Sneak attack? Try snack attack! We’re going absolutely decadent with this special, king-sized episode that will pit a whopping SIX sweet treats head to head in a candy clash for glory. Forever Ago host Joy Dolo will battle Brains On Universe producer Aron Woldeslassie in the ultimate Halloween candy showdown! Get ready for some sweet, sticky, and seriously silly mini debates and find out which treat deserves the top spot in every trick-or-treat bag. Who will be crowned the Smash Boom Best? Vote below for the team YOU think won!
Also… do you have your Smarty Pass yet? Get yours today for just $5/month (or $45/year) and get bonus episodes every month, and ad-free versions of every episode of Brains On, Smash Boom Best, Moment of Um and Forever Ago. Visit www.smartypass.org to get your Smarty Pass today. As an added bonus, your Smarty Pass will grant you access to a super special debate starring Sanden and Molly!
Audio Transcript
Download transcript (PDF)
ANNOUNCER: From the brains behind Brains On, it's Smash Boom Best.
ELLIOT: 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 a special episode that will pit a whopping six sweet treats head to head in a candy clash for glory. We've got Forever Ago host, Joy Dolo, in one corner.
JOY DOLO: Oh, I'm going to win. I think I candy! I think I candy.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
JOY DOLO: [LAUGHS]
MOLLY BLOOM: And Brains On Universe producer Aron Woldeslassie in the other.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Trick or treat. Give me something good to defeat.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh.
JOY DOLO: Oh, why was that so violent?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Yeah.
JOY DOLO: [LAUGHS]
MOLLY BLOOM: And here to judge it all is Elliot from Washington. Elliot loves LEGOs, is an expert on all things Nerf, has several siblings, including a two-year-old brother with his exact same birthday, and one time safely ate a worm. Hi, Elliot.
ELLIOT: Thanks for the worm part, but--
MOLLY BLOOM: Is it not true?
ELLIOT: (WHISPERING) It's true.
MOLLY BLOOM: Ah. Tell me about the worm.
ELLIOT: Yeah, so I took it out of the ground. I used a shovel, dug it up, took it out. And I was like, I'm going to eat this worm. So I googled, how to eat a worm, OK?
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah.
ELLIOT: My search history is probably scarred forever. So what I did is I dug up the worm, searched up how to do it safely. And they were like, just boil it. And I was like, OK, fire. I'll get some boiling water from-- we have a water boiler since my mom's really into tea. So I boiled some water, poured it out into a bowl, put the worm in, and then I just kind of just ate it. It didn't taste bad.
MOLLY BLOOM: Uh-huh.
ELLIOT: I could for sure live off of worms if I really wanted to.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK. I have so many follow-up questions. I don't quite know where to begin, but I guess my first one is, what made you think you wanted to try eating and cooking a worm?
ELLIOT: Oh no.
[LAUGHTER]
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: That's a--
MOLLY BLOOM: Perfect.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: --really good answer.
MOLLY BLOOM: So, Elliot, how did you get to be a Nerf expert?
ELLIOT: So my dad and mom are kind of against guns in general. So one of my things was like, oh, I found a little bit of work-around Nerf guns. And so I already had a Nerf gun. It was kind of old. I had some money I had saved up, and I was like, I'm going to get myself a Nerf gun. And then I just became hooked and made my YouTube channel and stuff.
MOLLY BLOOM: Nice. Oh, so you have a YouTube channel about Nerf guns?
ELLIOT: Mm-hmm.
MOLLY BLOOM: Nice. So what is your favorite Halloween candy?
ELLIOT: Oof. I really like Lemonheads, which isn't on this, and I felt so sad when I saw Lemonheads weren't on it. And then I also like Zotz. You know Zotz? Those are just great.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK. OK. So you like sour. It sounds like Lemonheads, Zotz, kind of a sour experience.
ELLIOT: Yeah, but I'm not biased.
JOY DOLO: Excellent. That's very important.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: That's great.
MOLLY BLOOM: So you've listened to a lot of episodes of Smash Boom Best, so I'm wondering, do you have any advice for our debaters today?
ELLIOT: Yes. Own up to the cringe.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Oh.
JOY DOLO: Oh. I am the cringe master.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
ELLIOT: I think you can do that.
JOY DOLO: The cringe-ologist.
ELLIOT: That's the best part about the show. It's what makes it funny.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Right.
MOLLY BLOOM: Exactly.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I absolutely agree, yeah. I love the cringiness.
JOY DOLO: Oh. But you're agreeing that I'm cringy?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Oh, yeah.
JOY DOLO: Is that what you're saying?
MOLLY BLOOM: That too.
[LAUGHTER]
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Even outside of the debates, Joy is very cringe.
JOY DOLO: I'm cringe. Joy Cringe Dolo.
MOLLY BLOOM: Well, will Elliot side with Joy or Aron? Only time will tell. Now get ready for a special edition of the rules of the game. Today, I will be leading our very talented debaters through not one, not two, but three epic debates. Each debate will have three rounds-- the declaration of greatness, the snack attack, and the final six. There's an opportunity to win three points for each mini debate, totaling nine points for the entire competition.
Our judge, Elliot, will award points to the team that impresses him the most, but he'll keep his decisions top secret until the end of the show. 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. All right, Joy, Aron, and Elliot, are you ready?
JOY DOLO: Oh, yeah. I'm ready for this sweet sensation.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Absotoothly.
MOLLY BLOOM: Are you ready, Elliot?
ELLIOT: Also yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK.
[LAUGHTER]
Great because it's time for our first debate of the day, Twix versus Snickers. Joy will be giving us the fix when it comes to Twix.
JOY DOLO: I'm ready to do some cookie crunches!
MOLLY BLOOM: And Aron will be slinging zingers in favor of Snickers.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Ain't nothing getting devoured quicker than a tasty, delicious Snickers.
JOY DOLO: Nice.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Yeah.
JOY DOLO: That was nice.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: That was lovely, yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: First up, it's the--
ANNOUNCER: Declaration of greatness.
MOLLY BLOOM: In this round, our debaters have just one minute to present a convincing argument in favor of their side. Then they'll each have 15 seconds to rebut their opponent's statements. We flipped a coin. And Joy, you're up first. Tell us why team Twix is tops. Your one minute begins now.
JOY DOLO: I remember the joy of dumping my Halloween candy onto the floor and organizing them by worst to best for trading purposes. The chocolates section was always the hardest because frankly, chocolate is awesome. There was a pile for Butterfingers, Almond Joys, if you're feeling like a nut-- [LAUGHS] Snickers, and the piece de la resistance, Twix.
The glee I would feel as I held the crunchy shortbread cookie covered in caramel with a coating of milk chocolate had my taste buds singing, nay, dancing. The original name Raider was replaced with the name Twix from the combination twin and sticks. It's gawesome-- great and awesome-- because they've been around since 1967. This yandy-- yummy candy-- was invented in the United Kingdom because with Twix, you don't get one, you get two candy coated cookies.
You can have one and save one for later. You can share with a friend. You can play lightsabers with them. The possibilities are endless, fun possibilities. With Snickers, you only get one sad--
MOLLY BLOOM: And time.
JOY DOLO: --lonely piece of candy.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Aron, it is time for your rebuttal. Tell us why Twix are the pits. You've got 15 seconds, and your time starts now.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: So I just want to point out that Joy started this with explaining that she throws her candy on the floor. That's how unimportant Twix are. By the way, taste buds don't sing. They taste. And your poor. portmanteaus won't save your divisive candy. And by the way, I like that you love portmanteaus because Twix are a portmanteaus of porteaus.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS] Joy, do you have a one-word rebuttal to Aron's rebuttal?
JOY DOLO: Sooser-- sore loser.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh!
JOY DOLO: Oh!
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I'd argue those are three words, but that's OK.
JOY DOLO: [DRUMMING SOUNDS] I had to explain it. You can cut the rest.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK. Aron, it is your turn. Tell us why Snickers satisfy. You have one minute, and your time starts now.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Snickers have been delighting for nearly a hundred years. While some lesser snacks are named for silly words, Snickers was named after a horse, Frank Mars's horse. Frank Mars, the man behind our favorite candies like Milky Way and M&M'S, named Snickers after his horse Snickers, a beautiful animal. The only thing more beautiful than the love between a man and his horse is Snickers.
Besides the horse love, Snickers also helped the USA win gold when it became the official snack of the 1984 Olympics. Yeah! How many other gold medals does your candy have? I can count mine. Also, you should know, Snickers are incredibly profitable. They make about $2 billion annually. And with 16 peanuts in each chocolate bar, there's over 100 tons of peanuts are being used in production each day.
When I was a kid, I would take fun-sized Snickers and throw them in the air in what I would call candy showers. I get clean and delicious like the charming little boy I was.
MOLLY BLOOM: And time.
ELLIOT: That was great.
JOY DOLO: [LAUGHS] Candy showers.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Candy showers.
[LAUGHTER]
ELLIOT: I'm sure it cleans you just as well as a good shower.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I mean, and I want you to know, it was a great way to end a night of trick-or-treating, a candy shower. You wouldn't throw them on the floor like trash. You'd throw them in the air--
JOY DOLO: Trash.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: --with your mouth open and your--
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh man. All right. Joy, it is time for your rebuttal. Tell us why Snickers make you sickers. You've got 15 seconds, and your time starts now.
JOY DOLO: Talk about a disrespect for candy, throwing it up in the air before it lands on the floor. What are you waiting for? Just put it on the floor, fancy pants. 16 peanuts per each? You cannot eat that. And horse's name, Snickers? Horse's poop, horse's poop everywhere.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
JOY DOLO: You're eating poop candy. It's a poop. It's a poop horse.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Every animal poops, Elliot. Every animal poops.
JOY DOLO: Everyone poops, but we don't name--
ELLIOT: I want what I'm hearing about candy. I don't exactly want to hear about poop.
JOY DOLO: Exactly, Elliot.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Thank you, Elliot.
MOLLY BLOOM: Aron, Do you have a one-word rebuttal to Joy's rebuttal?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Neigh.
[LAUGHTER]
ELLIOT: That's great.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Elliot, what did you think about Joy and Aron's declarations of greatness and rebuttals? Any moments that stood out?
JOY DOLO: In Joy's, it made me feel nostalgic to the childhood I'm currently living, which is kind of odd since I'm literally in that childhood, with all the spreading candy out on the floor like, whoa! With his, a lot of the points were really spot on, and I really like that.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Thank you so much.
ELLIOT: You're welcome. All the peanuts are like, oh, yeah, so healthy.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Delicious, exactly. Yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: Totally.
