allowed to play that on a road trip. In any order that they want, you can,
you can play this. All right. So, all right. Then I have to ask, and our listeners need to know, Brad,
what is your most hated Christmas song? And that, see, that's hard.
(11:29):
There's too many are fighting for the top place, huh? Yeah.
I don't want to be offensive to you, DJ, but like probably like the little drummer boy.
I mean, depending on the version. You're not going to fit me, man.
There's a version that I don't hate by Andy Williams.
(11:54):
Oh, I see. I don't like a lot of his stuff. It's too square.
But like, yeah, I mean, I can, it's just, I don't know. Like I love, I love Christmas.
I love, you know, the holiday. I love the about Jesus, like songs that keep the reason for the season.
(12:17):
I like the silly little songs. Like one of my favorite Christmas songs is by Mal Blanc,
you know, the hat I got for Christmas is too big. I've never heard that one. But we need it.
But Brad, but Brad, we've got to be careful where we're going here because remember we're talking
about not favorite things. Well, I promise you there are some people that will hate that.
So that's my gift to some of you. Yeah. So like, I don't know. I just like most Christmas songs,
(12:47):
most renditions, I think, I think, I think, I think, I think, I think, I think, I think,
I think, is one of the things that I hate too. Like if I like a Christmas song, then I like it
in the version that I know it and the version that I liked it. And so if you are going to change that,
right. And there's a lot of that, right? Like, oh, here's a great Christmas song. Now 42 different
(13:12):
artists are going to do it in 42 different ways. And each one wants to fix something that's not
broken and make it their own. And look, look, there's nothing wrong with Dashing Through the
Snow. It is a good song. Please stop trying to put your spin on it. It's supposed to be classic.
So I think that's probably what I hate more than anything.
(13:34):
No, it's my turn to talk. It's my turn to talk. No, it's my turn to talk.
Yeah. So what Brad is actually saying, listeners, is that Brad doesn't like business meetings.
DJ, this is not a cheap microphone and I almost spit coffee right into it.
(13:57):
Brad hates business meetings.
Where 12 different people have 15 different opinions.
That's right.
It's always that one person that was like it was their idea to do this. But when everybody
else agrees, it's like, you know, I just don't think it's a good idea. It's like, it was your
(14:22):
idea. It was your idea. You've been standing here arguing this.
Well, I didn't think everybody else was going to agree so soon. Now I'm rethinking.
Okay. Well, then that's a wonderful segue into the next thing of my not favorite Christmas stuff.
People that would like to argue that their Christmas traditions are the most important.
(14:43):
I'm not going to take the liberty to expound on that. All I'm going to say is.
You can have a real tree. No, I don't.
No, I don't. Yes, you do. No, I don't.
You got to go cut it yourself. That sounds even worse.
(15:07):
That's right.
I don't like to decorate. This is just decorating with extra steps.
And then after Christmas, you got to figure out what to do with it.
Yeah, I wouldn't even know what to do with the fresh Christmas tree. But no, like the idea of
the idea of Christmas traditions. I really do love that idea. What I don't love is
(15:32):
when people get their panties in a wad that their tradition gets trumped by somebody else's activity.
Or, you know, their tradition now has to now has to happen somewhere else.
Well, who cares? You're still with each other.
(15:52):
No, but no, no, the memory doesn't count. The memory doesn't count unless it's there.
What? Man, what are you smoking? Grow up.
There, there, I'm done.
I think traditions are fun. I think when we start to put stuff,
(16:14):
emphasis on tradition, that's what you're saying. When you start putting emphasis on tradition,
that doesn't need to be there. That's right.
That's when it becomes problematic. You see that in the church all the time.
There's nothing wrong with tradition. But when we make tradition what it's all about.
That's right. Christmas is about Jesus, people.
Yeah, right. Not your eggnog.
It is about Jesus. It is not about the floral decoration standing or sitting in front of the
(16:38):
pulpit. Trust me. No matter how pretty it is. Just enough
lie though. Here's a public service announcement. Poinsettias, real live poinsettias, are deadly
toxic to cats. They're beautiful. Your cats will try to eat them and they will die. So,
(17:00):
save your cats. All right, Bob Barker.
Don't take it. Don't take a poinsettia into your house where your cat can access it
and then wonder why your cat is dead. Brad has warned you.
Beautiful things. Beautiful things sometimes are very dangerous.
(17:21):
I mean, you know this, DJ, right? We're both married.
We are. Beautiful things are very dangerous. Yes, they are.
Yes, they are. Yes.
We love them and we're very- For anybody that is familiar with SNL,
do not taunt Happy Fun Ball. Yes. All right, Brad, you're up to bat there, boss.
(17:43):
I'm up to bat. See, here's one that I, and it's kind of seasonal. I hate that peppermint
flavored stuff is only available during a small window of the year. So, you're a peppermint guy.
Peppermint coffee. I love peppermint. Peppermint mocha, peppermint coffee. I love peppermint.
(18:06):
We go from peppermint everything, which is wonderful, to like, well, you can get a bag
of peppermints like your granny gave out at church. Yeah, that's a really good call.
Which are not all made the same either. No, they are not.
Because sometimes she got like the off brand and it was like, oh my goodness,
didn't anybody test this before? The sinuses are clear. They said peppermint. I'm just kidding.
(18:31):
Or the opposite end of the spectrum. I've had way too many peppermints
that are just like white candy. I mean, there's no flavor.
They realize that the red stripes don't make it peppermint-y, right?
That's right. That's not where the flavor is. I mean, we made a white candy with red stripes on it.
(18:52):
What do you want from us? Yeah, that's a good call.
So, I don't like it that, I don't like sales during Christmas time that are in fact not sales.
Not a fan.
(19:18):
Okay, it was $80, but we're going to mark it up to $100 and give you 20% off.
That's exactly right. Or 22% off. You get it for 78 bucks. Look how much money you're saving.
But I'm not saving anything. With the $2 hidden fee for...
That's right. For shelving. Yeah, for stocking fees. That's right.
(19:43):
Yeah, like, I don't know, man. There's so much of that.
And I mean, I'm certainly not going to get on the rant, though some people might want to hear me
get on a rant. But like, the economic need to feel like you're saving money when you're not.
Yeah. I mean, it's a hook, line, and sinker. It's a bait and switch.
(20:10):
I mean, come on, people. Like you were saying, Brad, do you know how much that was two months ago?
You had a better deal waiting for you back then. But now, I mean, it's basically,
there's so much of it, it's basically scalping tickets.
It's impulse. We're playing on people's impulse. Like, I remember working for Walgreens and we'd
(20:32):
have these end caps. And it was like, look, you have got to have stuff on your end caps that are
gift-like stuff when it's around Christmas. Because, and, you know, Walgreens would be open
to like six, like the store that I worked in at the time was like six o'clock on Christmas Eve.
(20:53):
Or maybe it was even, right, maybe it was even 10. Anyway, like those last five hours,
where Walgreens was going to be the only store that was open until after Christmas.
I bet it was miserable.
Like I worked that one day and it was worse than Black Friday.
Oh gosh, dude.
Like, like you come, like the end caps were gone. Like people were almost trying to buy the end caps
(21:19):
themselves. Like, you know, you can't buy, these shelves aren't for sale.
What about the little hooks? The little fork hook things.
I mean, Walgreens loved it because they made bank.
