Put on your finest frills because today’s debate is an accessory argument for the ages. It’s nail polish vs. sunglasses! Forever Ago producer Nico Gonzalez Wisler fights tooth and nail polish for magnificent manicures, while Articles of Interest producer and host Avery Trufelman reps ray-reflecting sunglasses. Which team will take the crown?
Vote below for the team YOU think won!
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Audio Transcript
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WOMAN: From the brains behind Brains On, its Smash Boom Best--
WOMAN 2: The show for people with big opinions.
MOLLY BLOOM: Hi, I'm Molly Bloom, and this is Smash Boom Best, the show where we take two things, smash them together, and ask you to decide which one is best. Today's debate is chock full of drip, swag, saw, swank, Hilary Swank swagoo, fit, steez, and so much style. Find a mirror and check your looks because it's nail polish versus sunglasses. We've got Forever Ago producer Nico Gonzalez Wisler here to defend nail polish.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Here to wipe and polish floor with sunglasses.
MOLLY BLOOM: [CHUCKLES] And Articles of Interest producer and host Avery Trufelman in the house to duke it out for Team Sunglasses.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Sunglasses, they defend themselves.
MOLLY BLOOM: [CHUCKLES] And here to judge it all is Renika. Renika can skateboard, loves Olivia Rodrigo. And when she eats something yummy, she simply has to dance. Hi, Renika.
RENIKA: Hi.
MOLLY BLOOM: So Renika, first of all, can you describe the yummy dance, please?
RENIKA: OK, so it's a jiggle, OK? So you go jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle jiggle--
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: See, this is why it's so important that you're here.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: OK, and what foods elicit the jiggle dance?
RENIKA: Oh. Anything yummy, especially-- I love just salads. They have like the best crispy-- Is it a crispy chicken poblano?
I don't know. I'll have to ask. So every time I eat it, it has to go jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: Wonderful. Will Renika set her sights on sunglasses or dig her claws into nail polish? Only she can tell. Renika, are you ready to judge this thing?
RENIKA: I am so ready.
MOLLY BLOOM: Wonderful. Before we get into this debate, it's time to review the rules of the game. Round one is the Declaration of Greatness, where our debaters present fact-filled arguments in favor of their side. And they each have 30 seconds to rebut their opponent's statements.
Then we've got the micro round, where each team will present a creative response to a prompt they received in advance. Round three is the sneak attack, where our debaters will have to respond to an improv challenge on the spot. And to wrap it all up, we've got The Final 6, where each team will have just six words to sum up the glory of their side.
Our judge, Renika, will award two points in the first round, one for her favorite Rebuttal, the other for the Declaration she liked best. Then she'll award one point in each round after that, but she'll keep her decisions top secret until the end of the debate. Listeners, we want you to judge too.
Mark down your points as you listen. At the end of the show, head to our website, smashboom.org, and vote for whichever team you think won. OK, Avery, Nico, and Renika, are you ready?
NICO, AVERY, RENIKA: Ready.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: So ready.
MOLLY BLOOM: Ooh, very nice. Then it's time for the--
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Declaration of Greatness.
MOLLY BLOOM: We flipped a coin. And Nico, you're up first. Tell us why nail polish makes for the best pinky Picassos.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Growing up, my friend, Yvonne, loved to express himself.
I've always been a creative guy that likes experimenting, whether it was with my outfit or like phone cases. Or when I was in school, it was like my backpack.
He was always looking for ways to push the boundaries of style. Like, one year he picked out a backpack with a flash of hot pink across the middle because he wanted to stand out in the hallways at school.
YVONNE: And my mom was all worried because I was going to go to school with my backpack that had a little bit of pink.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: But Yvonne drew the line at nail polish.
YVONNE: As a Latino and a Puerto Rican, I grew up in the island, and I think that growing up, I would have never dared to do something like that because it was considered either girly or people would just label you quickly if they saw you painting your nails.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: I felt nervous about wearing nail polish too. But in reality, nail art has been popular with people of all genders for thousands of years. In fact, some of the first people to color their nails were ancient Babylonian warriors living in what is now Iraq. Before battle, these men would paint their nails to intimidate their enemies.
MAN 1: We are totally going to win this battle. Those Babylonians don't stand a chance.
MAN 2: Huh, no doubt about it. Nothing could make me turn back now.
MAN 1: No matter how big, how strong, how-- wait, do they have painted fingernails? Retreat. Retreat.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Ancient Egyptians also colored their nails. They used a brownish red dye called henna. Queen Nefertiti and the pharaohs Cleopatra and Hatshepsut all sported deep red manicures. And in the Incan Empire, people would use teeny-tiny brushes like the ones that nail artists use today to paint eagles and other culturally important symbols right onto their nails.
And even now, thousands of years later, were still doing nail art.
NATALIE MINERVA: Nails are for everybody
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: That's Natalie Minerva. She's a nail artist based in Los Angeles.
NATALIE MINERVA: Nail art doesn't need to be pink and flowery and cutesy to be nail art. It can be a simple black line. It can be a small emblem. It is anything that you want it to be.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Right. Your nails are like little built-in blank canvases on your fingers and toes. Nail polish isn't very expensive, and anyone can learn how to use it. Once you do, it's an incredible way to show the world who you are. When Yvonne finally decided to give it a try, he chose a design that really represented his identity.
YVONNE: So I painted my nails, and I did a super cool Puerto Rican design with the flag, the coquí, like the little flame and all that stuff. And I loved it because everywhere I went people would just look at my nails and they would spot the Puerto Rican flag. And they would be like, oh, Borcua. Oh, my gosh.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Today painting his nails is still an important way of expressing himself.
YVONNE: One of my favorite snails I've done were full yellow, and then only one nail on each hand had a happy face. And I thought it was so fun because I'm just a very happy person. So I feel like honestly it's a cool way to represent your culture through nails.
And I don't know. It just feels like you're just proud of being who you are, and you are not afraid to show it because your fingers are going to be seen by everyone.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Bam. Nail polish is an affordable, accessible art form that lets you flex your creativity and show off your identity in so many ways. And your nails can change as often as you do. So how are you going to paint your nails next?
MOLLY BLOOM: Nico, did you paint your nails today to intimidate your opponent?
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Oh, yeah, of course. I thought about going black and green, but then I was inspired by Yvonne's yellow, bringing like a little bit of cheerful energy rather than you know. I didn't want to intimidate Avery too much.
MOLLY BLOOM: Cheerful intimidation. That's what it's all about. [CHUCKLES] Renika, what stood out to you about Nico's Declaration of Greatness?
RENIKA: The history. OK, I'm not a big fan of going back into like ancient Egypt, but like that was cool. That really stood out to me. And I had no idea that that actually happened that they paint their nails, which is a cool fact to learn.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Yeah, there was an artifact. And included in the ancient Babylonian warriors' battle kit-- like things to sharpen your weapons, things to stay hydrated, and a little metal nail kit, manicure kit, a manicure set.
MOLLY BLOOM: Ooh.
RENIKA: Oh.
MOLLY BLOOM: Very cool.
RENIKA: Ooh.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: I'll give you that. It's pretty cool.
RENIKA: Yeah. [CHUCKLES]
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Whatever.