ELLIOT: Yeah, it's making it slightly more healthy than every other candy out there.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Exactly.
MOLLY BLOOM: Some protein. All right, Elliot. It is time to award a point. Please give a point to the side that impressed you the most with their declarations and rebuttals. You get to decide what makes a winning argument. Did one team's jokes make you giggle? Did they sneak some facts in? Award your point, but don't tell us who it's going to. Have you made your decision?
ELLIOT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Time for some more of this scrummy smackdown. Get ready for round two, the--
[CHANTING]
--snack attack. I hope you're feeling all jazzed about these noshable nibbles because today's first snack attack is called Alpha Facts. It's your job to come up with a fact starting with a letter of the alphabet, and we're going to go in alphabetical order. We have 30 seconds to do it, and we're going to volley back and forth. Joy went first last time, so we're going to start with Aron with the letter A. We've got 30 seconds on the clock. And our Alpha Facts begin now.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: A as in appetizing, appetizing chocolate, nougat, and peanuts.
JOY DOLO: B, Band-Aid. That's what you use after a candy shower, and you have a bunch of paper cuts.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: C, chocolate. It makes-- my chocolate is the best chocolate.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
JOY DOLO: D, delicious, such as a Twix because it has the sweetness, the crunch--
MOLLY BLOOM: Time. [LAUGHS]
JOY DOLO: It was either delicious or doo-doo, but I think we're done talking about poop for today.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I feel like this is your go-to.
[LAUGHTER]
What's going on with you, buddy?
JOY DOLO: I have issues with my stomach.
[LAUGHTER]
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: All right, that's--
JOY DOLO: I'm just kidding.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: No, it's fine. I'm not-- no, no, no. I'm not-- it was great.
JOY DOLO: I'm sorry, Elliot.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Elliot, you know what that is? That's a life lived with too many Twix. That's what Twix will do to you.
JOY DOLO: You know what it is? It's the peanuts. Peanuts back you up. Ask your mother.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: No, no. Elliot, we just agreed. Peanuts are good for you.
JOY DOLO: They're good for some.
MOLLY BLOOM: You shouldn't have given them so much candy before because everyone's a little excited.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Ba, ba, ba, ba.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Elliot, it is time to award a point, but don't tell us who it's going to. The criteria are totally subjective and totally up to you. Have you made your decision?
ELLIOT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Fantastic. Then it's time for our third round.
ANNOUNCER: The final six.
MOLLY BLOOM: In this round, each team will have just six words to sum up the glory of their side. Joy, let's hear your six words for team Twix.
JOY DOLO: Snickers, horse candy. Twix, gawesome yandy.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
JOY DOLO: I created a whole language.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: It's an interesting way to describe gibberish. I'll give you that.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Aron, it is your turn. Let's hear your six words for team Snickers.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Snickers, a man loves his horse.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, man. This is good.
ELLIOT: What's with horses and Snickers, man?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: He was there for the founding. They're beautiful animals.
MOLLY BLOOM: Without the horse, there would be no Snickers.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Elliot, it is time to award a final point for this final six. Have you made your decision?
ELLIOT: Before I do, I just want to say, both of you guys, I'm very proud of you. You actually used six words.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah.
JOY DOLO: Thank you.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Thank you.
MOLLY BLOOM: Are you ready to crown one team the Smash Boom Best of this mini debate?
ELLIOT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Drum roll please.
[DRUM ROLL]
And the winner is--
ELLIOT: Snickers!
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Bam! Ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, bam!
JOY DOLO: Well, well, well. Time
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: For a candy shower, baby. Ba, ba, ba, ba!
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: Very good. Very good.
JOY DOLO: Well done, sir. Well done.
MOLLY BLOOM: Well, we still have two more rounds. It's still anybody's game.
SPEAKER 1: Best.
SPEAKER 2: Boom.
SPEAKER 3: Smash. Smash.
SPEAKER 2: Boom.
SPEAKER 1: Best.
MOLLY BLOOM: It is time for debate number two, Raisinets versus Sour Patch Kids. This debate will be similar in structure to the last one with a little added spice. Aron will be debating for team Raisinets.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Take your bets because the winner here is Raisinets!
MOLLY BLOOM: And Joy will be debating for team Sour Patch Kids.
JOY DOLO: Hey, you kids. Get back on my lawn.
[LAUGHTER]
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: That was really--
[LAUGHTER]
Oh.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: OK, that was really good.
ELLIOT: That went the opposite way I thought it was going to go.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I know, it was-- oh my gosh.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: Joy went first last time, so, Aron, you're up. You've got one minute to convince us that Raisinets are the raisin best. And your time begins now.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Raisinets, raisins covered in chocolate. Raisinets are incredibly popular. If you lined up the amount of Raisinets produced in one year end to end, that length would go around the Earth two and a half times. And Raisinets have been delighting people for years. They are nearly a hundred years old. In fact, the idea of Raisinets is even older than that.
They were first produced in 1927 by a family-owned candy company in Philadelphia. Chocolate is a beloved treat, and so are raisins. But did you know that raisins are actually good for you? They're full of antioxidants, and they're rich in fiber. Raisinets are like gems. They need to be polished. Did you know in the last 24 hours, 21 million new Raisinets were coated and polished? That means every day, 21 million raisins are coated in chocolate and tumbled so they become perfect drops of goodness.
Hey, what are you doing on March 24? I don't know what I'm doing. Actually, I do know what I'm doing because I'm celebrating National Chocolate-Covered Raisin Day. Raisinets even have a day.
MOLLY BLOOM: And time.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: They're so good.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Joy, it is time for your rebuttal. Tell us why Raisinets are just old dried fruit and chocolate. You've got 15 seconds, and your time begins now.
JOY DOLO: Actually, I don't even need to say it because you just said it. It is old dried fruit. Who wants to eat that? That's not candy. Candy is a sweet sugary treat. You keep pushing nuts and raisins on us? I am a candy person through and through. 21 million raisins turned into candy? Why can't you just let them be what they are?
MOLLY BLOOM: And time.
JOY DOLO: Let them be.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
JOY DOLO: (SINGING) Let them be. Let them be.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: No.
JOY DOLO: (SINGING) Let them be. Let them be.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: The Beatles are extremely litigious.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: Aron, do you want to make one sound in reaction to Joy's rebuttal?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Meh.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. It is your turn, Joy. Tell us why Sour Patch Kids are for all the best kids. You've got one minute, and your time starts now.
JOY DOLO: Color, vibrancy, art. When you open a bag of Sour Patch Kids, that's what you receive. The sour and sweet colorful rainbow of gummy candy is the best for movies, long walks, and sour covering so sour-- it's so sour the covering that you can practice kissing with all that pucker. Come here, Grandma. [KISSES]
The sour coating is a blanket on top of the sweet gummy inside. The candy used to be called Mars Men but then were rebranded as Sour Patch Kids in the '80s when the Cabbage Patch Kids took the world by storm. Sour Patch Kids are also a variety of fun flavors-- watermelon, blue raspberry, lemon lime, strawberry, and more. You can mix them in your mouth and make little gummy sandwiches-- blue strawberry, watermelon lime. Raisinets only have two flavors, raisin and chocolate. boring!
Sour Patch Kids also were created in the early '70s by neighbors to the north, Canada. Doesn't it make sense that I married a Canadian? Not only is he awesome, his country made Sour Patch Kids.
MOLLY BLOOM: And--
JOY DOLO: This is what love looks like.
MOLLY BLOOM: --time.
[LAUGHTER]
JOY DOLO: My husband is going to love that one.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, man. All right. Aron, it is time for your rebuttal. Tell us why Sour Patch Kids should be eaten by squids. You've got 15 seconds, and your time starts now.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: First off, I want to say, Sour Patch Kids come in a box, so you will never open a bag of Sour Patch Kids, OK?
JOY DOLO: That's not true.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Also, stop trying to kiss me with your Sour Patch Kids, Joy, all right? It's too much. I don't like it. Also, Mars Men? You're telling me these space invaders are invading our mouths?
MOLLY BLOOM: And time.
[LAUGHTER]
ELLIOT: I'm now slightly worried about space invaders.
MOLLY BLOOM: Joy, is there a sound you would like to make in reaction to Aron's rebuttal?
JOY DOLO: [KISSING SOUNDS]
[LAUGHTER]
You love it. You love it.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I'm shaking my head.
JOY DOLO: No, he's not. He's smiling.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I'm shaking my head.
JOY DOLO: He's smiling and loving it.
MOLLY BLOOM: Elliot, what did you think about Aron and Joy's declarations of greatness and rebuttals? Any moments that really stand out?
ELLIOT: The Raisinets was full of more facts, and I kind of did like that. Again, it's the one with the raisin in it. The Sour Patch Kids, that one's pretty funny, like, come here, Grammy. But there was also tons of information but still less than Raisinets.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Always, as always. It's still less than Raisinets.
MOLLY BLOOM: Elliot, you are the judge, so you get to decide what makes a winning argument here. It's entirely subjective and entirely up to you. So please give one point for this round to the side that impressed you the most. Have you made your decision?
ELLIOT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Wonderful. We're off to a fierce and fabulous start. And now we're ready for round number two, the--
[CHANTING]
--snack attack. This is a brand new challenge called Costume Party. I want you to metaphorically put on a Halloween costume and give me a 30-second monologue in that character's voice about your side. For example, if I was dressed like The Count and my side was Blow Pops, I would do a monologue as The Count talking all about how great Blow Pops are. Does that make sense?
JOY DOLO: I think so.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Yes.
JOY DOLO: Yes.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I think this makes sense.
MOLLY BLOOM: Aron, you went first last time, so, Joy--
JOY DOLO: Oh, awesome.
MOLLY BLOOM: --you're up. First, please tell us what character that you're dressed as.
JOY DOLO: Oh. Yeah, I'm a Canadian goose.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
JOY DOLO: I'm a Canadian goose from Canada.
MOLLY BLOOM: Uh-huh?
JOY DOLO: You betcha.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh.
JOY DOLO: Oh, yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK. All right. So please, now give us your character monologue about Sour Patch Kids. It's only 30 seconds long, so make it count. Your time starts now.
JOY DOLO: Oh, yeah, so the reason that I love this Sour Patch Kids is because I love kids in general. I like to walk up to them and waddle and poke them with my beak. That's what our noses are called. And so beyond Sour Patch Kids, they're also made from a syrup. The candy starts as a syrup. And maple syrup is also a big part of Canada. It's our main export, one would say, besides moose. We also do a lot of mooses here.