I bet they did. Yeah.
I mean, like people go, oh, I've got to get these gifts. So it's like teddy bears and
anything that would be kind of in a giftable, whatever thing. I mean, and it would just be gone.
(21:44):
It was almost scary.
Because you, people knew you were the only one left in town. Everybody else was closed.
That's right. We stayed open until regular hours. So it was like 10 o'clock we closed.
Everybody else would close at like six. So from like six to 10, it was a madhouse.
Yeah. So something else, Brad, actually very much along those same lines that I don't like
(22:10):
about Christmas is the facade of, how do I say this? Because I want to say it right.
But it's basically the facade of all of the, like as you were mentioning, all the classic nostalgic Christmas tunes.
So a fact that a lot of people don't know about me is that my actual favorite,
(22:36):
when I say Christmas carol, not a sacred Christmas carol, but just a, you know, like just a winter wonderland and
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Man, you're like all those Christmas carols, Christmas songs.
My favorite one is Silver Bells. And the reason it's Silver Bells is because when I was growing up near Chicago,
I mean, we were a mile south of city limits. So I mean, like it took us probably 35 minutes to actually get downtown.
(23:02):
So I mean, we were a ways. But I mean, it was still definitely suburbs.
But for me, that song, I, when I started to really understand what the words were, I'm like, well, this is,
this is Whiting. Like this is our area. And I loved Silver Bells. When the older that I started getting,
(23:24):
I started realizing, okay, I think Silver Bells might be a little too idealistic here.
There's not that many people, it doesn't seem like that are like hustling and bustling and smiling and
and hugging and greeting. Like, I'm like really freak people out there in Christmas. Like smile.
(23:45):
Yeah, I know. Be in the store and smile. Yeah, back off, back off. I paid for this. What do you want?
You know, when someone says happy holidays, don't get mad. Yeah, I know. And just, just smile,
be like you do. It's okay. Yeah, that's right. Or just, or tell them Merry Christmas, not out of spite.
I mean, it's not like if they say happy holidays, it's fine. You too, Merry Christmas. That's right.
(24:09):
Feliz Navidad. Dad, dad, no. Yes. Listen, I'm from Eastern Kentucky. It's Winda, Pilla,
Feliz Navidad. That's a little too hard. Who has time to say window? Apparently you,
(24:29):
because you just did. Yeah, it was exhausting. It was exhausting. Brad's gotta leave and go
take a nap. Never use that in regular speech. All right, so here's one. I could speak for my wife
on this one, but I'm in agreement with her. Okay. Elf on a Shelf.
(24:50):
Right there with you. Elf on a Shelf. Right there with you. And the insane level that some people go
with Elf on a Shelf. I'm going to tell you, if we were to ever have done Elf on a Shelf,
it would have been the laziest freaking elf. I mean, like he hasn't moved in two weeks.
(25:13):
He's still face down on the countertop. I think he's dead.
I thought we were, oh, are we still doing that? I'd be like, I know, man, this guy.
Like he is just in it. He doesn't want us to. What he's really doing is he's demonstrating
that laziness and sloth is not a good thing. He's playing the long game.
(25:38):
Yes, the long game. I tell you what I love is Elf on a Shelf disasters.
I know those are good. Yeah. I saw one the other day where they had multiple elves,
which I'm like, okay, it's not enough to have an Elf on the Shelf. Now we've got elves on the shelves.
(26:00):
Well, they put them in the oven and mess it like a little marshmallow and they had the before picture.
It was like, oh, it's warm and toasty in here. But apparently somehow the oven got turned on and the
elves, let's just say that it was pretty amazing. I don't know if you know what happens to elves
(26:22):
when they get actually in the oven. I don't know. No. They ain't coming back. They ain't coming back
from that. There's one that I've seen circulating Facebook that Hulk is standing next to the
remains of an elf. It says Hulk Smash and it's just a bunch of candy canes, just crushed up
(26:44):
candy cane where the elf would have been. I will say those are funny. People go crazy though. There
was one that was like, we made elf breakfast for you and they had made spaghetti and dyed it different
colors. And then it was like hanging off, which is like, that's bad enough, but it was like hanging
off the stove because they've made a mess. And it was like, I don't want to decorate. And now you
(27:07):
want me to make a mess? That's right. Blame it on these little elves. That's both parts at once.
And then clean it up. Yeah, that's right. You got to put it all up and then you have to take it all down.
And then eat bad spaghetti. Have you seen Snoop on the stoop?
(27:31):
I prefer Vader on the tater. No, I'm serious, dude. There was a picture where I had a picture of
Toy Darth Vader. Are you serious? It was like Vader on a tater, Hooper on a Hooper. It was like a
stormtrooper sitting on the toilet. Well, dude, Snoop on the stoop is an actual product.
(27:52):
I'm sure it is. Yeah. I don't know. When did Snoop Dogg go from like high, so high that you're like,
look, this is not the example of a guy you want to be to like everybody's grandpa? I don't know.
Like there's a line. No. Like he was at the Olympics. Like he's become like super encouraging.
(28:19):
And what's up with him and Martha Stewart? Like you want to talk about an odd couple?
I'm not saying they're together, but like it's Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito in Twins.
I mean, what's going on right now? Yes, but that was brilliant. That was brilliant. I agree.
Yeah. Well, so I saw this the other day. I don't know if I sent this to you or not.
And it was the argument because there's the argument, is Die Hard a Christmas movie?
(28:43):
Yes, I saw that. You didn't send it to me. Dude, go. This is so beautiful. I love it.
Is it a Christmas movie? And they go all this stuff. No, it's not a Christmas movie because,
and I couldn't do it justice. You guys need to look it up. But basically it's got a love story
and this down on luck guy who's trying to get back with the girl and it all comes together in
(29:08):
the end and it's beautiful. It's not a Christmas movie. It's a Hallmark Christmas movie.
It's a Hallmark Christmas movie. That's right. I want to have, yeah, right. Yeah. Like I would
love to hear Bruce Willis' response to that. So actually that would be my next thing that I hate
about Christmas. There are more corny movies at Christmas time. Now I don't ever watch them,
(29:33):
but I mean, come on people. It's like these are, they're beyond bad. Like there's, what is it?
Chick flicks. Some of them are okay, but most of them are pretty dumb and hokey.
Hallmark Christmas movies make chick flicks look like date night. You know what I mean?
(29:57):
You know, it always made your sister mad. I'd sit there and, you know, cause my mom liked
Hallmark Christmas movies and Tabby does too. And so if they were like starting to watch one
and I would be like, it'd be like five minutes in, I'd be like, well, he's going to end up with
the girl and he's the sleaze bag. And they're like, shut up. But then like an hour and a half
(30:24):
later, it's like, I was right. Wasn't I? Brad, I've got a, I've got a meme on my, on my office
door right now that says Hallmark researchers say that they are close to developing a second movie.
Yeah. I also have, I've also got an, a meme on my door right now that says a moment of silence
(30:48):
for the city, the city suit wearing guy that's about to get dumped for a country pumpkin in
flannel and a Hallmark Christmas movie, because that's what they are.
Well, you know, if you play a Hallmark Christmas movie backwards, then, then the guy who has better
(31:11):
like financial sense gets the girl from the, you know, broke country bumpkin.
So what you're saying is that Hallmark Christmas movies are country music songs played backwards.