MOLLY BLOOM: [CHUCKLES] Avery, it's time for your Rebuttal. You've got 30 seconds to prove why nail polish is just finger graffiti. And your time starts now.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: I mean, yeah, nail polish is an affordable way for people to express themselves, but there are lots of affordable ways for people to express themselves. And it shouldn't necessarily be about like what color you paint your nails. I don't understand why that would be an efficient way to like show the world who you are. As you said, you have to learn how to do it first.
And that takes time. That takes a lot of time.
MOLLY BLOOM: [CHUCKLES] And time.
RENIKA: Also-- [CHUCKLES]
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: And yet here you are learning to talk.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right, Avery. I know you have more to say. So please tell us why sunglasses are so polarizing.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: OK, so I don't wear eyeglasses, but I still go get my eyes checked by an eye doctor.
DR. BAZAN: Well, you've got eyeballs, and I'm your doctor. And I'll take care of your eyeballs.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: That's my eye doctor, Dr. Bazan. And last time I went to him, he gave me some important medical advice, wear sunglasses. I'm not special. Dr. Bazan tells all of his patients to do this.
DR. BAZAN: Now the reason we give this advice to everyone is because the sun is one of the most damaging things to our eyes.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: UV rays can give you a sunburn on your eyes. And even if your eyes don't get burned, UV light can still damage them and even change the way they look.
DR. BAZAN: So sunspots or pingueculas are a factor of too much damage from the sun. So sunglasses helps prevent little bumps on the whites of our eyes that can cause lots of problems later on, such as dryness, dry eye disease, and redness, and irritation. And those changes can be thwarted by wearing sunglasses.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: If you're outside for more than 20 minutes, you should wear sunglasses that have UV protection. And Dr. Bazan says sunglasses are important all year round, not just in summer.
DR. BAZAN: Our eyes are often watery or irritated because of all this cold winter winds that we're getting, spinning around, hitting us in the face and eyes. And sunglasses can actually help protect against that too.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: So sunglasses really are medical devices. They're good for you. But they're also glamorous.
When Hollywood first became the place where movies are shot and movie stars were out in the sun all day, of course, they needed to protect their beautiful eyes and faces from the sun. And that made sunglasses cool. In fact, the modern use of the word cool was coined in the late 1930s by the legendary saxophonist Lester Young, who was the first jazz musician to wear sunglasses at night on stage. They were that cool.
These days, a lot of celebrities and musicians wear sunglasses, sunglasses that were made by Rachel Cohen.
RACHEL COHEN: The musicians love their sunglasses. I mean, we have done so many music videos. We have outfitted Lady Gaga for the covers of magazines and things and for music videos.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: So that's Elton John wearing your glasses?
RACHEL COHEN: Yes. Oh, here's Lena Dunham wearing the glasses. There's Rita Ora.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Rachel and her sister Merrilee are the creators of Mercura Sunglasses. They make each frame by hand out of sequins and clay and feather boas, almost anything.
RACHEL COHEN: Oh, these are actual seashells.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Oh, wow. Tiny seashells.
Rachel says sunglasses can turn a person into a personality.
RACHEL COHEN: It can change a look. It can change a feeling. It can change how you feel about yourself or how other people see you.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: And sunglasses are a huge part of pop culture. People love him so much they can't stop singing about them.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
MAN 1: (SINGING) I wear my sunglasses at night, so I can-- so I can--
[MUSIC PLAYING]
WOMAN 1: (SINGING) Sunglasses cover up my green eyes.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
MAN 2: (SINGING) Pull it out with the dark sunglasses. Walking cool--
WOMAN 2: --in the pink sunglasses. Pink sunglasses. Oooh.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: And now sunglasses come in so many different colors and shapes. They can go with almost any mood or any outfit. And Dr. Bazan says that's important.
DR. BAZAN: Because if it doesn't look good, you're not going to wear it. That's the truth. So we know that fashion is a key component. And that goes double duty for kids too.
So if the kids don't have sunglasses that they like or they don't think look cool, they're not going to wear them.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: So sunglasses are cool and healthy. And the coolness makes them even more healthy. Sunglasses are the best.
MOLLY BLOOM: Avery coming in hot for the very, very cool sunglasses. All right, Renika, what stood out to you about Avery's Declaration of Greatness?
RENIKA: OK. Sunglasses-- sunglasses-- who would have known that sunglasses was so important?
I didn't. I mean, that's like the coolest part of it. I did not know that you had to wear sunglasses.
MOLLY BLOOM: Mm-hmm.
RENIKA: Good job, Avery.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Thank you.
RENIKA: Good job.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right, Nico. It's time for your Rebuttal. You've got 30 seconds to show why sunglasses are oh, so shady. And your time starts now.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: OK. I will start with sort of the medical argument. I do wear glasses. I have to wear them.
I can't wear contacts. And wearing sunglasses-- switching from one pair of glasses to another pair of prescription glasses is impossible, time-consuming, hate to do it. Also, in terms of waste, like Avery has worn three different pair of sunglasses so far in this taping.
And all I can think about is the fossil fuels required to produce each pair of those.
MOLLY BLOOM: And--
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: And then--
MOLLY BLOOM: --time.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Oh my god. I didn't even get to celebrity styling.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Nail polish isn't made of polymers. Get out of here.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Get out of here. Probably made from the same stuff, same dinosaur.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: OK.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Ugh, 30 seconds goes fast.
MOLLY BLOOM: Very fast. Very fast. OK, Renika. It is time to award some points.
So please give one point to the Declaration of Greatness you liked best and one point to the most awesome Rebuttal. You get to decide what makes a winning argument. Did one team's jokes win you over, or were you swayed by their killer logic?
Award your points but don't tell us who they're going to. You could give both points to the same person or a point to each debater. Have you made your decision?
RENIKA: I have.
MOLLY BLOOM: Excellent. Avery and Nico, how are you two feeling so far?
AVERY TRUFELMAN: So tense.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: I'm feeling really good. I'm feeling creative. My nail polish came from me. I didn't just buy it from a store.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: What do you mean it came from you? You made it at home?
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: No. But I decided this is how I want it to look from an infinite array of options. Sunglasses-- you're just choosing someone else's creative output.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: What are you talking about?
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: So I'm feeling pretty amazing. I'm having a great time.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: I feel amazing too. I'm cool as a cucumber. My eyes are protected. I'm going to live forever,
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Protected from what? We are inside tacky.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: No, it's helping me with my poker face.
MOLLY BLOOM: Mm. That's another use for the sunglasses. All right, take a moment to brush up your nails or reflect some rays. And we'll be right back with more Smash Boom Best.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
MAN: You're watching State of Debate, home to rage in rhetoric and awe-inspiring argumentation.
TODD DOUGLAS: Hey, debaters, Todd Douglas here with my debate bestie, Taylor Lincoln.
TAYLOR LINCOLN: We're back again. And we caught a big old logical fallacy, which is a debate mistake that makes an argument easy to defeat.
TODD DOUGLAS: It was a no true Scotsman fallacy. That's when you have a really rigid idea about what something is, and anything that doesn't have all the criteria you're looking for is a fake.
TAYLOR LINCOLN: A dud.
TODD DOUGLAS: Just doesn't cut it.
TAYLOR LINCOLN: Like saying true Scotsman never shave on Sundays and then saying Eric is Scottish but he shaves every day. So he's not a true Scotsman.
TODD DOUGLAS: That's some bogus haggis.