MOLLY BLOOM: And time.
JOY DOLO: Sour Patch--
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
Aron.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Mm-hmm.
MOLLY BLOOM: It is your turn. Let's hear your character monologue about Raisinets. Who are you dressed as today?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I'm putting on my cowboy hat--
MOLLY BLOOM: Mm-hmm.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: --because I'm John Wayne, pilgrim, famous movie star, pilgrim.
MOLLY BLOOM: Pilgrim. The cowboy?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Yep.
MOLLY BLOOM: I can't wait to hear what John Wayne has to say about Raisinets. OK. You have 30 seconds, and your time starts now.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I'm John Wayne, and I'm here to tell you that I love making movies. If you want a surefire movie snack, take some popcorn and throw in some Raisinets, pilgrim.
JOY DOLO: [LAUGHS] Pilgrim.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: They're delicious, and they're good for you. They're filled with antioxidants and plenty of fiber, so you'll never be caught down in a pinch.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: And--
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Raisinets.
MOLLY BLOOM: --time. Kids, you'll have to ask your great-grandparents about this reference.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Oh, man.
ELLIOT: I propose that you two guys, why don't you just work together? This John Wayne dude seems to be real nice. And also, Sour Patch Kids make you pucker up, so they might be a great match.
JOY DOLO: Oh.
MOLLY BLOOM: I like that idea.
JOY DOLO: Maybe that's what we have to do, John Wayne.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I like the sound of that, pilgrim.
JOY DOLO: Get on my back. Don't you know?
ELLIOT: All right.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: The goose?
JOY DOLO: Yeah, you can ride the goose.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Yeah. This is--
JOY DOLO: Ride the goose.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, man. All right. Elliot, it is time to award a point for this silliest of snack attacks. Have you made your decision?
ELLIOT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Wonderful. It's time for our third round.
ANNOUNCER: The final six.
MOLLY BLOOM: Aron, let's hear your six words for team Raisinets.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Raisinets, grapes dressed in chocolate. Yum!
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: Wonderful. Joy, it is your turn. Give us your six words for team Sour Patch Kids.
JOY DOLO: Raisinets, old school. Patch Kids, slap.
[LAUGHTER]
I literally like googled "young kids slang" to figure out.
[LAUGHTER]
I was like, Patch Kids, mew. Is that a cool thing?
MOLLY BLOOM: Elliot, do kids say slap? Is that a thing?
ELLIOT: No. That is way outdated.
[LAUGHTER]
JOY DOLO: What is a cool word? How would kids--
ELLIOT: Dope.
MOLLY BLOOM: Dope.
ELLIOT: Or something like that.
JOY DOLO: Patch Kids, dope.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: No. You already snap.
JOY DOLO: Yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: Slap. She said slap. I liked it.
JOY DOLO: 1970s.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. You've heard these two wonderful final sixes. But Elliot, only one of them can get your final point. Have you made your decision?
ELLIOT: Yes, I have.
MOLLY BLOOM: Are you ready to crown one team the Smash Boom Best of this mini debate?
ELLIOT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Drum roll, please.
[DRUM ROLL]
And the winner is--
ELLIOT: Sour Patch Kids.
JOY DOLO: Yeah!
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: [GROANS]
JOY DOLO: It's because of the Canadian goose.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Get off my lawn. Gosh.
JOY DOLO: Get on--
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: You nailed it. Good for you. Brava.
JOY DOLO: Get on my lawn.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Get on my lawn, kids.
JOY DOLO: Everybody, come on.
MOLLY BLOOM: For the record, he chose.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Yeah, that's true.
[LAUGHTER]
ELLIOT: No way you chose Raisinets.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I chose Rais--
JOY DOLO: I will say, I love your John Wayne voice.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I chose Raisinets and John Wayne, so.
JOY DOLO: [LAUGHS] The golden age of cinema.
MOLLY BLOOM: Incredible. All right. So we have one and one. Each of you have won one of our mini debates. Aron and Joy, how are you two feeling so far?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Great!
[LAUGHTER]
I can honestly say I'm feeling very good. And that's all.
[LAUGHTER]
ELLIOT: OK.
JOY DOLO: I feel like a wrapper-- crinkly, loud, and ready to party.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. It's time for a quick break. Dump out your trick-or-treat bucket and start sorting your candy into piles.
ELLIOT: And we'll be right back with more Smash Boom Best.
ANNOUNCER: You're listening to State of Debate, home to rage and rhetoric and awe-inspiring argumentation.
TODD DOUGLAS: Guten tag, debate schnitzel. 'Tis I, your captain of logic, Todd Douglas, here with my debate mate.
TAYLOR LINCOLN: Taylor Lincoln. And we're here on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania for--
TAYLOR AND TODD: Groundhog Day. Hooray!
TAYLOR LINCOLN: It's freezing right now in Pennsylvania because the sun hasn't risen yet, and it's February 2.
TODD DOUGLAS: But in a little bit, when the sun peaks over the horizon, the world-famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil will pop up over that little hole over there and look for his shadow.
TAYLOR LINCOLN: If he sees it, that means six more weeks of winter.
TODD DOUGLAS: But if he doesn't see his shadow, that means early spring.
TAYLOR LINCOLN: Everyone is getting real excited here. Just listen to the crowd. And to top it off, I just caught a juicy fallacy fumble on my handy recorder. A logical fallacy is a debate mistake that makes an argument less than awesome. Want to hear it, Toddy?
TODD DOUGLAS: You betcha, Tay-Tay. Always in the mood for some sizzling fallacy fodder.
TAYLOR LINCOLN: All right. Roll tape.
BRONSON: Oh, man, Marge. When is that dard groundhog going to come out of the ground? I'm cold.
MARGE: Oh, be patient, Bronson. He'll come out when he's ready. The sun hasn't come up yet.
BRONSON: I can't stand this groundhog gobbledygook. Last time, when Phil predicted an early spring, I trusted him, so I dressed up in my finest cargo shorts and flip-flops. But it stayed cold, and my toes almost froze!
MARGE: That's on you, Bronson. You should have checked the weather forecast.
BRONSON: No! Everyone suffered. And that's just what Punxsutawney Phil wants. He's conspiring to trick innocent humans around the world into wearing cargo shorts and flip-flops in the wintertime! Prove me wrong!
[BUZZER]
TODD DOUGLAS: What a fallacy flop.
TAYLOR LINCOLN: What you just heard was the burden of proof fallacy. It's when you make your opponent prove your case wrong without providing any evidence yourself. Bronson wouldn't explain why Phil the Groundhog was tricking people. He put the burden of proving that on Marge. That's bad debating.
TODD DOUGLAS: Yikes. To be a debate great, you got to come up with evidence to support your claims. Don't just launch an idea at someone and make them do all the work.
[TRUMPETS PLAYING]
TAYLOR LINCOLN: Ooh, ooh, Todd! The sun is rising. It's almost time.
TODD DOUGLAS: I can't wait. Punxsutawney Phil, you are my hero.
TAYLOR LINCOLN: This has been--
TAYLOR AND TODD: State of Debate.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
SPEAKER 4: Brains On universe is a family of podcasts for kids and their adults. Since you're a fan of Smash Boom Best, we know you'll love the other shows in our universe. Come on. Let's explore.
COMPUTER: Here we are in Brains On universe, home to my favorite podcasts-- Brains On, Smash Boom Best, Forever Ago. [GASPS] I found one. Forever Ago, the history show hosted by Joy Dolo.
[BEEPS]
[GRAND MUSIC]
JOY DOLO: It was the early 1800s, Beethoven was busy composing new symphonies, steam-powered trains were brand new inventions, and a British naturalist named William Swainson was exploring the jungles of--
[BUZZER]
COMPUTER: [GASPS] Ah! What a great show.
[BEEPS]
Need more Forever Ago now!
[EXPLODES]
SPEAKER 4: Listen to Forever Ago wherever you get your podcasts.
SINGERS: Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Smash Boom Best.
MOLLY BLOOM: You're listening to Smash Boom Best. I'm your host, Molly Bloom.
ELLIOT: And I'm your judge, Elliot.
MOLLY BLOOM: And we love getting debate suggestions from our listeners. Take a listen to this flavorful debate idea from Fievel.
FIEVEL: Hello. My name is Fievel. And I live in Los Angeles, California. I thought a good debate would be salsa versus soy sauce.
ELLIOT: Those two flavor enhancers really condiment each other.
MOLLY BLOOM: We'll check back in at the end of this episode to see which side Fievel thinks should win.
ELLIOT: And now it's back to a debate, Halloween candy grab bag. That's right. And it's time for our third and final debate, Twizzlers versus Smarties. This debate will mirror the first two debates. And Elliot, it'll be your job to secretly award points throughout the three rounds. In our final debate, Joy will be debating for team Twizzlers.
JOY DOLO: Don't you wizzler, you had a Twizzler?
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
JOY DOLO: Thanks, Molly.
MOLLY BLOOM: And will be debating for team Smarties.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Ain't no party like a Smartie Party because a Smartie Party has colors!
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: Aron went first last time, so, Joy, you're up. You've got one minute to convince us that Twizzlers totally sizzle. And your time starts now!
JOY DOLO: I'll answer the question, how can a candy like Twizzlers last so long? Why is a beloved antique of a candy still around to today? Well, it seems like it was made Forever Ago-- shameless plug. Look, I don't need to tell you that Twizzlers is one of the oldest candies in the United States, made in 1845, the same year that Texas became a state.
I won't tell you that the candy comes in different shapes and sizes-- nibs, ropes, and pull-and-peel, which is my favorite. And it also comes in different flavors-- black, strawberry, cherry, my favorite! But I heard you loud and clear earlier before, so I'm going to stick to the facts this time, Elliott. The candy was originally licorice-flavored, now known as black licorice. This is a flavor from the licorice plant, and it's divisive. It could be described as earthy, salty, and bitter or gross.
Didn't introduce new flavors until the 1970s. Did you know that licorice was just that black licorice for a long time? And they didn't bring in the strawberry and the mint and the chocolate until the 1970s. Yes, there is a mint Twizzler. The iconic Twizzler shape is made--
MOLLY BLOOM: And time.
JOY DOLO: --by pushing the candy mixture through rotating wheels. All facts, baby.
MOLLY BLOOM: All facts.
ELLIOT: I was into it. What can I say?