That's what you're saying. Yeah. I mean, you know, you play country music, somebody where
(31:32):
you get your car back, get your wife back. Exactly. Right. Yeah.
I once heard it that, I once heard it that, that, that, that hip hop songs are the opposite
of country songs and hip hop is all about I've got my car, I got my, got my gold, I got my girls
(31:54):
and countries. I lost my car. I lost my dog. I lost my girl.
Yeah. This makes me think of, you know, how a Kansas tornado and a East Kentucky divorce
are similar. No. One way or another, somebody's going to lose the trailer.
(32:17):
I'm from Eastern Kentucky. I like to make fun of Eastern Kentucky.
Grew up in a trailer just, just for the record. You don't know.
I love my East Kentucky peeps and most of them would laugh at that joke.
Yes, they would. That's awesome. Brad, what else do you, do you not like about Christmas?
Not favorite Christmas stuff. Not favorite Christmas stuff.
(32:45):
I was thinking, I was like, cause a lot of the stuff that you've talked about, I mean,
minus the traffic. I mean, I hate traffic all the time. Not just, it's like we've hit on a lot.
Fakeness, like the, the plasticity, you know, of it all. And I don't just mean like stuff.
(33:08):
I just mean like people, like being not real. Now I'm all about like, let's, let's be forgiving
and loving on Christmas and joyful and all those things. Those are true, but let's not act like we
are when we're not. Yeah.
(33:29):
That's what I think gets, gets me. Like, I like be true, like let it be a time of great.
Yes. Joy and mercy.
Yeah, right. And forgiveness. And I mean, the whole
reason of the season is that Christ came and, and came into this world that he created and became
(33:49):
human so that he would live and then ultimately die on the cross, pay for our sins. So I mean,
like the, the cradle is so important because of the cross and the empty tomb. But, but I think
it's just, yeah, these, I don't like fake. Like if you don't like me, don't act like you like me.
(34:10):
Right. You're not, you're not
doing me any favors and I can probably tell anyway. Yeah.
So you can see through a lot. Yeah. Like in, also like in that, I think it's just the,
and I think we're very touched, but just the hyperinflated, like you've got to spend so much
on everybody. Yeah. You know, instead of like, I, one of the things I love that you guys have done
(34:33):
a lot is, is the little ornaments and stuff that you make, like the kids. Yeah.
You know, make and, you know, sort of keepsake this little, little memory, you know, hand print
or whatever. And not something that costs you guys an arm and a leg. Right. But it, but it's more
precious than, you know, if you'd have bought a big thing. Yeah. Yeah. So I know I'm pretty sure
(34:59):
I said this on last year's app, but it's been 12 months. So I can say it again. The most,
how do I, how do I word it? The most popular, most, most selling, highest selling single
single of all time is Irving Berlin's White Christmas. He wrote it in 1937, 38, something like that.
(35:27):
And Bing Crosby recorded it, I want to say in 41 or 42. And I mean, Bing Crosby's White Christmas
is one of those classics that, you know, if anyone wants to sing White Christmas, you got some shoes
to fill because Bing Crosby set the standard, right? Set the bar. And far too many people just
try. Yeah. But here's the thing about, about Irving Berlin is in, in the late thirties,
(35:56):
he, he realized, you know, like as a songwriter, trying to, trying to kind of put into words what,
what this Christmas holiday is in America, he took a, you know, he took a look at the American
American landscape and realized in the thirties, this isn't a sacred holiday to the entire nation.
(36:17):
I mean, it's got deep, deep sacred roots clearly, but the way that America celebrates Christmas,
it's a commercial holiday. And somewhere, I don't know where Brad, but you're exactly right.
Somewhere the message became, if you don't spend a crap ton of money on a crap ton of stuff
(36:41):
for a bunch of crap, then the person, you just, you just don't love that person as much as you
might be able to love that. I mean, like it is, it is one of the most, one of the most bogus
messages to be, to be sold. And, and, and one of the things that I love that you and Tabitha do
(37:03):
with your kids, I do, dude, I love it. Our children aren't really, Sharon and I don't think that,
that, that our kids are old enough to really understand this yet, but I'm, but I'm really,
as they get older, I really want to start doing what you guys do. Listeners Brad and Tabitha,
they don't, I mean, they give Christmas presents, but they do like a Christmas experience,
(37:25):
right? You guys, you guys take them, you know, someplace, what you guys, the great Wolf Lodge
or something like that. Isn't that what it's called? Yeah, we've, we've done, you know,
stuff like that. Yeah. I mean, like, it's not, it's not, it's not, it's not a gift that, that is a
consumable item as a product. It's a gift that becomes an experience to share with other people.
(37:52):
So to that point, this, this, this, this is fun, Brad. So listeners, if you're new to the show,
I teach at a small Christian university in Jackson, Tennessee. We're in finals week as,
as we record this. And I had a student ask me after a final that I gave, he said, Dr. Culp,
you know, do you have any big Christmas plans? You know, with Cher's parents now moving back to,
(38:16):
having moved back down to Western Kentucky, we don't have to worry as, as much as I really
am going to miss the trip up to Michigan. We don't have to worry about that, about that trip in that
really long week. We'll make some traffic up for you. We'll find like some road construction and
just let you sit there for a while. I don't like construction, but, but, but this traffic, it's
so good. Well, he asked, you know, do we have any big plans? And I told him, I said, well, you know,
(38:39):
time with my, my wife and kids, that aside, Brad, the time that I am looking forward to the most,
I explained to them, I haven't gotten to see you and Tabitha and the kids in a year. And, and I
told them, that, and listeners, I know I've said this on the show before, but you know what? I'm
going to say it again, because it means this much to me. And it's our show. Last Thanksgiving, not,
(39:04):
so Thanksgiving is 23. Dad, me and Brad all played a game from my childhood that my dad learned,
learned to play when he was in the air force. He introduced it to his dad. And that was really one
of the only outside of fishing that was, that was probably the most, the most tender memories
(39:25):
that I have of my grandpa. When we played that board game called rail baron, which I know I've
mentioned here recently, Brad, what I, what I could tell him was that outside of, outside of
spending time with Shira and, and, and, and our kids, I am looking forward to that more than
anything else. I am so stoked. And this, and this, the reason I'm saying this is because it's that,
(39:50):
it's actually the same premise that you and Tabitha do with, with your kids. I explained to him
rail baron takes hours to play. And so listeners, if you're thinking, coffee, yeah, I know that's,
let's see, that's the thing. That's what the thing, it's not about the game. And, and like,
and if it is, you're like, the game is actually kind of boring. If you're in a game, you're
(40:13):
boring if you're in it for the game, just the game, just the game, because it's a slow game.
But the, this, this particular type of game is about spending time with people. It's about
sitting down. As you mentioned, dude, I can't wait to sip coffee with you and dad, but we, but what,
what we are doing is that we're sitting down, we're sharing life together. We, we are, we're
(40:38):
investing our time in a dumb board game. That's gonna, that's gonna spend a lot of our time,
which means that we are now invested in two and a half hours, three hours of each other's time.
Now, Brad, this is something that really goes first time this has ever happened. When I told
him that there were three students in the room, cause everybody was done. They were about to head
(40:59):
out. They were all loving this. And this particular story, shout out to, shout out to Peter.