TAYLOR LINCOLN: OK, let's head over to Australia to listen to these two koalas throw down some true Scotsman energy.
TODD DOUGLAS: Aw.
KOALA 1: Hey, Joanne. Have you seen my favorite stick around?
JOANNE: No, I haven't.
KOALA 1: Ugh, darn. I really love that stick. Do you think like maybe Robbie took it? I mean, I don't see why he would.
JOANNE: I actually have a lot of questions about Robbie, OK?
KOALA 1: No.
JOANNE: Yes. Like, why does he smell like eucalyptus?
KOALA 1: Not all of us do. It's not a given.
JOANNE: He smells like a potato.
KOALA 1: I've never noticed that.
JOANNE: Yes. And every time I wake up from a nap, he's awake.
KOALA 1: What's wrong with that?
JOANNE: Koalas sleep 18 to 22 hours a day, and I never see him sleeping.
KOALA 1: That can't be.
JOANNE: I'm just going to come out and say it. He's not a koala.
KOALA 1: He's my brother. We're twins. He's definitely a koala, Joanne.
JOANNE: Well, he's not a real koala strutting around awake all the time and smelling like a potato.
[BUZZING]
TAYLOR LINCOLN: Whoa, things got really intense there.
TODD DOUGLAS: Right. Insisting that every koala has to have the exact same set of characteristics or they aren't real is not only messed up. It's mean.
TAYLOR LINCOLN: Yeah. Those koalas need to go take a nap, right, Todd?
TODD DOUGLAS: [SNORING]
TAYLOR LINCOLN: Todd?
TODD DOUGLAS: Huh? Oh, sorry, I thought we were all napping now.
TAYLOR LINCOLN: Catch you next time on State of Debate.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
MAN: Smash Boom Best.
MOLLY BLOOM: You're listening to Smash Boom Best. I'm your host, Molly Bloom.
RENIKA: And I'm your judge, Renika.
MOLLY BLOOM: And we love getting debate suggestions from our listeners. Take a listen to this magical debate idea from Anat.
CHILD: My debate idea is dragons versus phoenixes.
RENIKA: Now that's a fantasy I want to see.
MOLLY BLOOM: We'll check back with Anat at the end of this episode to see which side she thinks should win.
RENIKA: And now it's back to today's debate, nail polish versus sunglasses.
MOLLY BLOOM: That's right. And it's time for round two, the--
WOMAN: Micro Round.
MOLLY BLOOM: Today's Micro Round challenge is called letter to the editor. We asked you both to write a letter to the editor of an important magazine or journal complaining about your opponent and how they're just ruining things. Nico went first last time, so Avery, you're up. Tell us about the nail-biting problems nail polish is causing.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Dear editor, your recent article Polish Perfect really rubbed me the wrong way. Manicures take forever, and they're hard to do. And you failed to mention that a lot of nail polishers are bad for you.
For real, if you wear nail polish every day, your nails will dry up and turn yellow. Ick. Nails are still a part of your skin, so whatever you put on your nails can seep inside you, which is scary when you think that a lot of nail polishes contain bad chemicals like formaldehyde.
And sure, there are nail polish brands that say they're safe, but often those safer ingredients haven't been studied. Can we trust them? For me, it's just not worth it.
My hands aren't decorative. I like to get them dirty. They need to type on keyboards and grab handrails and knead dough and make snowballs.
I'd rather express myself in a way that's cool and good for you. Like, with sunglasses, they come in just as many colors as nail polish, and you can see them more easily because they're on my face. Sincerely, Avery "Abolish the Polish" Truffelman.
MOLLY BLOOM: Very nice work, Avery. Nico, now it's your turn to talk about the dark side of the lens.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: To whom it may concern-- while I usually love your magazine, I was extremely disappointed to see sunglasses on your top 10 list of must-have summer accessories, sending your readers in droves to the sunglass hut. More like the sunglass butt. They'll be stuck in a sunglass rut.
[CLEARS THROAT] Sure. I'm all for protecting our retinas. But that's not even what sunglasses were originally designed to do. They are tools of deception.
Some of the first people to wear sunglasses were judges in 12th century China. They wear flat pieces of quartz stone to conceal their eyes when hearing court cases, so deceptive.
Also, sunglasses encourage naughty behavior. Researchers found that slipping on a pair might make the wearer act dishonest and ungenerous. In a word, shady.
When wearing sunglasses, people were also less likely to give money to a stranger in need probably because they felt anonymous. Do we want a community where our friends and neighbors are knowingly doing us dirty? Bottom line, shady people wear sunglasses as a disguise so they don't have to look anyone in the eye.
As a society, we need to be reaching out to one another, extending our hands. And those hands should be expressions of our genuine selves, which is why I was delighted but not at all surprised to see that number one on your must-have list was, of course, a fresh manicure. Great call on that one. Signed, unshady lady.
MOLLY BLOOM: [CHUCKLES]
Oh, my. Both come in with fiery letters. Incredible.
All right, Renika, what did you like about Avery and Nico's letters?
RENIKA: They were both so shady.
[LAUGHTER]
I'm getting into the shadiness. I love it. I love Avery's standpoint.
Going to be a tough one, guys. I must admit, it's going to be a tough one.
MOLLY BLOOM: Renika, it's time to award a point. Again, the criteria is up to you. Who really had some facts worked in? Who persuaded you?
Who was the most shady? Again, up to you. Have you made your decision?
RENIKA: I have.
MOLLY BLOOM: Fantastic. And it's time for our third around, the super stealthy--
MEN: Aha. Hoo-ha.
MOLLY BLOOM: --sneak attack. Your sneak attack is the dingle hopper. For this challenge, we would like you to list three uses for your side other than what they're really used for.
So for example, if your side was a marshmallow, you could be like. marshmallows are used to make the most amazing beds ever for ants. Like, you've never laid on anything so plush and pillowy and perfect. Does that make sense?
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Avery went first last time, so Nico, you are going to start. Tell us your first alternative use for nail polish.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: OK. Clear nail polish does not get like a ton of credit, but it can be used for so many non-nail polish-related things. One of them is if you ever have a ring or a piece of jewelry that is turning your finger a color.
If you put clear nail polish on the inside of it, it will stop. Also, speaking of safety, if you ever get a crack in your windshield and you cover it with clear nail polish, it won't spread. So it could save your life.
MOLLY BLOOM: Whoa. OK. Clear nail polish as a Swiss army knife of amazingness. All right, Avery, let's hear your--
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Those aren't dingle hoppers. Those are hacks.
[LAUGHTER]
I took the assignment literally.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: What is a dingle hopper if not a hack?
AVERY TRUFELMAN: No. Have you seen The Little Mermaid? OK.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: She was hacking.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Scene changes for shadow puppet shows.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Just saying. Like, if you're doing a shadow puppet show and you want to have a change in the scenery over your flashlight, sunglasses come in all different colors. That could be sort of a night scene in your shadow puppet show.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Sounds like a way to end the show.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, listen. Sunglasses come in all different colors, and they really impact your mood and the way you see the world. There is all kinds of science about how using literal rosy colored sunglasses make you feel more optimistic about the world. And you can put that into your shadow puppet show to create a new vibe and a new energy and really create a sort of masterful, fully immersive art world
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Avery's got rose-colored glasses about this idea.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK. Nico.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Listen, Javanese shadow puppet show, it's no joke. It's a new art form.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right, Nico. Let's hear your second alternative use.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: OK, OK. Unlike sunglasses often made of plastic, not actually recyclable, nail polish is usually from glass. If you rinse out the glass bottle, it can become a terrarium. Get some moss. Get some little flowers.