JOY DOLO: Yep.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Aron, it is time for your rebuttal. Tell us why Twizzlers really just fizzlers. You've got 15 seconds, and your time starts now.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Twizzlers have lasted long for the same reason that Stonehenge lasted long, because it's impossible to digest. You bite into them, and they're fighting your teeth. It's like an impossible tug of war with my molars. You know what flavor that Twizzlers need? Delicious. I wish that was a flavor that Twizzlers had because--
MOLLY BLOOM: And time.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: --I've never thought that about them.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
ELLIOT: Oof, sick burn.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Joy, do you have one song lyric in reaction to Aron's rebuttal?
JOY DOLO: Oh, a song lyric.
(SINGING) You don't own me. [LAUGHS] Don't try to change me in any way. You don't own me. Bop, bop, ba, ba. Then I don't know the rest of the words. Bop, bop, bop, ba, ba. That's more than a lyric, but I'll keep going.
MOLLY BLOOM: That was great. I enjoyed it.
JOY DOLO: Do you know that song, Elliot?
ELLIOT: No, I don't. It's probably, like, 20 years old.
MOLLY BLOOM: It's from the '60s.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: It's older than that, yeah.
ELLIOT: OK.
MOLLY BLOOM: But it's a delightful song.
ELLIOT: Close enough.
MOLLY BLOOM: Delightful song.
ELLIOT: Basically before me, and it's old.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: Aron, it is your turn. Tell us why smarties love Smarties. You got a minute, and it starts right now!
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Smarties has been running for such a long time. The business was started in 1949 by Edward Dee. He was a real smarty. He made the first Smarties in his garage using the same equipment that they used for World War II. That's right. My candy helped stop fascism. Then he drove around, delivering his candies to grocery stores. And the company is still around and run by his granddaughters. That's right. It's a family operation. 2 billion rolls of the candies are rolled every year. 2 b-- b-- b-- billion.
And I know we love Canada. In Canada, Smarties are actually called Rockets. So if you're ever up in Canada, visiting, I don't know, your family, Joy, be sure to ask them for a couple of Rockets because they're great. With a simple piece of string, Smarties can actually be turned into jewelry. You want a necklace? No problem. How about a bracelet? You bet. You'll look as good as they taste. And I should know because as a child, I would wear Smarties on my neck and pretend I was a cool surfer. That's right. I would pretend to ride a surfboard on my bed fighting sharks.
MOLLY BLOOM: And time. [LAUGHS] I love that. Little kid Aron had a lot of innovative uses for candy.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: He really loved his imagination.
MOLLY BLOOM: Ugh, I love this kid. All right. Joy, it is time for your rebuttal. Tell us why Smarties should be really called Farties. You've got 15 seconds, and your time begins now.
JOY DOLO: OK. So if you wore Smarties while you were in a surfboard, you know they would melt because of the water, right? They would just disintegrate because they're not very strong structurally like Twizzlers. Smarties necklace? Clearly, it's trying to be a Twizzler because Twizzlers, which were invented way before yours-- 1845, hello-- they were trying to make--
MOLLY BLOOM: And time. Oh, she really takes her time seriously.
JOY DOLO: Yes! Yes! I do.
MOLLY BLOOM: Appreciate that. Aron, do you have one song lyric in reaction to Joy's rebuttal?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: [CLEARS THROAT]
(SINGING) I want candy. Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum. I want candy. Ba, ba, ba, ba, ba.
MOLLY BLOOM: Nice. Oof, that was great.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: --harmonize. Thank you.
MOLLY BLOOM: Elliot, what did you think about Joy and Aron's declarations of greatness and rebuttals? What stood out to you?
ELLIOT: For the declaration of greatness, Twizzlers, again, they had a little more facts, but they also had a lot of great jokes. So I really appreciate that as a man of jokes, really basically my defining traits at this point.
MOLLY BLOOM: Excellent.
ELLIOT: Yeah. And I actually learned a lot too, so that's great. For Smarties, I also learned a lot and got that surfboard, which is great. I always wanted to surf while wearing candy.
[LAUGHTER]
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: It's just a great way to live.
MOLLY BLOOM: Excellent work, Elliot. But only one of these debaters can get a point for this declaration and rebuttal. Please award your point, but don't tell us who it's going to. Have you made your decision?
ELLIOT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Then it's time for our third and final--
[CHANTING]
--snack attack. The challenge is haiku for you.
ELLIOT: Ooh.
MOLLY BLOOM: We want you to write two haikus each, one about how great your side is and another one about how terrible the other side is. As a reminder, we're looking for a three-line poem with a syllable pattern of five, seven, five. That's a haiku. Joy, you went first in the last round, so, Aron, you're up now. Let's hear your haiku for why Smarties are works of arties.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Smarties, I love color. Smarties, up north called Rockets. Smarties, family run.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, very nice.
ELLIOT: Beautiful.
MOLLY BLOOM: Very nice. All right, Joy, now it's your turn. Let's hear why Twizzlers are the business.
JOY DOLO: Mm. Twizzler has rizzler. Bendy candy, delicious. Flavor beats color.
MOLLY BLOOM: Ooh, very nice, very nice.
ELLIOT: Oof.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Now, Joy, we're going to go to you again.
JOY DOLO: OK.
MOLLY BLOOM: It's your turn--
JOY DOLO: This is so intense.
MOLLY BLOOM: --to tell us why Smarties are duds.
JOY DOLO: Smarties are Rockets. Or are they a chalk-olate? Throw in the ocean.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS] Excellent work.
JOY DOLO: Chalk-olate. Do you get the word play?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Yeah, I got it.
JOY DOLO: Chalk because it tastes like chalk.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Oh. I didn't get that at all.
MOLLY BLOOM: I was like, they're not chocolate.
JOY DOLO: Yeah, they like chalk.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK, OK.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I don't know if that's wordplay.
JOY DOLO: That's poetry.
[LAUGHTER]
ELLIOT: Poetry. I was still into it, so yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: Elliot liked it, and that's all that matters.
JOY DOLO: Yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK, Aron, it is your turn to tell us why Twizzlers are not so hot.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Twizzlers fight your teeth. Red whips taste like gross butts, man.
[LAUGHTER]
Twizzlers bind your buds.
JOY DOLO: Bind your buds?
MOLLY BLOOM: The taste buds?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Or friends. It's word play.
ELLIOT: Oh, OK. Now I get it.
JOY DOLO: It's poetry.
ELLIOT: You guys are both really bad at word play.
[LAUGHTER]
One specific thing. All the other times, you're great.
MOLLY BLOOM: This is a tough challenge.
ELLIOT: That's one specific thing about it.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: This is really--
[LAUGHTER]
I'm just trying to say buds. It's a little bit more clear than chalk-olates.
JOY DOLO: Chalk-olate is art. That is art in sentence.
MOLLY BLOOM: The only opinion that matters here right now is Elliot's.
JOY DOLO: That's true. That's very true.
MOLLY BLOOM: So, Elliott, it is time to award a point.
ELLIOT: OK, I think I've decided.
MOLLY BLOOM: And it's time for our final round.
ANNOUNCER: The final six.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK, Joy, let's hear your six words for team Twizzlers.
JOY DOLO: Is Twizzler a wizzler? Yes, sizzler.
MOLLY BLOOM: [STIFLED LAUGH] Are you doing like, yes, sir?
JOY DOLO: Yeah, that's what I was trying to say with the -zler.
ELLIOT: Oh, OK. That makes sense.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: No, it doesn't.
ELLIOT: Honestly, it was funnier--
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: No, it doesn't. That makes no sense.
JOY DOLO: It's funnier when you explain it, Aron.
ELLIOT: It's called poetry.
JOY DOLO: It's called poetry.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: The fact that there was a confused pause from all of us.
[LAUGHTER]
JOY DOLO: You know, sometimes when you work in the moment, you have to just go with it where it is.
MOLLY BLOOM: Again, it only matters what Eliot thinks.
ELLIOT: I kind of respect the making it in the moment.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Ah.
JOY DOLO: Thank you.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: OK. Let me write something really quick.
JOY DOLO: [LAUGHS]
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: [HUMMING] You know what? On that note--
MOLLY BLOOM: Are you ready?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: --I am finished. Yes, I'm ready.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right.
JOY DOLO: I can't.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK. Aron, please give us your final six for team Smarties.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Don't be a dummy, eat Smarties!
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
JOY DOLO: Sizzler.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: Elliot, it is time to award a final point for this final six. And it's the final point in this whole debate extravaganza. Have you made your decision?
ELLIOT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Tally up those points. Are you ready to crown one team the Smash Boom Best of this mini debate?
ELLIOT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Drum roll, please. And the winner is--
ELLIOT: Twizzlers!
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: No!
JOY DOLO: Yeah-zler!
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh my goodness. All right, Elliot, what was your favorite part of this debate?
ELLIOT: The last since it was the most suspenseful. I was oof. In all the ones, I was paying very high attention. But in the last one, I was like, this matters the most because everyone had one at that point. So I was like, OK, this one matters the most. I got to do it.
MOLLY BLOOM: Well, you did an amazing job judging. We asked you to judge a lot today, and you did an amazing job.
JOY DOLO: Like I said earlier, I really loved your John Wayne. I think your accents are so funny. And I actually did really appreciate that you had a ton of facts in your DOG and in your stuff, so kudos. Kudos is going to be the candy bar that we make together, and it's going to be peanut, raisin, chocolate, and gummy bears.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: The kids are going to run onto our lawns just to grab at these delicious Kudos. Joy, I have to say, I adore your spontaneity, your energy, your laissez-faire attitude, your ability to improvise and write something better than me, even though I planned ahead of time. And that kind of frustrates me.
[LAUGHTER]
Also, your appreciation for the great nation of Canada has really, really shown in this debate. And I've got to say, that's the type of edge you need in a debate like this.
JOY DOLO: International edge?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: And that's it for today's debate battle. Elliot crowned Snickers, Sour Patch Kids, and Twizzlers the Smash Boom Best, giving Joy two out of three and making her our winner of this candy extravaganza. But what about you?
ELLIOT: 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. It's produced by Molly Bloom--
ANNA WEGGEL: Anna Weggel.
--and--
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Aron Woldeslassie.
MOLLY BLOOM: We had engineering help from Jean Baron and Nick Taylor, with sound design by Anna Weggel. Our editors are--
SHAHLA FARZAN: Shahla Farzan.
MOLLY BLOOM: --and--
SANDEN TOTTEN: Sanden Totten.
MOLLY BLOOM: And we had production help from the rest of the Brains On universe team.
ROSIE DUPONT: Rosie Dupont.
RACHEL BREES: Rachel Brees.
ANNA GOLDFIELD: Anna Goldfield.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Nico Gonzalez Wisler.