Um, he, uh, he said, Dr. Culp, that's, that's the coolest thing. Him and his family every four years
on election year, since before he was born, do the same kind of thing, but with a game called a
landslide. And so we got to share just for that brief minute, we got to share that kind of same
(41:25):
nostalgic, uh, um, you know, memory. And what he told me was that they normally do that, his family,
his family, they normally do to Thanksgiving, but this year they weren't able to get together.
So at Christmas time, he said there, that, that there's as old, it's all beat up, but he doesn't
care because this is the game that every four years that they all play together. And so, um,
(41:48):
they're all going to head to Memphis and get to do that. So like, it was a really cool thing for
me to be able to connect to my students just on that small level. Um, gosh, man, I'm so stoked.
So when this drops, we will be seeing you guys in three days. Man, I'm so excited. I'm so excited.
And on that note listeners, we thank you for the, for, for, for just hanging out with us as we talk
(42:12):
about not favorite Christmas stuff, but as a final note, wrapping back around to what Brad was saying,
you know, about, about not being fake. I love that Christmas does in fact push joy,
that it pushes hope, that it pushes mercy, reconciliation, um, repentance.
(42:39):
And if by chance, if listener, if, if you are this person, if by chance you are someone
who either for the first time or hasn't in a while really experienced and showcased the joy
and hope and mercy of Christ, then let the Christmas season bring you back to that.
(43:00):
To your, to your point, Brad, I don't like fakeness, but one of the things that I do love about Christmas
is that it does, it gives people a really kind of like cultural opportunity to kind of reset that.
But then my, my, my encouragement to anybody listening is this,
and I'm, I can be, I can be just as guilty or more of as anybody else, but when Christmas is over,
(43:26):
we've got to keep that going. There is something about, there is something about the joy that
Jesus brings that goes way beyond a Christmas tree, goes way beyond hanging out with Brad and
Dad playing rail baron. Like the, and this is something that, that I really, Brad, can't wrap
(43:47):
my mind around, that the joy that Christ, that the joy that Christ brings, the joy that Christ has
and gives us, it's beyond comprehension. It's, it's, it's so great and, and redefines
really what joy is. And so to our listeners, Merry Christmas. Happy Christmas. Happy Christmas.
(44:10):
Or as I like to say, Merry Jesus-mas. Merry Jesus-mas. But Merry Christmas, guys.
May it be blessed. Joy to the world. Is that one that you do or do like or don't like?
I like joy to the world. You like joy to the world? Yeah, joy to the world.
I like joy to the world. You like joy to the world? Yeah, joy to the world.
(44:31):
But again, I like those songs more like they were meant to be played in real lives.
Yeah. Not, not like, no, like keep your remix.
I'm sorry. I wasn't listening. Would you? No, no. No, no. What? How did that go again? I can't,
I don't remember. The good thing you can rewind.
(44:55):
That's right. Yeah. Listeners, we love you. Thank you so much for hanging out with us.
Before, before we go, there is a chat in our Facebook group. I, we, Brad and I want to do
a listener episode at the beginning of next year on the reflections of your favorite moments from,
(45:18):
from the show in 2024. Let us know, get up on the Facebook group page, find that chat.
And let us know. I mean, you don't have to go into, into any explanation. It could be even just one
single word, whatever the case is, but let us know what about the show. Did you love the most this
year? And we'll talk about it in a, in a listener app starting next year. But again, listeners, we
(45:42):
love you. Merry Christmas. Happy new year. Happy Jesus. Happy Jesus. Ms. Brad, I love you, man.
I get to see you in a couple of days. All right. That was good. Love you too. Listeners,
we will catch you next time.
Last year's Christmas ep was called Favorite Christmas Stuff.
(00:03):
This year we're going to talk about our unfavorite Christmas stuff.
Christmas stuff we hate.
Dude, what if we did that?
We don't say happy Christmas like those people in England.
(00:25):
Like the Europeans do.
Do you want to do an episode not favorite Christmas stuff?
Sure.
Sounds like fun to me.
Yeah, right.
Let the ridiculousness ensue.
All right, here we go.
Welcome. This is the Men Church Stuff Podcast.
(00:59):
This is the show where brothers-in-law DJ Culp and Brad Coleman talk about stuff from our perspective
as men. It's a show for anyone who wants to hear how Christians interact with the world.
And don't worry, we're real. We've grown up in church and we want to share our experiences with
you. We'll talk life stuff, church stuff, man stuff, and stuff stuff. Here we go.
(01:27):
Greetings listeners here and there and everywhere all across the land.
This is the Men Church Stuff Podcast with a very special Christmas episode for you today.
I'm one of your hosts DJ Culp. As always, here with my beloved brother-in-law, Brad Coleman.
Brad, what's up, man?
(01:49):
Just want to make a disclaimer that we love Jesus and we love Christmas before we get started.
Yeah, we do.
I'm a Christmas nut. I do. I love Christmas.
So listeners, today's episode may seem like it might be brought to you by two bottom bug
(02:16):
Ebeneezer Scrooges, but it's not. Last year's Christmas episode is titled Favorite Christmas
Stuff. You should go check it out, episode 29. So in lieu of that, we decided to record
not favorite Christmas stuff.
And I don't really know where this conversation is going to go, so I'm excited about it.
(02:40):
We're going to find out. All right. But hey, Brad, why don't we just go ahead and take care
of this top of the show? What do you think? Yep.
Coffee time.
Coffee time.
Coffee time. It's coffee time.
Let me cue the music here.
All right, listeners, if you're a regular of the show, you know that we have a collaboration
(03:05):
with Green Frog Coffee Company here in Jackson, Tennessee. And if you're not regulars,
you now know that we have a collaboration with Green Frog Coffee Company here in Jackson,
Tennessee. On the North Store, we are going to make our coupon code. Brad?
(03:25):
What should we make it?
Well, I thought you said we were making it Brad.
Brad?
Well, that's weird.
There we go. We can do that. I'm good with that. It's Brad. Today's coupon code.
You're going to say it's Brad.
So if you take the coupon code Brad to the North Green Frog Coffee Company store in Jackson,
(03:49):
Tennessee, all the live long day, you will receive $2 off your order online, in store,
returning customer, repeat customer. Doesn't matter what you do. And I mean, like,
and share it with people. Tell them about the podcast. Let them know, hey, say Brad.
And apparently I'm supposed to say Brad. You're going to get $2 off.
(04:15):
DJ won't let me make up the coupon codes because I would be like, the coupon code is,
I have a coupon code. OK, what is it? I have a coupon code.
I have a coupon code.
That's great. That's great. If you give it to me, I can put it in the system.
Whatever Brad.
I have a coupon code.
Your coupon codes would be something like, Goliath defeated the Philistine Army. You know
(04:38):
like, it wasn't Samson's fault. You know, I mean, those would be your coupon codes.
Second Thessalonians is my favorite book of the Bible.
Coupon code is four. F-O-R.
E.
So, listeners, go to Green Frog Coffee Company. They've got great coffee, great food,
(05:08):
built on Christian values. Brad, why don't you take the next part?
With coffee so good.
A snowman would drink it.
Bam! That's right. All right. So here we go, Brad. We're going to talk about our not
favorite Christmas stuff.
Right.
There's, it almost kind of feels like heretical.
(05:32):
Okay. I'll start. Not favorite Christmas stuff. The amount of money, the amount of money that we spend
on presents.