You could use it as a vase. Put some water droplets in there. Cover it back up, you have a whole ecosystem just right on your dresser.
MOLLY BLOOM: Very nice. All right, Avery, let's hear your second alternative use.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: You can use sunglasses also as protection for science experiments. They function also like protective eyewear if you are mixing things. So they don't just protect you from the sun and the wind and from the gazes of other people.
You could also wear them if you wanted to do some impromptu build a volcano in your kitchen. Just put on some sunglasses just to be safe. Just to be sure.
MOLLY BLOOM: Love it. Very good. All right, Nico. Your final alternative use for nail polish.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: OK, this is for Renika specifically. Imagine your skateboard deck, because you're doing so many tricks, gets a little scuffed, but it's just a little bit. Or you want to do sort of a super intricate design like right under the wheels. Big paintbrush, not going to be able to do it.
Lots of paint could run. Nail polish, designed not to get runny. You can get super intricate in your designs. So I'm thinking custom skate decks.
MOLLY BLOOM: Hmm. Personalizing the skateboard. Renika's on it. OK. Avery, your final alternative use for sunglasses.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: OK, well, this is also a useful one for you, Renika.
[LAUGHTER]
Two can play at that game. So a lot of traffic cops wear sunglasses. And it's not only to hide their eyes or be shady. They also help with movement.
If you get the glare out, it can help you discern where traffic is going, and you can see fast-moving things more clearly. So they actually are like vision sharpeners if you're, say, skating really quickly down a hill and you want to make sure that you're safe from oncoming cars. They also help sharpen your vision, especially if you're wearing like polarized lenses. They're safety devices for scanning your environment.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, my. I did not know nail polish and sunglasses--
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: I would say that's not a dingle hopper use.
MOLLY BLOOM: Well, I had one, but it wasn't as relevant to Renika's life. So I was also going to make--
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: I psyched you out. Architectural buttresses for card houses, but that's less relevant.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
Oh, my gosh, so many uses. So many uses. So little time.
All right, Renika, think about which side impressed you the most and award your fourth point. Again, the criteria is up to you. Which one sounds more useful? Which one was more creative?
Which one made you laugh? Which one made you think? Up to you. Have you made your decision?
RENIKA: I have.
MOLLY BLOOM: [GASPS] Perfect. Then it's time for our final round.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: The Final 6.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK. Avery, you've got six words to make us see the light. Why are sunglasses supreme?
AVERY TRUFELMAN: The emoji for cool wears sunglasses.
RENIKA: Oh.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, la, la, very nicely done. OK, Nico, it's your turn. Let's hear six words that'll take a shine to nail polish.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Nail polish colon--
MOLLY BLOOM: Does colon count as a word?
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: No, it's punctuation.
MOLLY BLOOM: You're using it-- [LAUGHS]
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Express yourself. Show off.
MOLLY BLOOM: Ooh, very, very nice. All right. Renika, it is time to award a final point for this Final 6.
Have you made your decision?
RENIKA: I have.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right, do some tallying. Are you ready to crown one team the Smash Boom Best, Renika?
RENIKA: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Drum roll, please. And the winner is--
RENIKA: Team sunglasses.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Whoo.
MOLLY BLOOM: [CHUCKLES]
WOMAN: Yeah.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Brutal. [CHUCKLES]
WOMAN: They're good for you.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS] Amazing. So, Renika, was there a moment that really decided things for sunglasses?
RENIKA: OK, I feel like the moment I really got it was when Avery was doing the dingle hopper. And she spoke about a lot of things that were really relevant. And don't get me wrong, nail polish.
Don't get me wrong, Nico. I'm all about expressing yourself, and I love it. I, too, do nails. Well, I don't do nails, but I got my nails done in very loud colors, expressive colors, and all of that. And I loved that.
But Avery won me over. Sunglasses won me over with those dingle hoppers.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Wow.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Love safety.
MOLLY BLOOM: That was a close debate.
RENIKA: It really was.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: It really was.
RENIKA: It really was.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Amazing, Nico. I learned so much. The history-- I did not know about that history. I don't wear nail polish. But when I do, I will turn my bottles into tiny terrariums.
Brilliant idea. Brilliant, brilliant. Brilliant, Nico.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Avery Trufelman, you're a genius. You're an excellent friend. And you look really good in your daily sunglasses.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Thank you. You look really good in your nail polish.
MOLLY BLOOM: [CHUCKLES]
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: I learned a lot. I understand. It's really good for your eyes, the safety. But you really, really got me on your Final 6. Your Final 6 was killer.
RENIKA: Yeah.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: That emoji, I use it. I love it.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: That's the difference between a normal emoji and a cool emoji. It's just the sunglasses.
MOLLY BLOOM: Well, that is it for today's debate battle. Renika crowned Team sunglasses the Smash Boom Best, But what about you?
RENIKA: Head to smashboom.org and vote to tell us who you think won.
MOLLY BLOOM: Smash Boom Best is brought to you by Brains On and APM Studios.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: It's produced by Molly Bloom, Rosie duPont, Ruby Guthrie, and Aron Woldeslassie.
MOLLY BLOOM: We had engineering help from Gary O'Keefe and Alex Simpson with sound design by Rachel Brees.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Our editors are Shahla Farzan and Sanden Totten. And we have production help from Anna Goldfield, Marc Sanchez, Anna Weigel, and Nico Gonzalez Wisler.
MOLLY BLOOM: Our executive producer is Beth Pearlman and the APM Studios executives in charge are Chandra Kavati, Alex Schaffert, and Joanne Griffith. Our announcer is Marley Feuerwerker-Otto, and we want to give special thanks to Austin Cross and Taylor Coffman. Nico, is there anyone you'd like to give a shout-out to today?
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: I would love to give a shout-out to Bad Bunny. He has the best manicures.
[LAUGHTER]
And he also suffered a brutal and unfair loss last night at the Grammy's, so we're commiserating.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Nico texted me last night like horrible news, very bad news.
MOLLY BLOOM: But at least he got that coveted Smash Boom Best shout-out. How about you, Avery? Any shout-outs or special thanks?
AVERY TRUFELMAN: The sun. Without whom, none of this would be possible.
MOLLY BLOOM: Good point.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Iconic, the sun. We love them.
MOLLY BLOOM: Renika, how about you? Any special thanks?
RENIKA: Shout-out to Molly for having me back here today.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, my gosh. We love having you here. It is a total delight.
All right, before we go, let's check in with Anat and see who she thinks should win her dragons versus phoenixes debate.
CHILD: I think phoenixes would win because they're just this beautiful red orange yellow bird that just flaps around.
MOLLY BLOOM: Do you have an idea for a knock-down, drag-out debate? Head to smashboom.org and tell us about it. We'll be back with a new debate battle next week. Ta-ta.
ALL: Hey!
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(SINGING) Ooo, you're the Smash Boom Best. Boom, puts you through the test. Ooo, you're the Smash Boom Best.
Boom, better than the rest. It's Smash Boom Best. It's Smash Boom Best.