RUBY GUTHRIE: Ruby Guthrie.
LAUREN HUMPERT: Lauren Humpert.
JESS MILLER: Jess Miller.
JOSHUA RAY: Joshua Ray.
MARC SANCHEZ: Marc Sanchez.
MOLLY BLOOM: --and--
CHARLOTTE TRAVER: Charlotte Traver.
MOLLY BLOOM: Our executive producer is Beth Pearlman. And the APM Studios executives-in-charge are Chandra Kavati and Joanne Griffith. Our announcer is Marley Feuerwerker-Otto. And we want to give a special thanks to Austin Cross and Taylor Kaufman. Joy, is there anyone you like to give a shout-out to today?
JOY DOLO: I'd like to give a shout-out to all of Canada and their geese.
MOLLY BLOOM: Very nice. How about you, Aron? Any special shout-outs?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I want to give a special shout-out to all of the beautiful horses out there. You very much inspired me and Frank Mars.
MOLLY BLOOM: Wonderful. And how about you, Elliot? Any special thanks or shout-outs?
ELLIOT: I want to give a shout out to the entire Smash Boom Best team for letting me come on since it was a real joy. Also, because my dad-- since gas is so expensive, so that one, he drove me.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: That's your dad.
JOY DOLO: Dad rocks.
MOLLY BLOOM: Before we go, let's check in and see who Fievel thinks should win the salsa versus soy sauce debate.
FIEVEL: Salsa because it's so yummy.
MOLLY BLOOM: If you're between the ages of 13 and 18 and you'd like to be a judge, or if you're any age and you have an idea for a knock down, drag out debate, head to smashboom.org/contact and drop us a line. And make sure to subscribe to Brains On Universe on YouTube where you can watch animated versions of some of your favorite episodes. We'll be back with a new Smash Boom Best debate battle next week, Ghostbusters versus Jurassic Park! What?
ELLIOT: Bye for now.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: See you later.
JOY DOLO: Bye-zler.
[MUSIC PLAYING] Oh, yeah, the Smash Boom Best
Oh, put it through the test
Oh, yeah, the Smash Boom Best
Oh, better than the rest
It's a Smash Boom Best
It's a Smash Boom Best
MOLLY BLOOM: Again, an important message from the booth that's telling me to stop eating candy.
ELLIOT: No.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Molly. Molly. From the bottom of my heart, don't stop eating candy.
[LAUGHTER]
ELLIOT: 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 a special episode that will pit a whopping six sweet treats head to head in a candy clash for glory. We've got Forever Ago host, Joy Dolo, in one corner.
JOY DOLO: Oh, I'm going to win. I think I candy! I think I candy.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
JOY DOLO: [LAUGHS]
MOLLY BLOOM: And Brains On Universe producer Aron Woldeslassie in the other.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Trick or treat. Give me something good to defeat.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh.
JOY DOLO: Oh, why was that so violent?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Yeah.
JOY DOLO: [LAUGHS]
MOLLY BLOOM: And here to judge it all is Elliot from Washington. Elliot loves LEGOs, is an expert on all things Nerf, has several siblings, including a two-year-old brother with his exact same birthday, and one time safely ate a worm. Hi, Elliot.
ELLIOT: Thanks for the worm part, but--
MOLLY BLOOM: Is it not true?
ELLIOT: (WHISPERING) It's true.
MOLLY BLOOM: Ah. Tell me about the worm.
ELLIOT: Yeah, so I took it out of the ground. I used a shovel, dug it up, took it out. And I was like, I'm going to eat this worm. So I googled, how to eat a worm, OK?
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah.
ELLIOT: My search history is probably scarred forever. So what I did is I dug up the worm, searched up how to do it safely. And they were like, just boil it. And I was like, OK, fire. I'll get some boiling water from-- we have a water boiler since my mom's really into tea. So I boiled some water, poured it out into a bowl, put the worm in, and then I just kind of just ate it. It didn't taste bad.
MOLLY BLOOM: Uh-huh.
ELLIOT: I could for sure live off of worms if I really wanted to.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK. I have so many follow-up questions. I don't quite know where to begin, but I guess my first one is, what made you think you wanted to try eating and cooking a worm?
ELLIOT: Oh no.
[LAUGHTER]
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: That's a--
MOLLY BLOOM: Perfect.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: --really good answer.
MOLLY BLOOM: So, Elliot, how did you get to be a Nerf expert?
ELLIOT: So my dad and mom are kind of against guns in general. So one of my things was like, oh, I found a little bit of work-around Nerf guns. And so I already had a Nerf gun. It was kind of old. I had some money I had saved up, and I was like, I'm going to get myself a Nerf gun. And then I just became hooked and made my YouTube channel and stuff.
MOLLY BLOOM: Nice. Oh, so you have a YouTube channel about Nerf guns?
ELLIOT: Mm-hmm.
MOLLY BLOOM: Nice. So what is your favorite Halloween candy?
ELLIOT: Oof. I really like Lemonheads, which isn't on this, and I felt so sad when I saw Lemonheads weren't on it. And then I also like Zotz. You know Zotz? Those are just great.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK. OK. So you like sour. It sounds like Lemonheads, Zotz, kind of a sour experience.
ELLIOT: Yeah, but I'm not biased.
JOY DOLO: Excellent. That's very important.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: That's great.
MOLLY BLOOM: So you've listened to a lot of episodes of Smash Boom Best, so I'm wondering, do you have any advice for our debaters today?
ELLIOT: Yes. Own up to the cringe.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Oh.
JOY DOLO: Oh. I am the cringe master.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
ELLIOT: I think you can do that.
JOY DOLO: The cringe-ologist.
ELLIOT: That's the best part about the show. It's what makes it funny.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Right.
MOLLY BLOOM: Exactly.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I absolutely agree, yeah. I love the cringiness.
JOY DOLO: Oh. But you're agreeing that I'm cringy?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Oh, yeah.
JOY DOLO: Is that what you're saying?
MOLLY BLOOM: That too.
[LAUGHTER]
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Even outside of the debates, Joy is very cringe.
JOY DOLO: I'm cringe. Joy Cringe Dolo.
MOLLY BLOOM: Well, will Elliot side with Joy or Aron? Only time will tell. Now get ready for a special edition of the rules of the game. Today, I will be leading our very talented debaters through not one, not two, but three epic debates. Each debate will have three rounds-- the declaration of greatness, the snack attack, and the final six. There's an opportunity to win three points for each mini debate, totaling nine points for the entire competition.
Our judge, Elliot, will award points to the team that impresses him the most, but he'll keep his decisions top secret until the end of the show. 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. All right, Joy, Aron, and Elliot, are you ready?
JOY DOLO: Oh, yeah. I'm ready for this sweet sensation.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Absotoothly.
MOLLY BLOOM: Are you ready, Elliot?
ELLIOT: Also yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK.
[LAUGHTER]
Great because it's time for our first debate of the day, Twix versus Snickers. Joy will be giving us the fix when it comes to Twix.
JOY DOLO: I'm ready to do some cookie crunches!
MOLLY BLOOM: And Aron will be slinging zingers in favor of Snickers.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Ain't nothing getting devoured quicker than a tasty, delicious Snickers.
JOY DOLO: Nice.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Yeah.
JOY DOLO: That was nice.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: That was lovely, yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: First up, it's the--
ANNOUNCER: Declaration of greatness.
MOLLY BLOOM: In this round, our debaters have just one minute to present a convincing argument in favor of their side. Then they'll each have 15 seconds to rebut their opponent's statements. We flipped a coin. And Joy, you're up first. Tell us why team Twix is tops. Your one minute begins now.
JOY DOLO: I remember the joy of dumping my Halloween candy onto the floor and organizing them by worst to best for trading purposes. The chocolates section was always the hardest because frankly, chocolate is awesome. There was a pile for Butterfingers, Almond Joys, if you're feeling like a nut-- [LAUGHS] Snickers, and the piece de la resistance, Twix.
The glee I would feel as I held the crunchy shortbread cookie covered in caramel with a coating of milk chocolate had my taste buds singing, nay, dancing. The original name Raider was replaced with the name Twix from the combination twin and sticks. It's gawesome-- great and awesome-- because they've been around since 1967. This yandy-- yummy candy-- was invented in the United Kingdom because with Twix, you don't get one, you get two candy coated cookies.
You can have one and save one for later. You can share with a friend. You can play lightsabers with them. The possibilities are endless, fun possibilities. With Snickers, you only get one sad--
MOLLY BLOOM: And time.
JOY DOLO: --lonely piece of candy.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Aron, it is time for your rebuttal. Tell us why Twix are the pits. You've got 15 seconds, and your time starts now.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: So I just want to point out that Joy started this with explaining that she throws her candy on the floor. That's how unimportant Twix are. By the way, taste buds don't sing. They taste. And your poor. portmanteaus won't save your divisive candy. And by the way, I like that you love portmanteaus because Twix are a portmanteaus of porteaus.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS] Joy, do you have a one-word rebuttal to Aron's rebuttal?
JOY DOLO: Sooser-- sore loser.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh!
JOY DOLO: Oh!
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I'd argue those are three words, but that's OK.
JOY DOLO: [DRUMMING SOUNDS] I had to explain it. You can cut the rest.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK. Aron, it is your turn. Tell us why Snickers satisfy. You have one minute, and your time starts now.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Snickers have been delighting for nearly a hundred years. While some lesser snacks are named for silly words, Snickers was named after a horse, Frank Mars's horse. Frank Mars, the man behind our favorite candies like Milky Way and M&M'S, named Snickers after his horse Snickers, a beautiful animal. The only thing more beautiful than the love between a man and his horse is Snickers.
Besides the horse love, Snickers also helped the USA win gold when it became the official snack of the 1984 Olympics. Yeah! How many other gold medals does your candy have? I can count mine. Also, you should know, Snickers are incredibly profitable. They make about $2 billion annually. And with 16 peanuts in each chocolate bar, there's over 100 tons of peanuts are being used in production each day.
When I was a kid, I would take fun-sized Snickers and throw them in the air in what I would call candy showers. I get clean and delicious like the charming little boy I was.
MOLLY BLOOM: And time.
ELLIOT: That was great.
JOY DOLO: [LAUGHS] Candy showers.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Candy showers.
[LAUGHTER]
ELLIOT: I'm sure it cleans you just as well as a good shower.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I mean, and I want you to know, it was a great way to end a night of trick-or-treating, a candy shower. You wouldn't throw them on the floor like trash. You'd throw them in the air--
JOY DOLO: Trash.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: --with your mouth open and your--
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh man. All right. Joy, it is time for your rebuttal. Tell us why Snickers make you sickers. You've got 15 seconds, and your time starts now.