The amount of money we spend on presents that will never actually be used.
Oh my gosh. Why? Why do my children want these things? You don't care about it.
(05:57):
The amount of money we spend on presents when our kids are just going to play with the box.
I know. I'm so glad that you got this for me, daddy. There. Okay. I'm going to do something
else now. Are you kidding me? You've been saying for four months you want this thing.
And now you got it. Like, what the heck?
I think that's where the Dollar Tree is brilliant. Right? Go get a toy. It's going to break on the
(06:21):
way home, but that's okay. That's as much as they're going to use it anyway.
I've never thought about that. That's fantastic. That's right.
That's a buck 25 well spent.
That's right. I got 30 seconds of glory out of that. All right.
Get home, throw it in the trash. It's done. It has served its purpose. You've got your money's worth.
(06:44):
That's right. All right, Brad. What's one of your not favorite Christmas things?
I think it's no secret. I hate decorating. I love decorations.
Yeah. I mean, if somebody wanted to come in and deck my house out in Christmas, I wouldn't be like,
oh, I'd be like, this is awesome. Are you taking it down? Why would you do that?
(07:07):
Are you taking it down or am I just keeping this up till next Christmas?
That's right. Yeah. Because whether you realize it or not, I have already removed myself from
this equation. So it's up to you. It's like, look, people coming over around
Easter going like, why you got your Christmas decorations up? Oh, well, DJ came and put them
(07:29):
all up. That's right. But I'm just waiting for him to take them down. But I figure a couple more
months might as well just leave them up. Well, here, I'll explain for Brad why he
just doesn't like any of that. Ready? He doesn't care.
I wasn't sure if he was going to go, he's lazy. He's lazy. No, not lazy.
(07:55):
My brain's like, all right, I'm going to put it up and I'm a little bit time blind. So it feels like
the next day. All right, now it's time to take it down. Like, what?
Well, Brad, but we got to be honest, though. Spent 37 hours putting it out so we can enjoy
it for 20 minutes. So you are time blind, but because of your ADHD, you wouldn't actually
(08:16):
finish putting it up. You would start, not finish it, and then take it down.
Which to one of your most recent lines on one of our episodes, which is why the Christmas lights
ditto is right up your alley. That's right. He didn't even finish ditto. It just says dit.
(08:42):
That was too much work. Starting to sound lazy now.
Love Christmas decorations. Hate decorating.
And Brad, you're well aware that when you guys come over this year, our house is going to be
decorated, right? So my next not favorite Christmas thing is I love traffic. I need to say that,
(09:13):
which I know is probably really weird for people. I don't know, DJ, I might lie about other things.
No, I do. So, Brad, going from Milan to Jackson, it's four lanes. Jackson's a
like a very large town. You know, it's, I mean, it's, it's, it's a, so some people, it's a,
(09:34):
it's a city, but it's a really, really small city. But as the traffic increases on the way in, I just,
I do, I enjoy it. I enjoy the vibrancy of cars on the road. It's fun to just kind of be a part of
that unless it's Christmas traffic, because people take stupid pills. People, they're like, oh,
(09:56):
I think some people are addicted to that. But they're, they're driving as if their head wasn't
on their shoulders. It's like, this lane is mine, that lane is mine. I know I'm in a car, but I don't
care. And it's like, what happened, people? I mean, you're not, you weren't necessarily the greatest
(10:17):
drivers ever in the world, but when it comes to Christmas time, I don't know what's going on.
So Christmas traffic annoys me. There.
Most Christmas music.
No, Brad. Oh, my apologies to our listeners.
So my kids and wife, of course, like Christmas music, and then we would be traveling and driving
(10:43):
and, you know, and so they want to listen to Christmas music. And so we have Spotify, we have
Spotify, we have premium. And so a few years ago, I created an album. It's only an hour and 27 minutes.
But it's called Christmas music I don't hate.
(11:05):
And they were allowed to play that on a road trip. In any order that they want, you can,
you can play this. All right. So, all right. Then I have to ask, and our listeners need to know, Brad,
what is your most hated Christmas song? And that, see, that's hard.
(11:29):
There's too many are fighting for the top place, huh? Yeah.
I don't want to be offensive to you, DJ, but like probably like the little drummer boy.
I mean, depending on the version. You're not going to fit me, man.
There's a version that I don't hate by Andy Williams.
(11:54):
Oh, I see. I don't like a lot of his stuff. It's too square.
But like, yeah, I mean, I can, it's just, I don't know. Like I love, I love Christmas.
I love, you know, the holiday. I love the about Jesus, like songs that keep the reason for the season.
(12:17):
I like the silly little songs. Like one of my favorite Christmas songs is by Mal Blanc,
you know, the hat I got for Christmas is too big. I've never heard that one. But we need it.
But Brad, but Brad, we've got to be careful where we're going here because remember we're talking
about not favorite things. Well, I promise you there are some people that will hate that.
So that's my gift to some of you. Yeah. So like, I don't know. I just like most Christmas songs,
(12:47):
most renditions, I think, I think, I think, I think, I think, I think, I think, I think,
I think, is one of the things that I hate too. Like if I like a Christmas song, then I like it
in the version that I know it and the version that I liked it. And so if you are going to change that,
right. And there's a lot of that, right? Like, oh, here's a great Christmas song. Now 42 different
(13:12):
artists are going to do it in 42 different ways. And each one wants to fix something that's not
broken and make it their own. And look, look, there's nothing wrong with Dashing Through the
Snow. It is a good song. Please stop trying to put your spin on it. It's supposed to be classic.
So I think that's probably what I hate more than anything.
(13:34):
No, it's my turn to talk. It's my turn to talk. No, it's my turn to talk.
Yeah. So what Brad is actually saying, listeners, is that Brad doesn't like business meetings.
DJ, this is not a cheap microphone and I almost spit coffee right into it.
(13:57):
Brad hates business meetings.
Where 12 different people have 15 different opinions.
That's right.
It's always that one person that was like it was their idea to do this. But when everybody
else agrees, it's like, you know, I just don't think it's a good idea. It's like, it was your
(14:22):
idea. It was your idea. You've been standing here arguing this.
Well, I didn't think everybody else was going to agree so soon. Now I'm rethinking.
Okay. Well, then that's a wonderful segue into the next thing of my not favorite Christmas stuff.
People that would like to argue that their Christmas traditions are the most important.
(14:43):
I'm not going to take the liberty to expound on that. All I'm going to say is.
You can have a real tree. No, I don't.
No, I don't. Yes, you do. No, I don't.
You got to go cut it yourself. That sounds even worse.
(15:07):
That's right.
I don't like to decorate. This is just decorating with extra steps.
And then after Christmas, you got to figure out what to do with it.
Yeah, I wouldn't even know what to do with the fresh Christmas tree. But no, like the idea of
the idea of Christmas traditions. I really do love that idea. What I don't love is
(15:32):
when people get their panties in a wad that their tradition gets trumped by somebody else's activity.
Or, you know, their tradition now has to now has to happen somewhere else.
Well, who cares? You're still with each other.
(15:52):
No, but no, no, the memory doesn't count. The memory doesn't count unless it's there.
What? Man, what are you smoking? Grow up.
There, there, I'm done.
I think traditions are fun. I think when we start to put stuff,
(16:14):
emphasis on tradition, that's what you're saying. When you start putting emphasis on tradition,
that doesn't need to be there. That's right.