MOLLY BLOOM: And the winner is--
RENIKA: I was supposed to say that.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Oh, my god.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: You're killing me!
MAN: The suspense.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: You're kidding!
MAN: The suspense.
WOMAN 2: The show for people with big opinions.
MOLLY BLOOM: Hi, I'm Molly Bloom, and this is Smash Boom Best, the show where we take two things, smash them together, and ask you to decide which one is best. Today's debate is chock full of drip, swag, saw, swank, Hilary Swank swagoo, fit, steez, and so much style. Find a mirror and check your looks because it's nail polish versus sunglasses. We've got Forever Ago producer Nico Gonzalez Wisler here to defend nail polish.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Here to wipe and polish floor with sunglasses.
MOLLY BLOOM: [CHUCKLES] And Articles of Interest producer and host Avery Trufelman in the house to duke it out for Team Sunglasses.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Sunglasses, they defend themselves.
MOLLY BLOOM: [CHUCKLES] And here to judge it all is Renika. Renika can skateboard, loves Olivia Rodrigo. And when she eats something yummy, she simply has to dance. Hi, Renika.
RENIKA: Hi.
MOLLY BLOOM: So Renika, first of all, can you describe the yummy dance, please?
RENIKA: OK, so it's a jiggle, OK? So you go jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle jiggle--
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: See, this is why it's so important that you're here.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: OK, and what foods elicit the jiggle dance?
RENIKA: Oh. Anything yummy, especially-- I love just salads. They have like the best crispy-- Is it a crispy chicken poblano?
I don't know. I'll have to ask. So every time I eat it, it has to go jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle, jiggle.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: Wonderful. Will Renika set her sights on sunglasses or dig her claws into nail polish? Only she can tell. Renika, are you ready to judge this thing?
RENIKA: I am so ready.
MOLLY BLOOM: Wonderful. Before we get into this debate, it's time to review the rules of the game. Round one is the Declaration of Greatness, where our debaters present fact-filled arguments in favor of their side. And they each have 30 seconds to rebut their opponent's statements.
Then we've got the micro round, where each team will present a creative response to a prompt they received in advance. Round three is the sneak attack, where our debaters will have to respond to an improv challenge on the spot. And to wrap it all up, we've got The Final 6, where each team will have just six words to sum up the glory of their side.
Our judge, Renika, will award two points in the first round, one for her favorite Rebuttal, the other for the Declaration she liked best. Then she'll award one point in each round after that, but she'll keep her decisions top secret until the end of the debate. Listeners, we want you to judge too.
Mark down your points as you listen. At the end of the show, head to our website, smashboom.org, and vote for whichever team you think won. OK, Avery, Nico, and Renika, are you ready?
NICO, AVERY, RENIKA: Ready.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: So ready.
MOLLY BLOOM: Ooh, very nice. Then it's time for the--
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Declaration of Greatness.
MOLLY BLOOM: We flipped a coin. And Nico, you're up first. Tell us why nail polish makes for the best pinky Picassos.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Growing up, my friend, Yvonne, loved to express himself.
I've always been a creative guy that likes experimenting, whether it was with my outfit or like phone cases. Or when I was in school, it was like my backpack.
He was always looking for ways to push the boundaries of style. Like, one year he picked out a backpack with a flash of hot pink across the middle because he wanted to stand out in the hallways at school.
YVONNE: And my mom was all worried because I was going to go to school with my backpack that had a little bit of pink.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: But Yvonne drew the line at nail polish.
YVONNE: As a Latino and a Puerto Rican, I grew up in the island, and I think that growing up, I would have never dared to do something like that because it was considered either girly or people would just label you quickly if they saw you painting your nails.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: I felt nervous about wearing nail polish too. But in reality, nail art has been popular with people of all genders for thousands of years. In fact, some of the first people to color their nails were ancient Babylonian warriors living in what is now Iraq. Before battle, these men would paint their nails to intimidate their enemies.
MAN 1: We are totally going to win this battle. Those Babylonians don't stand a chance.
MAN 2: Huh, no doubt about it. Nothing could make me turn back now.
MAN 1: No matter how big, how strong, how-- wait, do they have painted fingernails? Retreat. Retreat.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Ancient Egyptians also colored their nails. They used a brownish red dye called henna. Queen Nefertiti and the pharaohs Cleopatra and Hatshepsut all sported deep red manicures. And in the Incan Empire, people would use teeny-tiny brushes like the ones that nail artists use today to paint eagles and other culturally important symbols right onto their nails.
And even now, thousands of years later, were still doing nail art.
NATALIE MINERVA: Nails are for everybody
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: That's Natalie Minerva. She's a nail artist based in Los Angeles.
NATALIE MINERVA: Nail art doesn't need to be pink and flowery and cutesy to be nail art. It can be a simple black line. It can be a small emblem. It is anything that you want it to be.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Right. Your nails are like little built-in blank canvases on your fingers and toes. Nail polish isn't very expensive, and anyone can learn how to use it. Once you do, it's an incredible way to show the world who you are. When Yvonne finally decided to give it a try, he chose a design that really represented his identity.
YVONNE: So I painted my nails, and I did a super cool Puerto Rican design with the flag, the coquí, like the little flame and all that stuff. And I loved it because everywhere I went people would just look at my nails and they would spot the Puerto Rican flag. And they would be like, oh, Borcua. Oh, my gosh.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Today painting his nails is still an important way of expressing himself.
YVONNE: One of my favorite snails I've done were full yellow, and then only one nail on each hand had a happy face. And I thought it was so fun because I'm just a very happy person. So I feel like honestly it's a cool way to represent your culture through nails.
And I don't know. It just feels like you're just proud of being who you are, and you are not afraid to show it because your fingers are going to be seen by everyone.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Bam. Nail polish is an affordable, accessible art form that lets you flex your creativity and show off your identity in so many ways. And your nails can change as often as you do. So how are you going to paint your nails next?
MOLLY BLOOM: Nico, did you paint your nails today to intimidate your opponent?
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Oh, yeah, of course. I thought about going black and green, but then I was inspired by Yvonne's yellow, bringing like a little bit of cheerful energy rather than you know. I didn't want to intimidate Avery too much.
MOLLY BLOOM: Cheerful intimidation. That's what it's all about. [CHUCKLES] Renika, what stood out to you about Nico's Declaration of Greatness?
RENIKA: The history. OK, I'm not a big fan of going back into like ancient Egypt, but like that was cool. That really stood out to me. And I had no idea that that actually happened that they paint their nails, which is a cool fact to learn.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Yeah, there was an artifact. And included in the ancient Babylonian warriors' battle kit-- like things to sharpen your weapons, things to stay hydrated, and a little metal nail kit, manicure kit, a manicure set.
MOLLY BLOOM: Ooh.
RENIKA: Oh.
MOLLY BLOOM: Very cool.
RENIKA: Ooh.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: I'll give you that. It's pretty cool.
RENIKA: Yeah. [CHUCKLES]
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Whatever.
MOLLY BLOOM: [CHUCKLES] Avery, it's time for your Rebuttal. You've got 30 seconds to prove why nail polish is just finger graffiti. And your time starts now.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: I mean, yeah, nail polish is an affordable way for people to express themselves, but there are lots of affordable ways for people to express themselves. And it shouldn't necessarily be about like what color you paint your nails. I don't understand why that would be an efficient way to like show the world who you are. As you said, you have to learn how to do it first.