JOY DOLO: Talk about a disrespect for candy, throwing it up in the air before it lands on the floor. What are you waiting for? Just put it on the floor, fancy pants. 16 peanuts per each? You cannot eat that. And horse's name, Snickers? Horse's poop, horse's poop everywhere.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
JOY DOLO: You're eating poop candy. It's a poop. It's a poop horse.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Every animal poops, Elliot. Every animal poops.
JOY DOLO: Everyone poops, but we don't name--
ELLIOT: I want what I'm hearing about candy. I don't exactly want to hear about poop.
JOY DOLO: Exactly, Elliot.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Thank you, Elliot.
MOLLY BLOOM: Aron, Do you have a one-word rebuttal to Joy's rebuttal?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Neigh.
[LAUGHTER]
ELLIOT: That's great.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Elliot, what did you think about Joy and Aron's declarations of greatness and rebuttals? Any moments that stood out?
JOY DOLO: In Joy's, it made me feel nostalgic to the childhood I'm currently living, which is kind of odd since I'm literally in that childhood, with all the spreading candy out on the floor like, whoa! With his, a lot of the points were really spot on, and I really like that.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Thank you so much.
ELLIOT: You're welcome. All the peanuts are like, oh, yeah, so healthy.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Delicious, exactly. Yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: Totally.
ELLIOT: Yeah, it's making it slightly more healthy than every other candy out there.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Exactly.
MOLLY BLOOM: Some protein. All right, Elliot. It is time to award a point. Please give a point to the side that impressed you the most with their declarations and rebuttals. You get to decide what makes a winning argument. Did one team's jokes make you giggle? Did they sneak some facts in? Award your point, but don't tell us who it's going to. Have you made your decision?
ELLIOT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Time for some more of this scrummy smackdown. Get ready for round two, the--
[CHANTING]
--snack attack. I hope you're feeling all jazzed about these noshable nibbles because today's first snack attack is called Alpha Facts. It's your job to come up with a fact starting with a letter of the alphabet, and we're going to go in alphabetical order. We have 30 seconds to do it, and we're going to volley back and forth. Joy went first last time, so we're going to start with Aron with the letter A. We've got 30 seconds on the clock. And our Alpha Facts begin now.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: A as in appetizing, appetizing chocolate, nougat, and peanuts.
JOY DOLO: B, Band-Aid. That's what you use after a candy shower, and you have a bunch of paper cuts.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: C, chocolate. It makes-- my chocolate is the best chocolate.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
JOY DOLO: D, delicious, such as a Twix because it has the sweetness, the crunch--
MOLLY BLOOM: Time. [LAUGHS]
JOY DOLO: It was either delicious or doo-doo, but I think we're done talking about poop for today.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I feel like this is your go-to.
[LAUGHTER]
What's going on with you, buddy?
JOY DOLO: I have issues with my stomach.
[LAUGHTER]
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: All right, that's--
JOY DOLO: I'm just kidding.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: No, it's fine. I'm not-- no, no, no. I'm not-- it was great.
JOY DOLO: I'm sorry, Elliot.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Elliot, you know what that is? That's a life lived with too many Twix. That's what Twix will do to you.
JOY DOLO: You know what it is? It's the peanuts. Peanuts back you up. Ask your mother.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: No, no. Elliot, we just agreed. Peanuts are good for you.
JOY DOLO: They're good for some.
MOLLY BLOOM: You shouldn't have given them so much candy before because everyone's a little excited.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Ba, ba, ba, ba.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Elliot, it is time to award a point, but don't tell us who it's going to. The criteria are totally subjective and totally up to you. Have you made your decision?
ELLIOT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Fantastic. Then it's time for our third round.
ANNOUNCER: The final six.
MOLLY BLOOM: In this round, each team will have just six words to sum up the glory of their side. Joy, let's hear your six words for team Twix.
JOY DOLO: Snickers, horse candy. Twix, gawesome yandy.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
JOY DOLO: I created a whole language.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: It's an interesting way to describe gibberish. I'll give you that.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Aron, it is your turn. Let's hear your six words for team Snickers.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Snickers, a man loves his horse.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, man. This is good.
ELLIOT: What's with horses and Snickers, man?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: He was there for the founding. They're beautiful animals.
MOLLY BLOOM: Without the horse, there would be no Snickers.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Elliot, it is time to award a final point for this final six. Have you made your decision?
ELLIOT: Before I do, I just want to say, both of you guys, I'm very proud of you. You actually used six words.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah.
JOY DOLO: Thank you.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Thank you.
MOLLY BLOOM: Are you ready to crown one team the Smash Boom Best of this mini debate?
ELLIOT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Drum roll please.
[DRUM ROLL]
And the winner is--
ELLIOT: Snickers!
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Bam! Ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, bam!
JOY DOLO: Well, well, well. Time
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: For a candy shower, baby. Ba, ba, ba, ba!
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: Very good. Very good.
JOY DOLO: Well done, sir. Well done.
MOLLY BLOOM: Well, we still have two more rounds. It's still anybody's game.
SPEAKER 1: Best.
SPEAKER 2: Boom.
SPEAKER 3: Smash. Smash.
SPEAKER 2: Boom.
SPEAKER 1: Best.
MOLLY BLOOM: It is time for debate number two, Raisinets versus Sour Patch Kids. This debate will be similar in structure to the last one with a little added spice. Aron will be debating for team Raisinets.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Take your bets because the winner here is Raisinets!
MOLLY BLOOM: And Joy will be debating for team Sour Patch Kids.
JOY DOLO: Hey, you kids. Get back on my lawn.
[LAUGHTER]
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: That was really--
[LAUGHTER]
Oh.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: OK, that was really good.
ELLIOT: That went the opposite way I thought it was going to go.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I know, it was-- oh my gosh.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: Joy went first last time, so, Aron, you're up. You've got one minute to convince us that Raisinets are the raisin best. And your time begins now.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Raisinets, raisins covered in chocolate. Raisinets are incredibly popular. If you lined up the amount of Raisinets produced in one year end to end, that length would go around the Earth two and a half times. And Raisinets have been delighting people for years. They are nearly a hundred years old. In fact, the idea of Raisinets is even older than that.
They were first produced in 1927 by a family-owned candy company in Philadelphia. Chocolate is a beloved treat, and so are raisins. But did you know that raisins are actually good for you? They're full of antioxidants, and they're rich in fiber. Raisinets are like gems. They need to be polished. Did you know in the last 24 hours, 21 million new Raisinets were coated and polished? That means every day, 21 million raisins are coated in chocolate and tumbled so they become perfect drops of goodness.
Hey, what are you doing on March 24? I don't know what I'm doing. Actually, I do know what I'm doing because I'm celebrating National Chocolate-Covered Raisin Day. Raisinets even have a day.
MOLLY BLOOM: And time.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: They're so good.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Joy, it is time for your rebuttal. Tell us why Raisinets are just old dried fruit and chocolate. You've got 15 seconds, and your time begins now.
JOY DOLO: Actually, I don't even need to say it because you just said it. It is old dried fruit. Who wants to eat that? That's not candy. Candy is a sweet sugary treat. You keep pushing nuts and raisins on us? I am a candy person through and through. 21 million raisins turned into candy? Why can't you just let them be what they are?
MOLLY BLOOM: And time.
JOY DOLO: Let them be.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
JOY DOLO: (SINGING) Let them be. Let them be.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: No.
JOY DOLO: (SINGING) Let them be. Let them be.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: The Beatles are extremely litigious.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: Aron, do you want to make one sound in reaction to Joy's rebuttal?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Meh.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. It is your turn, Joy. Tell us why Sour Patch Kids are for all the best kids. You've got one minute, and your time starts now.
JOY DOLO: Color, vibrancy, art. When you open a bag of Sour Patch Kids, that's what you receive. The sour and sweet colorful rainbow of gummy candy is the best for movies, long walks, and sour covering so sour-- it's so sour the covering that you can practice kissing with all that pucker. Come here, Grandma. [KISSES]
The sour coating is a blanket on top of the sweet gummy inside. The candy used to be called Mars Men but then were rebranded as Sour Patch Kids in the '80s when the Cabbage Patch Kids took the world by storm. Sour Patch Kids are also a variety of fun flavors-- watermelon, blue raspberry, lemon lime, strawberry, and more. You can mix them in your mouth and make little gummy sandwiches-- blue strawberry, watermelon lime. Raisinets only have two flavors, raisin and chocolate. boring!
Sour Patch Kids also were created in the early '70s by neighbors to the north, Canada. Doesn't it make sense that I married a Canadian? Not only is he awesome, his country made Sour Patch Kids.
MOLLY BLOOM: And--
JOY DOLO: This is what love looks like.
MOLLY BLOOM: --time.
[LAUGHTER]
JOY DOLO: My husband is going to love that one.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, man. All right. Aron, it is time for your rebuttal. Tell us why Sour Patch Kids should be eaten by squids. You've got 15 seconds, and your time starts now.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: First off, I want to say, Sour Patch Kids come in a box, so you will never open a bag of Sour Patch Kids, OK?
JOY DOLO: That's not true.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Also, stop trying to kiss me with your Sour Patch Kids, Joy, all right? It's too much. I don't like it. Also, Mars Men? You're telling me these space invaders are invading our mouths?
MOLLY BLOOM: And time.
[LAUGHTER]
ELLIOT: I'm now slightly worried about space invaders.
MOLLY BLOOM: Joy, is there a sound you would like to make in reaction to Aron's rebuttal?
JOY DOLO: [KISSING SOUNDS]
[LAUGHTER]
You love it. You love it.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I'm shaking my head.
JOY DOLO: No, he's not. He's smiling.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I'm shaking my head.
JOY DOLO: He's smiling and loving it.
MOLLY BLOOM: Elliot, what did you think about Aron and Joy's declarations of greatness and rebuttals? Any moments that really stand out?
ELLIOT: The Raisinets was full of more facts, and I kind of did like that. Again, it's the one with the raisin in it. The Sour Patch Kids, that one's pretty funny, like, come here, Grammy. But there was also tons of information but still less than Raisinets.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Always, as always. It's still less than Raisinets.
MOLLY BLOOM: Elliot, you are the judge, so you get to decide what makes a winning argument here. It's entirely subjective and entirely up to you. So please give one point for this round to the side that impressed you the most. Have you made your decision?