That's when it becomes problematic. You see that in the church all the time.
There's nothing wrong with tradition. But when we make tradition what it's all about.
That's right. Christmas is about Jesus, people.
Yeah, right. Not your eggnog.
It is about Jesus. It is not about the floral decoration standing or sitting in front of the
(16:38):
pulpit. Trust me. No matter how pretty it is. Just enough
lie though. Here's a public service announcement. Poinsettias, real live poinsettias, are deadly
toxic to cats. They're beautiful. Your cats will try to eat them and they will die. So,
(17:00):
save your cats. All right, Bob Barker.
Don't take it. Don't take a poinsettia into your house where your cat can access it
and then wonder why your cat is dead. Brad has warned you.
Beautiful things. Beautiful things sometimes are very dangerous.
(17:21):
I mean, you know this, DJ, right? We're both married.
We are. Beautiful things are very dangerous. Yes, they are.
Yes, they are. Yes.
We love them and we're very- For anybody that is familiar with SNL,
do not taunt Happy Fun Ball. Yes. All right, Brad, you're up to bat there, boss.
(17:43):
I'm up to bat. See, here's one that I, and it's kind of seasonal. I hate that peppermint
flavored stuff is only available during a small window of the year. So, you're a peppermint guy.
Peppermint coffee. I love peppermint. Peppermint mocha, peppermint coffee. I love peppermint.
(18:06):
We go from peppermint everything, which is wonderful, to like, well, you can get a bag
of peppermints like your granny gave out at church. Yeah, that's a really good call.
Which are not all made the same either. No, they are not.
Because sometimes she got like the off brand and it was like, oh my goodness,
didn't anybody test this before? The sinuses are clear. They said peppermint. I'm just kidding.
(18:31):
Or the opposite end of the spectrum. I've had way too many peppermints
that are just like white candy. I mean, there's no flavor.
They realize that the red stripes don't make it peppermint-y, right?
That's right. That's not where the flavor is. I mean, we made a white candy with red stripes on it.
(18:52):
What do you want from us? Yeah, that's a good call.
So, I don't like it that, I don't like sales during Christmas time that are in fact not sales.
Not a fan.
(19:18):
Okay, it was $80, but we're going to mark it up to $100 and give you 20% off.
That's exactly right. Or 22% off. You get it for 78 bucks. Look how much money you're saving.
But I'm not saving anything. With the $2 hidden fee for...
That's right. For shelving. Yeah, for stocking fees. That's right.
(19:43):
Yeah, like, I don't know, man. There's so much of that.
And I mean, I'm certainly not going to get on the rant, though some people might want to hear me
get on a rant. But like, the economic need to feel like you're saving money when you're not.
Yeah. I mean, it's a hook, line, and sinker. It's a bait and switch.
(20:10):
I mean, come on, people. Like you were saying, Brad, do you know how much that was two months ago?
You had a better deal waiting for you back then. But now, I mean, it's basically,
there's so much of it, it's basically scalping tickets.
It's impulse. We're playing on people's impulse. Like, I remember working for Walgreens and we'd
(20:32):
have these end caps. And it was like, look, you have got to have stuff on your end caps that are
gift-like stuff when it's around Christmas. Because, and, you know, Walgreens would be open
to like six, like the store that I worked in at the time was like six o'clock on Christmas Eve.
(20:53):
Or maybe it was even, right, maybe it was even 10. Anyway, like those last five hours,
where Walgreens was going to be the only store that was open until after Christmas.
I bet it was miserable.
Like I worked that one day and it was worse than Black Friday.
Oh gosh, dude.
Like, like you come, like the end caps were gone. Like people were almost trying to buy the end caps
(21:19):
themselves. Like, you know, you can't buy, these shelves aren't for sale.
What about the little hooks? The little fork hook things.
I mean, Walgreens loved it because they made bank.
I bet they did. Yeah.
I mean, like people go, oh, I've got to get these gifts. So it's like teddy bears and
anything that would be kind of in a giftable, whatever thing. I mean, and it would just be gone.
(21:44):
It was almost scary.
Because you, people knew you were the only one left in town. Everybody else was closed.
That's right. We stayed open until regular hours. So it was like 10 o'clock we closed.
Everybody else would close at like six. So from like six to 10, it was a madhouse.
Yeah. So something else, Brad, actually very much along those same lines that I don't like
(22:10):
about Christmas is the facade of, how do I say this? Because I want to say it right.
But it's basically the facade of all of the, like as you were mentioning, all the classic nostalgic Christmas tunes.
So a fact that a lot of people don't know about me is that my actual favorite,
(22:36):
when I say Christmas carol, not a sacred Christmas carol, but just a, you know, like just a winter wonderland and
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Man, you're like all those Christmas carols, Christmas songs.
My favorite one is Silver Bells. And the reason it's Silver Bells is because when I was growing up near Chicago,
I mean, we were a mile south of city limits. So I mean, like it took us probably 35 minutes to actually get downtown.
(23:02):
So I mean, we were a ways. But I mean, it was still definitely suburbs.
But for me, that song, I, when I started to really understand what the words were, I'm like, well, this is,
this is Whiting. Like this is our area. And I loved Silver Bells. When the older that I started getting,
(23:24):
I started realizing, okay, I think Silver Bells might be a little too idealistic here.
There's not that many people, it doesn't seem like that are like hustling and bustling and smiling and
and hugging and greeting. Like, I'm like really freak people out there in Christmas. Like smile.
(23:45):
Yeah, I know. Be in the store and smile. Yeah, back off, back off. I paid for this. What do you want?
You know, when someone says happy holidays, don't get mad. Yeah, I know. And just, just smile,
be like you do. It's okay. Yeah, that's right. Or just, or tell them Merry Christmas, not out of spite.
I mean, it's not like if they say happy holidays, it's fine. You too, Merry Christmas. That's right.
(24:09):
Feliz Navidad. Dad, dad, no. Yes. Listen, I'm from Eastern Kentucky. It's Winda, Pilla,
Feliz Navidad. That's a little too hard. Who has time to say window? Apparently you,
(24:29):
because you just did. Yeah, it was exhausting. It was exhausting. Brad's gotta leave and go
take a nap. Never use that in regular speech. All right, so here's one. I could speak for my wife
on this one, but I'm in agreement with her. Okay. Elf on a Shelf.
(24:50):
Right there with you. Elf on a Shelf. Right there with you. And the insane level that some people go
with Elf on a Shelf. I'm going to tell you, if we were to ever have done Elf on a Shelf,
it would have been the laziest freaking elf. I mean, like he hasn't moved in two weeks.
(25:13):
He's still face down on the countertop. I think he's dead.
I thought we were, oh, are we still doing that? I'd be like, I know, man, this guy.
Like he is just in it. He doesn't want us to. What he's really doing is he's demonstrating
that laziness and sloth is not a good thing. He's playing the long game.
(25:38):
Yes, the long game. I tell you what I love is Elf on a Shelf disasters.
I know those are good. Yeah. I saw one the other day where they had multiple elves,
which I'm like, okay, it's not enough to have an Elf on the Shelf. Now we've got elves on the shelves.
(26:00):
Well, they put them in the oven and mess it like a little marshmallow and they had the before picture.