And that takes time. That takes a lot of time.
MOLLY BLOOM: [CHUCKLES] And time.
RENIKA: Also-- [CHUCKLES]
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: And yet here you are learning to talk.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right, Avery. I know you have more to say. So please tell us why sunglasses are so polarizing.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: OK, so I don't wear eyeglasses, but I still go get my eyes checked by an eye doctor.
DR. BAZAN: Well, you've got eyeballs, and I'm your doctor. And I'll take care of your eyeballs.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: That's my eye doctor, Dr. Bazan. And last time I went to him, he gave me some important medical advice, wear sunglasses. I'm not special. Dr. Bazan tells all of his patients to do this.
DR. BAZAN: Now the reason we give this advice to everyone is because the sun is one of the most damaging things to our eyes.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: UV rays can give you a sunburn on your eyes. And even if your eyes don't get burned, UV light can still damage them and even change the way they look.
DR. BAZAN: So sunspots or pingueculas are a factor of too much damage from the sun. So sunglasses helps prevent little bumps on the whites of our eyes that can cause lots of problems later on, such as dryness, dry eye disease, and redness, and irritation. And those changes can be thwarted by wearing sunglasses.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: If you're outside for more than 20 minutes, you should wear sunglasses that have UV protection. And Dr. Bazan says sunglasses are important all year round, not just in summer.
DR. BAZAN: Our eyes are often watery or irritated because of all this cold winter winds that we're getting, spinning around, hitting us in the face and eyes. And sunglasses can actually help protect against that too.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: So sunglasses really are medical devices. They're good for you. But they're also glamorous.
When Hollywood first became the place where movies are shot and movie stars were out in the sun all day, of course, they needed to protect their beautiful eyes and faces from the sun. And that made sunglasses cool. In fact, the modern use of the word cool was coined in the late 1930s by the legendary saxophonist Lester Young, who was the first jazz musician to wear sunglasses at night on stage. They were that cool.
These days, a lot of celebrities and musicians wear sunglasses, sunglasses that were made by Rachel Cohen.
RACHEL COHEN: The musicians love their sunglasses. I mean, we have done so many music videos. We have outfitted Lady Gaga for the covers of magazines and things and for music videos.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: So that's Elton John wearing your glasses?
RACHEL COHEN: Yes. Oh, here's Lena Dunham wearing the glasses. There's Rita Ora.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Rachel and her sister Merrilee are the creators of Mercura Sunglasses. They make each frame by hand out of sequins and clay and feather boas, almost anything.
RACHEL COHEN: Oh, these are actual seashells.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Oh, wow. Tiny seashells.
Rachel says sunglasses can turn a person into a personality.
RACHEL COHEN: It can change a look. It can change a feeling. It can change how you feel about yourself or how other people see you.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: And sunglasses are a huge part of pop culture. People love him so much they can't stop singing about them.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
MAN 1: (SINGING) I wear my sunglasses at night, so I can-- so I can--
[MUSIC PLAYING]
WOMAN 1: (SINGING) Sunglasses cover up my green eyes.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
MAN 2: (SINGING) Pull it out with the dark sunglasses. Walking cool--
WOMAN 2: --in the pink sunglasses. Pink sunglasses. Oooh.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: And now sunglasses come in so many different colors and shapes. They can go with almost any mood or any outfit. And Dr. Bazan says that's important.
DR. BAZAN: Because if it doesn't look good, you're not going to wear it. That's the truth. So we know that fashion is a key component. And that goes double duty for kids too.
So if the kids don't have sunglasses that they like or they don't think look cool, they're not going to wear them.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: So sunglasses are cool and healthy. And the coolness makes them even more healthy. Sunglasses are the best.
MOLLY BLOOM: Avery coming in hot for the very, very cool sunglasses. All right, Renika, what stood out to you about Avery's Declaration of Greatness?
RENIKA: OK. Sunglasses-- sunglasses-- who would have known that sunglasses was so important?
I didn't. I mean, that's like the coolest part of it. I did not know that you had to wear sunglasses.
MOLLY BLOOM: Mm-hmm.
RENIKA: Good job, Avery.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Thank you.
RENIKA: Good job.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right, Nico. It's time for your Rebuttal. You've got 30 seconds to show why sunglasses are oh, so shady. And your time starts now.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: OK. I will start with sort of the medical argument. I do wear glasses. I have to wear them.
I can't wear contacts. And wearing sunglasses-- switching from one pair of glasses to another pair of prescription glasses is impossible, time-consuming, hate to do it. Also, in terms of waste, like Avery has worn three different pair of sunglasses so far in this taping.
And all I can think about is the fossil fuels required to produce each pair of those.
MOLLY BLOOM: And--
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: And then--
MOLLY BLOOM: --time.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Oh my god. I didn't even get to celebrity styling.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Nail polish isn't made of polymers. Get out of here.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Get out of here. Probably made from the same stuff, same dinosaur.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: OK.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Ugh, 30 seconds goes fast.
MOLLY BLOOM: Very fast. Very fast. OK, Renika. It is time to award some points.
So please give one point to the Declaration of Greatness you liked best and one point to the most awesome Rebuttal. You get to decide what makes a winning argument. Did one team's jokes win you over, or were you swayed by their killer logic?
Award your points but don't tell us who they're going to. You could give both points to the same person or a point to each debater. Have you made your decision?
RENIKA: I have.
MOLLY BLOOM: Excellent. Avery and Nico, how are you two feeling so far?
AVERY TRUFELMAN: So tense.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: I'm feeling really good. I'm feeling creative. My nail polish came from me. I didn't just buy it from a store.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: What do you mean it came from you? You made it at home?
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: No. But I decided this is how I want it to look from an infinite array of options. Sunglasses-- you're just choosing someone else's creative output.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: What are you talking about?
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: So I'm feeling pretty amazing. I'm having a great time.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: I feel amazing too. I'm cool as a cucumber. My eyes are protected. I'm going to live forever,
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Protected from what? We are inside tacky.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: No, it's helping me with my poker face.
MOLLY BLOOM: Mm. That's another use for the sunglasses. All right, take a moment to brush up your nails or reflect some rays. And we'll be right back with more Smash Boom Best.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
MAN: You're watching State of Debate, home to rage in rhetoric and awe-inspiring argumentation.
TODD DOUGLAS: Hey, debaters, Todd Douglas here with my debate bestie, Taylor Lincoln.
TAYLOR LINCOLN: We're back again. And we caught a big old logical fallacy, which is a debate mistake that makes an argument easy to defeat.
TODD DOUGLAS: It was a no true Scotsman fallacy. That's when you have a really rigid idea about what something is, and anything that doesn't have all the criteria you're looking for is a fake.
TAYLOR LINCOLN: A dud.
TODD DOUGLAS: Just doesn't cut it.
TAYLOR LINCOLN: Like saying true Scotsman never shave on Sundays and then saying Eric is Scottish but he shaves every day. So he's not a true Scotsman.
TODD DOUGLAS: That's some bogus haggis.
TAYLOR LINCOLN: OK, let's head over to Australia to listen to these two koalas throw down some true Scotsman energy.
TODD DOUGLAS: Aw.
KOALA 1: Hey, Joanne. Have you seen my favorite stick around?