ELLIOT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Wonderful. We're off to a fierce and fabulous start. And now we're ready for round number two, the--
[CHANTING]
--snack attack. This is a brand new challenge called Costume Party. I want you to metaphorically put on a Halloween costume and give me a 30-second monologue in that character's voice about your side. For example, if I was dressed like The Count and my side was Blow Pops, I would do a monologue as The Count talking all about how great Blow Pops are. Does that make sense?
JOY DOLO: I think so.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Yes.
JOY DOLO: Yes.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I think this makes sense.
MOLLY BLOOM: Aron, you went first last time, so, Joy--
JOY DOLO: Oh, awesome.
MOLLY BLOOM: --you're up. First, please tell us what character that you're dressed as.
JOY DOLO: Oh. Yeah, I'm a Canadian goose.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
JOY DOLO: I'm a Canadian goose from Canada.
MOLLY BLOOM: Uh-huh?
JOY DOLO: You betcha.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh.
JOY DOLO: Oh, yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK. All right. So please, now give us your character monologue about Sour Patch Kids. It's only 30 seconds long, so make it count. Your time starts now.
JOY DOLO: Oh, yeah, so the reason that I love this Sour Patch Kids is because I love kids in general. I like to walk up to them and waddle and poke them with my beak. That's what our noses are called. And so beyond Sour Patch Kids, they're also made from a syrup. The candy starts as a syrup. And maple syrup is also a big part of Canada. It's our main export, one would say, besides moose. We also do a lot of mooses here.
MOLLY BLOOM: And time.
JOY DOLO: Sour Patch--
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
Aron.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Mm-hmm.
MOLLY BLOOM: It is your turn. Let's hear your character monologue about Raisinets. Who are you dressed as today?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I'm putting on my cowboy hat--
MOLLY BLOOM: Mm-hmm.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: --because I'm John Wayne, pilgrim, famous movie star, pilgrim.
MOLLY BLOOM: Pilgrim. The cowboy?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Yep.
MOLLY BLOOM: I can't wait to hear what John Wayne has to say about Raisinets. OK. You have 30 seconds, and your time starts now.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I'm John Wayne, and I'm here to tell you that I love making movies. If you want a surefire movie snack, take some popcorn and throw in some Raisinets, pilgrim.
JOY DOLO: [LAUGHS] Pilgrim.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: They're delicious, and they're good for you. They're filled with antioxidants and plenty of fiber, so you'll never be caught down in a pinch.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: And--
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Raisinets.
MOLLY BLOOM: --time. Kids, you'll have to ask your great-grandparents about this reference.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Oh, man.
ELLIOT: I propose that you two guys, why don't you just work together? This John Wayne dude seems to be real nice. And also, Sour Patch Kids make you pucker up, so they might be a great match.
JOY DOLO: Oh.
MOLLY BLOOM: I like that idea.
JOY DOLO: Maybe that's what we have to do, John Wayne.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I like the sound of that, pilgrim.
JOY DOLO: Get on my back. Don't you know?
ELLIOT: All right.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: The goose?
JOY DOLO: Yeah, you can ride the goose.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Yeah. This is--
JOY DOLO: Ride the goose.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, man. All right. Elliot, it is time to award a point for this silliest of snack attacks. Have you made your decision?
ELLIOT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Wonderful. It's time for our third round.
ANNOUNCER: The final six.
MOLLY BLOOM: Aron, let's hear your six words for team Raisinets.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Raisinets, grapes dressed in chocolate. Yum!
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: Wonderful. Joy, it is your turn. Give us your six words for team Sour Patch Kids.
JOY DOLO: Raisinets, old school. Patch Kids, slap.
[LAUGHTER]
I literally like googled "young kids slang" to figure out.
[LAUGHTER]
I was like, Patch Kids, mew. Is that a cool thing?
MOLLY BLOOM: Elliot, do kids say slap? Is that a thing?
ELLIOT: No. That is way outdated.
[LAUGHTER]
JOY DOLO: What is a cool word? How would kids--
ELLIOT: Dope.
MOLLY BLOOM: Dope.
ELLIOT: Or something like that.
JOY DOLO: Patch Kids, dope.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: No. You already snap.
JOY DOLO: Yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: Slap. She said slap. I liked it.
JOY DOLO: 1970s.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. You've heard these two wonderful final sixes. But Elliot, only one of them can get your final point. Have you made your decision?
ELLIOT: Yes, I have.
MOLLY BLOOM: Are you ready to crown one team the Smash Boom Best of this mini debate?
ELLIOT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Drum roll, please.
[DRUM ROLL]
And the winner is--
ELLIOT: Sour Patch Kids.
JOY DOLO: Yeah!
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: [GROANS]
JOY DOLO: It's because of the Canadian goose.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Get off my lawn. Gosh.
JOY DOLO: Get on--
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: You nailed it. Good for you. Brava.
JOY DOLO: Get on my lawn.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Get on my lawn, kids.
JOY DOLO: Everybody, come on.
MOLLY BLOOM: For the record, he chose.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Yeah, that's true.
[LAUGHTER]
ELLIOT: No way you chose Raisinets.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I chose Rais--
JOY DOLO: I will say, I love your John Wayne voice.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I chose Raisinets and John Wayne, so.
JOY DOLO: [LAUGHS] The golden age of cinema.
MOLLY BLOOM: Incredible. All right. So we have one and one. Each of you have won one of our mini debates. Aron and Joy, how are you two feeling so far?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Great!
[LAUGHTER]
I can honestly say I'm feeling very good. And that's all.
[LAUGHTER]
ELLIOT: OK.
JOY DOLO: I feel like a wrapper-- crinkly, loud, and ready to party.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. It's time for a quick break. Dump out your trick-or-treat bucket and start sorting your candy into piles.
ELLIOT: And we'll be right back with more Smash Boom Best.
ANNOUNCER: You're listening to State of Debate, home to rage and rhetoric and awe-inspiring argumentation.
TODD DOUGLAS: Guten tag, debate schnitzel. 'Tis I, your captain of logic, Todd Douglas, here with my debate mate.
TAYLOR LINCOLN: Taylor Lincoln. And we're here on Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania for--
TAYLOR AND TODD: Groundhog Day. Hooray!
TAYLOR LINCOLN: It's freezing right now in Pennsylvania because the sun hasn't risen yet, and it's February 2.
TODD DOUGLAS: But in a little bit, when the sun peaks over the horizon, the world-famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil will pop up over that little hole over there and look for his shadow.
TAYLOR LINCOLN: If he sees it, that means six more weeks of winter.
TODD DOUGLAS: But if he doesn't see his shadow, that means early spring.
TAYLOR LINCOLN: Everyone is getting real excited here. Just listen to the crowd. And to top it off, I just caught a juicy fallacy fumble on my handy recorder. A logical fallacy is a debate mistake that makes an argument less than awesome. Want to hear it, Toddy?
TODD DOUGLAS: You betcha, Tay-Tay. Always in the mood for some sizzling fallacy fodder.
TAYLOR LINCOLN: All right. Roll tape.
BRONSON: Oh, man, Marge. When is that dard groundhog going to come out of the ground? I'm cold.
MARGE: Oh, be patient, Bronson. He'll come out when he's ready. The sun hasn't come up yet.
BRONSON: I can't stand this groundhog gobbledygook. Last time, when Phil predicted an early spring, I trusted him, so I dressed up in my finest cargo shorts and flip-flops. But it stayed cold, and my toes almost froze!
MARGE: That's on you, Bronson. You should have checked the weather forecast.
BRONSON: No! Everyone suffered. And that's just what Punxsutawney Phil wants. He's conspiring to trick innocent humans around the world into wearing cargo shorts and flip-flops in the wintertime! Prove me wrong!
[BUZZER]
TODD DOUGLAS: What a fallacy flop.
TAYLOR LINCOLN: What you just heard was the burden of proof fallacy. It's when you make your opponent prove your case wrong without providing any evidence yourself. Bronson wouldn't explain why Phil the Groundhog was tricking people. He put the burden of proving that on Marge. That's bad debating.
TODD DOUGLAS: Yikes. To be a debate great, you got to come up with evidence to support your claims. Don't just launch an idea at someone and make them do all the work.
[TRUMPETS PLAYING]
TAYLOR LINCOLN: Ooh, ooh, Todd! The sun is rising. It's almost time.
TODD DOUGLAS: I can't wait. Punxsutawney Phil, you are my hero.
TAYLOR LINCOLN: This has been--
TAYLOR AND TODD: State of Debate.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
SPEAKER 4: Brains On universe is a family of podcasts for kids and their adults. Since you're a fan of Smash Boom Best, we know you'll love the other shows in our universe. Come on. Let's explore.
COMPUTER: Here we are in Brains On universe, home to my favorite podcasts-- Brains On, Smash Boom Best, Forever Ago. [GASPS] I found one. Forever Ago, the history show hosted by Joy Dolo.
[BEEPS]
[GRAND MUSIC]
JOY DOLO: It was the early 1800s, Beethoven was busy composing new symphonies, steam-powered trains were brand new inventions, and a British naturalist named William Swainson was exploring the jungles of--
[BUZZER]
COMPUTER: [GASPS] Ah! What a great show.
[BEEPS]
Need more Forever Ago now!
[EXPLODES]
SPEAKER 4: Listen to Forever Ago wherever you get your podcasts.
SINGERS: Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Smash Boom Best.
MOLLY BLOOM: You're listening to Smash Boom Best. I'm your host, Molly Bloom.
ELLIOT: And I'm your judge, Elliot.
MOLLY BLOOM: And we love getting debate suggestions from our listeners. Take a listen to this flavorful debate idea from Fievel.
FIEVEL: Hello. My name is Fievel. And I live in Los Angeles, California. I thought a good debate would be salsa versus soy sauce.
ELLIOT: Those two flavor enhancers really condiment each other.
MOLLY BLOOM: We'll check back in at the end of this episode to see which side Fievel thinks should win.
ELLIOT: And now it's back to a debate, Halloween candy grab bag. That's right. And it's time for our third and final debate, Twizzlers versus Smarties. This debate will mirror the first two debates. And Elliot, it'll be your job to secretly award points throughout the three rounds. In our final debate, Joy will be debating for team Twizzlers.
JOY DOLO: Don't you wizzler, you had a Twizzler?
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
JOY DOLO: Thanks, Molly.
MOLLY BLOOM: And will be debating for team Smarties.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Ain't no party like a Smartie Party because a Smartie Party has colors!
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: Aron went first last time, so, Joy, you're up. You've got one minute to convince us that Twizzlers totally sizzle. And your time starts now!