It was like, oh, it's warm and toasty in here. But apparently somehow the oven got turned on and the
elves, let's just say that it was pretty amazing. I don't know if you know what happens to elves
(26:22):
when they get actually in the oven. I don't know. No. They ain't coming back. They ain't coming back
from that. There's one that I've seen circulating Facebook that Hulk is standing next to the
remains of an elf. It says Hulk Smash and it's just a bunch of candy canes, just crushed up
(26:44):
candy cane where the elf would have been. I will say those are funny. People go crazy though. There
was one that was like, we made elf breakfast for you and they had made spaghetti and dyed it different
colors. And then it was like hanging off, which is like, that's bad enough, but it was like hanging
off the stove because they've made a mess. And it was like, I don't want to decorate. And now you
(27:07):
want me to make a mess? That's right. Blame it on these little elves. That's both parts at once.
And then clean it up. Yeah, that's right. You got to put it all up and then you have to take it all down.
And then eat bad spaghetti. Have you seen Snoop on the stoop?
(27:31):
I prefer Vader on the tater. No, I'm serious, dude. There was a picture where I had a picture of
Toy Darth Vader. Are you serious? It was like Vader on a tater, Hooper on a Hooper. It was like a
stormtrooper sitting on the toilet. Well, dude, Snoop on the stoop is an actual product.
(27:52):
I'm sure it is. Yeah. I don't know. When did Snoop Dogg go from like high, so high that you're like,
look, this is not the example of a guy you want to be to like everybody's grandpa? I don't know.
Like there's a line. No. Like he was at the Olympics. Like he's become like super encouraging.
(28:19):
And what's up with him and Martha Stewart? Like you want to talk about an odd couple?
I'm not saying they're together, but like it's Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito in Twins.
I mean, what's going on right now? Yes, but that was brilliant. That was brilliant. I agree.
Yeah. Well, so I saw this the other day. I don't know if I sent this to you or not.
And it was the argument because there's the argument, is Die Hard a Christmas movie?
(28:43):
Yes, I saw that. You didn't send it to me. Dude, go. This is so beautiful. I love it.
Is it a Christmas movie? And they go all this stuff. No, it's not a Christmas movie because,
and I couldn't do it justice. You guys need to look it up. But basically it's got a love story
and this down on luck guy who's trying to get back with the girl and it all comes together in
(29:08):
the end and it's beautiful. It's not a Christmas movie. It's a Hallmark Christmas movie.
It's a Hallmark Christmas movie. That's right. I want to have, yeah, right. Yeah. Like I would
love to hear Bruce Willis' response to that. So actually that would be my next thing that I hate
about Christmas. There are more corny movies at Christmas time. Now I don't ever watch them,
(29:33):
but I mean, come on people. It's like these are, they're beyond bad. Like there's, what is it?
Chick flicks. Some of them are okay, but most of them are pretty dumb and hokey.
Hallmark Christmas movies make chick flicks look like date night. You know what I mean?
(29:57):
You know, it always made your sister mad. I'd sit there and, you know, cause my mom liked
Hallmark Christmas movies and Tabby does too. And so if they were like starting to watch one
and I would be like, it'd be like five minutes in, I'd be like, well, he's going to end up with
the girl and he's the sleaze bag. And they're like, shut up. But then like an hour and a half
(30:24):
later, it's like, I was right. Wasn't I? Brad, I've got a, I've got a meme on my, on my office
door right now that says Hallmark researchers say that they are close to developing a second movie.
Yeah. I also have, I've also got an, a meme on my door right now that says a moment of silence
(30:48):
for the city, the city suit wearing guy that's about to get dumped for a country pumpkin in
flannel and a Hallmark Christmas movie, because that's what they are.
Well, you know, if you play a Hallmark Christmas movie backwards, then, then the guy who has better
(31:11):
like financial sense gets the girl from the, you know, broke country bumpkin.
So what you're saying is that Hallmark Christmas movies are country music songs played backwards.
That's what you're saying. Yeah. I mean, you know, you play country music, somebody where
(31:32):
you get your car back, get your wife back. Exactly. Right. Yeah.
I once heard it that, I once heard it that, that, that, that hip hop songs are the opposite
of country songs and hip hop is all about I've got my car, I got my, got my gold, I got my girls
(31:54):
and countries. I lost my car. I lost my dog. I lost my girl.
Yeah. This makes me think of, you know, how a Kansas tornado and a East Kentucky divorce
are similar. No. One way or another, somebody's going to lose the trailer.
(32:17):
I'm from Eastern Kentucky. I like to make fun of Eastern Kentucky.
Grew up in a trailer just, just for the record. You don't know.
I love my East Kentucky peeps and most of them would laugh at that joke.
Yes, they would. That's awesome. Brad, what else do you, do you not like about Christmas?
Not favorite Christmas stuff. Not favorite Christmas stuff.
(32:45):
I was thinking, I was like, cause a lot of the stuff that you've talked about, I mean,
minus the traffic. I mean, I hate traffic all the time. Not just, it's like we've hit on a lot.
Fakeness, like the, the plasticity, you know, of it all. And I don't just mean like stuff.
(33:08):
I just mean like people, like being not real. Now I'm all about like, let's, let's be forgiving
and loving on Christmas and joyful and all those things. Those are true, but let's not act like we
are when we're not. Yeah.
(33:29):
That's what I think gets, gets me. Like, I like be true, like let it be a time of great.
Yes. Joy and mercy.
Yeah, right. And forgiveness. And I mean, the whole
reason of the season is that Christ came and, and came into this world that he created and became
(33:49):
human so that he would live and then ultimately die on the cross, pay for our sins. So I mean,
like the, the cradle is so important because of the cross and the empty tomb. But, but I think
it's just, yeah, these, I don't like fake. Like if you don't like me, don't act like you like me.
(34:10):
Right. You're not, you're not
doing me any favors and I can probably tell anyway. Yeah.
So you can see through a lot. Yeah. Like in, also like in that, I think it's just the,
and I think we're very touched, but just the hyperinflated, like you've got to spend so much
on everybody. Yeah. You know, instead of like, I, one of the things I love that you guys have done
(34:33):
a lot is, is the little ornaments and stuff that you make, like the kids. Yeah.
You know, make and, you know, sort of keepsake this little, little memory, you know, hand print
or whatever. And not something that costs you guys an arm and a leg. Right. But it, but it's more
precious than, you know, if you'd have bought a big thing. Yeah. Yeah. So I know I'm pretty sure
(34:59):
I said this on last year's app, but it's been 12 months. So I can say it again. The most,
how do I, how do I word it? The most popular, most, most selling, highest selling single
single of all time is Irving Berlin's White Christmas. He wrote it in 1937, 38, something like that.
(35:27):
And Bing Crosby recorded it, I want to say in 41 or 42. And I mean, Bing Crosby's White Christmas
is one of those classics that, you know, if anyone wants to sing White Christmas, you got some shoes
to fill because Bing Crosby set the standard, right? Set the bar. And far too many people just
try. Yeah. But here's the thing about, about Irving Berlin is in, in the late thirties,
(35:56):
he, he realized, you know, like as a songwriter, trying to, trying to kind of put into words what,
what this Christmas holiday is in America, he took a, you know, he took a look at the American
American landscape and realized in the thirties, this isn't a sacred holiday to the entire nation.
(36:17):
I mean, it's got deep, deep sacred roots clearly, but the way that America celebrates Christmas,
it's a commercial holiday. And somewhere, I don't know where Brad, but you're exactly right.