JOANNE: No, I haven't.
KOALA 1: Ugh, darn. I really love that stick. Do you think like maybe Robbie took it? I mean, I don't see why he would.
JOANNE: I actually have a lot of questions about Robbie, OK?
KOALA 1: No.
JOANNE: Yes. Like, why does he smell like eucalyptus?
KOALA 1: Not all of us do. It's not a given.
JOANNE: He smells like a potato.
KOALA 1: I've never noticed that.
JOANNE: Yes. And every time I wake up from a nap, he's awake.
KOALA 1: What's wrong with that?
JOANNE: Koalas sleep 18 to 22 hours a day, and I never see him sleeping.
KOALA 1: That can't be.
JOANNE: I'm just going to come out and say it. He's not a koala.
KOALA 1: He's my brother. We're twins. He's definitely a koala, Joanne.
JOANNE: Well, he's not a real koala strutting around awake all the time and smelling like a potato.
[BUZZING]
TAYLOR LINCOLN: Whoa, things got really intense there.
TODD DOUGLAS: Right. Insisting that every koala has to have the exact same set of characteristics or they aren't real is not only messed up. It's mean.
TAYLOR LINCOLN: Yeah. Those koalas need to go take a nap, right, Todd?
TODD DOUGLAS: [SNORING]
TAYLOR LINCOLN: Todd?
TODD DOUGLAS: Huh? Oh, sorry, I thought we were all napping now.
TAYLOR LINCOLN: Catch you next time on State of Debate.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
MAN: Smash Boom Best.
MOLLY BLOOM: You're listening to Smash Boom Best. I'm your host, Molly Bloom.
RENIKA: And I'm your judge, Renika.
MOLLY BLOOM: And we love getting debate suggestions from our listeners. Take a listen to this magical debate idea from Anat.
CHILD: My debate idea is dragons versus phoenixes.
RENIKA: Now that's a fantasy I want to see.
MOLLY BLOOM: We'll check back with Anat at the end of this episode to see which side she thinks should win.
RENIKA: And now it's back to today's debate, nail polish versus sunglasses.
MOLLY BLOOM: That's right. And it's time for round two, the--
WOMAN: Micro Round.
MOLLY BLOOM: Today's Micro Round challenge is called letter to the editor. We asked you both to write a letter to the editor of an important magazine or journal complaining about your opponent and how they're just ruining things. Nico went first last time, so Avery, you're up. Tell us about the nail-biting problems nail polish is causing.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Dear editor, your recent article Polish Perfect really rubbed me the wrong way. Manicures take forever, and they're hard to do. And you failed to mention that a lot of nail polishers are bad for you.
For real, if you wear nail polish every day, your nails will dry up and turn yellow. Ick. Nails are still a part of your skin, so whatever you put on your nails can seep inside you, which is scary when you think that a lot of nail polishes contain bad chemicals like formaldehyde.
And sure, there are nail polish brands that say they're safe, but often those safer ingredients haven't been studied. Can we trust them? For me, it's just not worth it.
My hands aren't decorative. I like to get them dirty. They need to type on keyboards and grab handrails and knead dough and make snowballs.
I'd rather express myself in a way that's cool and good for you. Like, with sunglasses, they come in just as many colors as nail polish, and you can see them more easily because they're on my face. Sincerely, Avery "Abolish the Polish" Truffelman.
MOLLY BLOOM: Very nice work, Avery. Nico, now it's your turn to talk about the dark side of the lens.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: To whom it may concern-- while I usually love your magazine, I was extremely disappointed to see sunglasses on your top 10 list of must-have summer accessories, sending your readers in droves to the sunglass hut. More like the sunglass butt. They'll be stuck in a sunglass rut.
[CLEARS THROAT] Sure. I'm all for protecting our retinas. But that's not even what sunglasses were originally designed to do. They are tools of deception.
Some of the first people to wear sunglasses were judges in 12th century China. They wear flat pieces of quartz stone to conceal their eyes when hearing court cases, so deceptive.
Also, sunglasses encourage naughty behavior. Researchers found that slipping on a pair might make the wearer act dishonest and ungenerous. In a word, shady.
When wearing sunglasses, people were also less likely to give money to a stranger in need probably because they felt anonymous. Do we want a community where our friends and neighbors are knowingly doing us dirty? Bottom line, shady people wear sunglasses as a disguise so they don't have to look anyone in the eye.
As a society, we need to be reaching out to one another, extending our hands. And those hands should be expressions of our genuine selves, which is why I was delighted but not at all surprised to see that number one on your must-have list was, of course, a fresh manicure. Great call on that one. Signed, unshady lady.
MOLLY BLOOM: [CHUCKLES]
Oh, my. Both come in with fiery letters. Incredible.
All right, Renika, what did you like about Avery and Nico's letters?
RENIKA: They were both so shady.
[LAUGHTER]
I'm getting into the shadiness. I love it. I love Avery's standpoint.
Going to be a tough one, guys. I must admit, it's going to be a tough one.
MOLLY BLOOM: Renika, it's time to award a point. Again, the criteria is up to you. Who really had some facts worked in? Who persuaded you?
Who was the most shady? Again, up to you. Have you made your decision?
RENIKA: I have.
MOLLY BLOOM: Fantastic. And it's time for our third around, the super stealthy--
MEN: Aha. Hoo-ha.
MOLLY BLOOM: --sneak attack. Your sneak attack is the dingle hopper. For this challenge, we would like you to list three uses for your side other than what they're really used for.
So for example, if your side was a marshmallow, you could be like. marshmallows are used to make the most amazing beds ever for ants. Like, you've never laid on anything so plush and pillowy and perfect. Does that make sense?
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Avery went first last time, so Nico, you are going to start. Tell us your first alternative use for nail polish.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: OK. Clear nail polish does not get like a ton of credit, but it can be used for so many non-nail polish-related things. One of them is if you ever have a ring or a piece of jewelry that is turning your finger a color.
If you put clear nail polish on the inside of it, it will stop. Also, speaking of safety, if you ever get a crack in your windshield and you cover it with clear nail polish, it won't spread. So it could save your life.
MOLLY BLOOM: Whoa. OK. Clear nail polish as a Swiss army knife of amazingness. All right, Avery, let's hear your--
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Those aren't dingle hoppers. Those are hacks.
[LAUGHTER]
I took the assignment literally.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: What is a dingle hopper if not a hack?
AVERY TRUFELMAN: No. Have you seen The Little Mermaid? OK.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: She was hacking.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Scene changes for shadow puppet shows.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Just saying. Like, if you're doing a shadow puppet show and you want to have a change in the scenery over your flashlight, sunglasses come in all different colors. That could be sort of a night scene in your shadow puppet show.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Sounds like a way to end the show.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, listen. Sunglasses come in all different colors, and they really impact your mood and the way you see the world. There is all kinds of science about how using literal rosy colored sunglasses make you feel more optimistic about the world. And you can put that into your shadow puppet show to create a new vibe and a new energy and really create a sort of masterful, fully immersive art world
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Avery's got rose-colored glasses about this idea.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK. Nico.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Listen, Javanese shadow puppet show, it's no joke. It's a new art form.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right, Nico. Let's hear your second alternative use.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: OK, OK. Unlike sunglasses often made of plastic, not actually recyclable, nail polish is usually from glass. If you rinse out the glass bottle, it can become a terrarium. Get some moss. Get some little flowers.
You could use it as a vase. Put some water droplets in there. Cover it back up, you have a whole ecosystem just right on your dresser.
MOLLY BLOOM: Very nice. All right, Avery, let's hear your second alternative use.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: You can use sunglasses also as protection for science experiments. They function also like protective eyewear if you are mixing things. So they don't just protect you from the sun and the wind and from the gazes of other people.
You could also wear them if you wanted to do some impromptu build a volcano in your kitchen. Just put on some sunglasses just to be safe. Just to be sure.
MOLLY BLOOM: Love it. Very good. All right, Nico. Your final alternative use for nail polish.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: OK, this is for Renika specifically. Imagine your skateboard deck, because you're doing so many tricks, gets a little scuffed, but it's just a little bit. Or you want to do sort of a super intricate design like right under the wheels. Big paintbrush, not going to be able to do it.
Lots of paint could run. Nail polish, designed not to get runny. You can get super intricate in your designs. So I'm thinking custom skate decks.
MOLLY BLOOM: Hmm. Personalizing the skateboard. Renika's on it. OK. Avery, your final alternative use for sunglasses.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: OK, well, this is also a useful one for you, Renika.
[LAUGHTER]
Two can play at that game. So a lot of traffic cops wear sunglasses. And it's not only to hide their eyes or be shady. They also help with movement.
If you get the glare out, it can help you discern where traffic is going, and you can see fast-moving things more clearly. So they actually are like vision sharpeners if you're, say, skating really quickly down a hill and you want to make sure that you're safe from oncoming cars. They also help sharpen your vision, especially if you're wearing like polarized lenses. They're safety devices for scanning your environment.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, my. I did not know nail polish and sunglasses--
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: I would say that's not a dingle hopper use.
MOLLY BLOOM: Well, I had one, but it wasn't as relevant to Renika's life. So I was also going to make--
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: I psyched you out. Architectural buttresses for card houses, but that's less relevant.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
Oh, my gosh, so many uses. So many uses. So little time.
All right, Renika, think about which side impressed you the most and award your fourth point. Again, the criteria is up to you. Which one sounds more useful? Which one was more creative?
Which one made you laugh? Which one made you think? Up to you. Have you made your decision?
RENIKA: I have.
MOLLY BLOOM: [GASPS] Perfect. Then it's time for our final round.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: The Final 6.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK. Avery, you've got six words to make us see the light. Why are sunglasses supreme?
AVERY TRUFELMAN: The emoji for cool wears sunglasses.
RENIKA: Oh.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, la, la, very nicely done. OK, Nico, it's your turn. Let's hear six words that'll take a shine to nail polish.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Nail polish colon--
MOLLY BLOOM: Does colon count as a word?
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: No, it's punctuation.
MOLLY BLOOM: You're using it-- [LAUGHS]
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Express yourself. Show off.
MOLLY BLOOM: Ooh, very, very nice. All right. Renika, it is time to award a final point for this Final 6.
Have you made your decision?
RENIKA: I have.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right, do some tallying. Are you ready to crown one team the Smash Boom Best, Renika?
RENIKA: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Drum roll, please. And the winner is--
RENIKA: Team sunglasses.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Whoo.
MOLLY BLOOM: [CHUCKLES]
WOMAN: Yeah.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Brutal. [CHUCKLES]
WOMAN: They're good for you.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS] Amazing. So, Renika, was there a moment that really decided things for sunglasses?
RENIKA: OK, I feel like the moment I really got it was when Avery was doing the dingle hopper. And she spoke about a lot of things that were really relevant. And don't get me wrong, nail polish.
Don't get me wrong, Nico. I'm all about expressing yourself, and I love it. I, too, do nails. Well, I don't do nails, but I got my nails done in very loud colors, expressive colors, and all of that. And I loved that.
But Avery won me over. Sunglasses won me over with those dingle hoppers.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Wow.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Love safety.
MOLLY BLOOM: That was a close debate.
RENIKA: It really was.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: It really was.
RENIKA: It really was.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Amazing, Nico. I learned so much. The history-- I did not know about that history. I don't wear nail polish. But when I do, I will turn my bottles into tiny terrariums.
Brilliant idea. Brilliant, brilliant. Brilliant, Nico.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Avery Trufelman, you're a genius. You're an excellent friend. And you look really good in your daily sunglasses.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Thank you. You look really good in your nail polish.
MOLLY BLOOM: [CHUCKLES]
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: I learned a lot. I understand. It's really good for your eyes, the safety. But you really, really got me on your Final 6. Your Final 6 was killer.
RENIKA: Yeah.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: That emoji, I use it. I love it.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: That's the difference between a normal emoji and a cool emoji. It's just the sunglasses.
MOLLY BLOOM: Well, that is it for today's debate battle. Renika crowned Team sunglasses the Smash Boom Best, But what about you?
RENIKA: Head to smashboom.org and vote to tell us who you think won.
MOLLY BLOOM: Smash Boom Best is brought to you by Brains On and APM Studios.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: It's produced by Molly Bloom, Rosie duPont, Ruby Guthrie, and Aron Woldeslassie.
MOLLY BLOOM: We had engineering help from Gary O'Keefe and Alex Simpson with sound design by Rachel Brees.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Our editors are Shahla Farzan and Sanden Totten. And we have production help from Anna Goldfield, Marc Sanchez, Anna Weigel, and Nico Gonzalez Wisler.
MOLLY BLOOM: Our executive producer is Beth Pearlman and the APM Studios executives in charge are Chandra Kavati, Alex Schaffert, and Joanne Griffith. Our announcer is Marley Feuerwerker-Otto, and we want to give special thanks to Austin Cross and Taylor Coffman. Nico, is there anyone you'd like to give a shout-out to today?
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: I would love to give a shout-out to Bad Bunny. He has the best manicures.
[LAUGHTER]
And he also suffered a brutal and unfair loss last night at the Grammy's, so we're commiserating.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Nico texted me last night like horrible news, very bad news.
MOLLY BLOOM: But at least he got that coveted Smash Boom Best shout-out. How about you, Avery? Any shout-outs or special thanks?
AVERY TRUFELMAN: The sun. Without whom, none of this would be possible.
MOLLY BLOOM: Good point.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: Iconic, the sun. We love them.
MOLLY BLOOM: Renika, how about you? Any special thanks?
RENIKA: Shout-out to Molly for having me back here today.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, my gosh. We love having you here. It is a total delight.
All right, before we go, let's check in with Anat and see who she thinks should win her dragons versus phoenixes debate.
CHILD: I think phoenixes would win because they're just this beautiful red orange yellow bird that just flaps around.
MOLLY BLOOM: Do you have an idea for a knock-down, drag-out debate? Head to smashboom.org and tell us about it. We'll be back with a new debate battle next week. Ta-ta.
ALL: Hey!
[MUSIC PLAYING]
(SINGING) Ooo, you're the Smash Boom Best. Boom, puts you through the test. Ooo, you're the Smash Boom Best.
Boom, better than the rest. It's Smash Boom Best. It's Smash Boom Best.
MOLLY BLOOM: And the winner is--
RENIKA: I was supposed to say that.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Oh, my god.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: You're killing me!
MAN: The suspense.
AVERY TRUFELMAN: You're kidding!
MAN: The suspense.
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