Somewhere the message became, if you don't spend a crap ton of money on a crap ton of stuff
(36:41):
for a bunch of crap, then the person, you just, you just don't love that person as much as you
might be able to love that. I mean, like it is, it is one of the most, one of the most bogus
messages to be, to be sold. And, and, and one of the things that I love that you and Tabitha do
(37:03):
with your kids, I do, dude, I love it. Our children aren't really, Sharon and I don't think that,
that, that our kids are old enough to really understand this yet, but I'm, but I'm really,
as they get older, I really want to start doing what you guys do. Listeners Brad and Tabitha,
they don't, I mean, they give Christmas presents, but they do like a Christmas experience,
(37:25):
right? You guys, you guys take them, you know, someplace, what you guys, the great Wolf Lodge
or something like that. Isn't that what it's called? Yeah, we've, we've done, you know,
stuff like that. Yeah. I mean, like, it's not, it's not, it's not, it's not a gift that, that is a
consumable item as a product. It's a gift that becomes an experience to share with other people.
(37:52):
So to that point, this, this, this, this is fun, Brad. So listeners, if you're new to the show,
I teach at a small Christian university in Jackson, Tennessee. We're in finals week as,
as we record this. And I had a student ask me after a final that I gave, he said, Dr. Culp,
you know, do you have any big Christmas plans? You know, with Cher's parents now moving back to,
(38:16):
having moved back down to Western Kentucky, we don't have to worry as, as much as I really
am going to miss the trip up to Michigan. We don't have to worry about that, about that trip in that
really long week. We'll make some traffic up for you. We'll find like some road construction and
just let you sit there for a while. I don't like construction, but, but, but this traffic, it's
so good. Well, he asked, you know, do we have any big plans? And I told him, I said, well, you know,
(38:39):
time with my, my wife and kids, that aside, Brad, the time that I am looking forward to the most,
I explained to them, I haven't gotten to see you and Tabitha and the kids in a year. And, and I
told them, that, and listeners, I know I've said this on the show before, but you know what? I'm
going to say it again, because it means this much to me. And it's our show. Last Thanksgiving, not,
(39:04):
so Thanksgiving is 23. Dad, me and Brad all played a game from my childhood that my dad learned,
learned to play when he was in the air force. He introduced it to his dad. And that was really one
of the only outside of fishing that was, that was probably the most, the most tender memories
(39:25):
that I have of my grandpa. When we played that board game called rail baron, which I know I've
mentioned here recently, Brad, what I, what I could tell him was that outside of, outside of
spending time with Shira and, and, and, and our kids, I am looking forward to that more than
anything else. I am so stoked. And this, and this, the reason I'm saying this is because it's that,
(39:50):
it's actually the same premise that you and Tabitha do with, with your kids. I explained to him
rail baron takes hours to play. And so listeners, if you're thinking, coffee, yeah, I know that's,
let's see, that's the thing. That's what the thing, it's not about the game. And, and like,
and if it is, you're like, the game is actually kind of boring. If you're in a game, you're
(40:13):
boring if you're in it for the game, just the game, just the game, because it's a slow game.
But the, this, this particular type of game is about spending time with people. It's about
sitting down. As you mentioned, dude, I can't wait to sip coffee with you and dad, but we, but what,
what we are doing is that we're sitting down, we're sharing life together. We, we are, we're
(40:38):
investing our time in a dumb board game. That's gonna, that's gonna spend a lot of our time,
which means that we are now invested in two and a half hours, three hours of each other's time.
Now, Brad, this is something that really goes first time this has ever happened. When I told
him that there were three students in the room, cause everybody was done. They were about to head
(40:59):
out. They were all loving this. And this particular story, shout out to, shout out to Peter.
Um, he, uh, he said, Dr. Culp, that's, that's the coolest thing. Him and his family every four years
on election year, since before he was born, do the same kind of thing, but with a game called a
landslide. And so we got to share just for that brief minute, we got to share that kind of same
(41:25):
nostalgic, uh, um, you know, memory. And what he told me was that they normally do that, his family,
his family, they normally do to Thanksgiving, but this year they weren't able to get together.
So at Christmas time, he said there, that, that there's as old, it's all beat up, but he doesn't
care because this is the game that every four years that they all play together. And so, um,
(41:48):
they're all going to head to Memphis and get to do that. So like, it was a really cool thing for
me to be able to connect to my students just on that small level. Um, gosh, man, I'm so stoked.
So when this drops, we will be seeing you guys in three days. Man, I'm so excited. I'm so excited.
And on that note listeners, we thank you for the, for, for, for just hanging out with us as we talk
(42:12):
about not favorite Christmas stuff, but as a final note, wrapping back around to what Brad was saying,
you know, about, about not being fake. I love that Christmas does in fact push joy,
that it pushes hope, that it pushes mercy, reconciliation, um, repentance.
(42:39):
And if by chance, if listener, if, if you are this person, if by chance you are someone
who either for the first time or hasn't in a while really experienced and showcased the joy
and hope and mercy of Christ, then let the Christmas season bring you back to that.
(43:00):
To your, to your point, Brad, I don't like fakeness, but one of the things that I do love about Christmas
is that it does, it gives people a really kind of like cultural opportunity to kind of reset that.
But then my, my, my encouragement to anybody listening is this,
and I'm, I can be, I can be just as guilty or more of as anybody else, but when Christmas is over,
(43:26):
we've got to keep that going. There is something about, there is something about the joy that
Jesus brings that goes way beyond a Christmas tree, goes way beyond hanging out with Brad and
Dad playing rail baron. Like the, and this is something that, that I really, Brad, can't wrap
(43:47):
my mind around, that the joy that Christ, that the joy that Christ brings, the joy that Christ has
and gives us, it's beyond comprehension. It's, it's, it's so great and, and redefines
really what joy is. And so to our listeners, Merry Christmas. Happy Christmas. Happy Christmas.
(44:10):
Or as I like to say, Merry Jesus-mas. Merry Jesus-mas. But Merry Christmas, guys.
May it be blessed. Joy to the world. Is that one that you do or do like or don't like?
I like joy to the world. You like joy to the world? Yeah, joy to the world.
I like joy to the world. You like joy to the world? Yeah, joy to the world.
(44:31):
But again, I like those songs more like they were meant to be played in real lives.
Yeah. Not, not like, no, like keep your remix.
I'm sorry. I wasn't listening. Would you? No, no. No, no. What? How did that go again? I can't,
I don't remember. The good thing you can rewind.
(44:55):
That's right. Yeah. Listeners, we love you. Thank you so much for hanging out with us.
Before, before we go, there is a chat in our Facebook group. I, we, Brad and I want to do
a listener episode at the beginning of next year on the reflections of your favorite moments from,
(45:18):
from the show in 2024. Let us know, get up on the Facebook group page, find that chat.
And let us know. I mean, you don't have to go into, into any explanation. It could be even just one
single word, whatever the case is, but let us know what about the show. Did you love the most this
year? And we'll talk about it in a, in a listener app starting next year. But again, listeners, we
(45:42):
love you. Merry Christmas. Happy new year. Happy Jesus. Happy Jesus. Ms. Brad, I love you, man.
I get to see you in a couple of days. All right. That was good. Love you too. Listeners,
we will catch you next time.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!