JOY DOLO: I'll answer the question, how can a candy like Twizzlers last so long? Why is a beloved antique of a candy still around to today? Well, it seems like it was made Forever Ago-- shameless plug. Look, I don't need to tell you that Twizzlers is one of the oldest candies in the United States, made in 1845, the same year that Texas became a state.
I won't tell you that the candy comes in different shapes and sizes-- nibs, ropes, and pull-and-peel, which is my favorite. And it also comes in different flavors-- black, strawberry, cherry, my favorite! But I heard you loud and clear earlier before, so I'm going to stick to the facts this time, Elliott. The candy was originally licorice-flavored, now known as black licorice. This is a flavor from the licorice plant, and it's divisive. It could be described as earthy, salty, and bitter or gross.
Didn't introduce new flavors until the 1970s. Did you know that licorice was just that black licorice for a long time? And they didn't bring in the strawberry and the mint and the chocolate until the 1970s. Yes, there is a mint Twizzler. The iconic Twizzler shape is made--
MOLLY BLOOM: And time.
JOY DOLO: --by pushing the candy mixture through rotating wheels. All facts, baby.
MOLLY BLOOM: All facts.
ELLIOT: I was into it. What can I say?
JOY DOLO: Yep.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Aron, it is time for your rebuttal. Tell us why Twizzlers really just fizzlers. You've got 15 seconds, and your time starts now.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Twizzlers have lasted long for the same reason that Stonehenge lasted long, because it's impossible to digest. You bite into them, and they're fighting your teeth. It's like an impossible tug of war with my molars. You know what flavor that Twizzlers need? Delicious. I wish that was a flavor that Twizzlers had because--
MOLLY BLOOM: And time.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: --I've never thought that about them.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
ELLIOT: Oof, sick burn.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Joy, do you have one song lyric in reaction to Aron's rebuttal?
JOY DOLO: Oh, a song lyric.
(SINGING) You don't own me. [LAUGHS] Don't try to change me in any way. You don't own me. Bop, bop, ba, ba. Then I don't know the rest of the words. Bop, bop, bop, ba, ba. That's more than a lyric, but I'll keep going.
MOLLY BLOOM: That was great. I enjoyed it.
JOY DOLO: Do you know that song, Elliot?
ELLIOT: No, I don't. It's probably, like, 20 years old.
MOLLY BLOOM: It's from the '60s.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: It's older than that, yeah.
ELLIOT: OK.
MOLLY BLOOM: But it's a delightful song.
ELLIOT: Close enough.
MOLLY BLOOM: Delightful song.
ELLIOT: Basically before me, and it's old.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: Aron, it is your turn. Tell us why smarties love Smarties. You got a minute, and it starts right now!
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Smarties has been running for such a long time. The business was started in 1949 by Edward Dee. He was a real smarty. He made the first Smarties in his garage using the same equipment that they used for World War II. That's right. My candy helped stop fascism. Then he drove around, delivering his candies to grocery stores. And the company is still around and run by his granddaughters. That's right. It's a family operation. 2 billion rolls of the candies are rolled every year. 2 b-- b-- b-- billion.
And I know we love Canada. In Canada, Smarties are actually called Rockets. So if you're ever up in Canada, visiting, I don't know, your family, Joy, be sure to ask them for a couple of Rockets because they're great. With a simple piece of string, Smarties can actually be turned into jewelry. You want a necklace? No problem. How about a bracelet? You bet. You'll look as good as they taste. And I should know because as a child, I would wear Smarties on my neck and pretend I was a cool surfer. That's right. I would pretend to ride a surfboard on my bed fighting sharks.
MOLLY BLOOM: And time. [LAUGHS] I love that. Little kid Aron had a lot of innovative uses for candy.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: He really loved his imagination.
MOLLY BLOOM: Ugh, I love this kid. All right. Joy, it is time for your rebuttal. Tell us why Smarties should be really called Farties. You've got 15 seconds, and your time begins now.
JOY DOLO: OK. So if you wore Smarties while you were in a surfboard, you know they would melt because of the water, right? They would just disintegrate because they're not very strong structurally like Twizzlers. Smarties necklace? Clearly, it's trying to be a Twizzler because Twizzlers, which were invented way before yours-- 1845, hello-- they were trying to make--
MOLLY BLOOM: And time. Oh, she really takes her time seriously.
JOY DOLO: Yes! Yes! I do.
MOLLY BLOOM: Appreciate that. Aron, do you have one song lyric in reaction to Joy's rebuttal?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: [CLEARS THROAT]
(SINGING) I want candy. Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum. I want candy. Ba, ba, ba, ba, ba.
MOLLY BLOOM: Nice. Oof, that was great.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: --harmonize. Thank you.
MOLLY BLOOM: Elliot, what did you think about Joy and Aron's declarations of greatness and rebuttals? What stood out to you?
ELLIOT: For the declaration of greatness, Twizzlers, again, they had a little more facts, but they also had a lot of great jokes. So I really appreciate that as a man of jokes, really basically my defining traits at this point.
MOLLY BLOOM: Excellent.
ELLIOT: Yeah. And I actually learned a lot too, so that's great. For Smarties, I also learned a lot and got that surfboard, which is great. I always wanted to surf while wearing candy.
[LAUGHTER]
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: It's just a great way to live.
MOLLY BLOOM: Excellent work, Elliot. But only one of these debaters can get a point for this declaration and rebuttal. Please award your point, but don't tell us who it's going to. Have you made your decision?
ELLIOT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: Then it's time for our third and final--
[CHANTING]
--snack attack. The challenge is haiku for you.
ELLIOT: Ooh.
MOLLY BLOOM: We want you to write two haikus each, one about how great your side is and another one about how terrible the other side is. As a reminder, we're looking for a three-line poem with a syllable pattern of five, seven, five. That's a haiku. Joy, you went first in the last round, so, Aron, you're up now. Let's hear your haiku for why Smarties are works of arties.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Smarties, I love color. Smarties, up north called Rockets. Smarties, family run.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, very nice.
ELLIOT: Beautiful.
MOLLY BLOOM: Very nice. All right, Joy, now it's your turn. Let's hear why Twizzlers are the business.
JOY DOLO: Mm. Twizzler has rizzler. Bendy candy, delicious. Flavor beats color.
MOLLY BLOOM: Ooh, very nice, very nice.
ELLIOT: Oof.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Now, Joy, we're going to go to you again.
JOY DOLO: OK.
MOLLY BLOOM: It's your turn--
JOY DOLO: This is so intense.
MOLLY BLOOM: --to tell us why Smarties are duds.
JOY DOLO: Smarties are Rockets. Or are they a chalk-olate? Throw in the ocean.
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS] Excellent work.
JOY DOLO: Chalk-olate. Do you get the word play?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Yeah, I got it.
JOY DOLO: Chalk because it tastes like chalk.
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Oh. I didn't get that at all.
MOLLY BLOOM: I was like, they're not chocolate.
JOY DOLO: Yeah, they like chalk.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK, OK.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I don't know if that's wordplay.
JOY DOLO: That's poetry.
[LAUGHTER]
ELLIOT: Poetry. I was still into it, so yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: Elliot liked it, and that's all that matters.
JOY DOLO: Yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK, Aron, it is your turn to tell us why Twizzlers are not so hot.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Twizzlers fight your teeth. Red whips taste like gross butts, man.
[LAUGHTER]
Twizzlers bind your buds.
JOY DOLO: Bind your buds?
MOLLY BLOOM: The taste buds?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Or friends. It's word play.
ELLIOT: Oh, OK. Now I get it.
JOY DOLO: It's poetry.
ELLIOT: You guys are both really bad at word play.
[LAUGHTER]
One specific thing. All the other times, you're great.
MOLLY BLOOM: This is a tough challenge.
ELLIOT: That's one specific thing about it.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: This is really--
[LAUGHTER]
I'm just trying to say buds. It's a little bit more clear than chalk-olates.
JOY DOLO: Chalk-olate is art. That is art in sentence.
MOLLY BLOOM: The only opinion that matters here right now is Elliot's.
JOY DOLO: That's true. That's very true.
MOLLY BLOOM: So, Elliott, it is time to award a point.
ELLIOT: OK, I think I've decided.
MOLLY BLOOM: And it's time for our final round.
ANNOUNCER: The final six.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK, Joy, let's hear your six words for team Twizzlers.
JOY DOLO: Is Twizzler a wizzler? Yes, sizzler.
MOLLY BLOOM: [STIFLED LAUGH] Are you doing like, yes, sir?
JOY DOLO: Yeah, that's what I was trying to say with the -zler.
ELLIOT: Oh, OK. That makes sense.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: No, it doesn't.
ELLIOT: Honestly, it was funnier--
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: No, it doesn't. That makes no sense.
JOY DOLO: It's funnier when you explain it, Aron.
ELLIOT: It's called poetry.
JOY DOLO: It's called poetry.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: The fact that there was a confused pause from all of us.
[LAUGHTER]
JOY DOLO: You know, sometimes when you work in the moment, you have to just go with it where it is.
MOLLY BLOOM: Again, it only matters what Eliot thinks.
ELLIOT: I kind of respect the making it in the moment.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Ah.
JOY DOLO: Thank you.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: OK. Let me write something really quick.
JOY DOLO: [LAUGHS]
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: [HUMMING] You know what? On that note--
MOLLY BLOOM: Are you ready?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: --I am finished. Yes, I'm ready.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right.
JOY DOLO: I can't.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK. Aron, please give us your final six for team Smarties.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Don't be a dummy, eat Smarties!
MOLLY BLOOM: [LAUGHS]
JOY DOLO: Sizzler.
[LAUGHTER]
MOLLY BLOOM: Elliot, it is time to award a final point for this final six. And it's the final point in this whole debate extravaganza. Have you made your decision?
ELLIOT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Tally up those points. Are you ready to crown one team the Smash Boom Best of this mini debate?
ELLIOT: Yes.
MOLLY BLOOM: All right. Drum roll, please. And the winner is--
ELLIOT: Twizzlers!
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: No!
JOY DOLO: Yeah-zler!
MOLLY BLOOM: Oh my goodness. All right, Elliot, what was your favorite part of this debate?
ELLIOT: The last since it was the most suspenseful. I was oof. In all the ones, I was paying very high attention. But in the last one, I was like, this matters the most because everyone had one at that point. So I was like, OK, this one matters the most. I got to do it.
MOLLY BLOOM: Well, you did an amazing job judging. We asked you to judge a lot today, and you did an amazing job.
JOY DOLO: Like I said earlier, I really loved your John Wayne. I think your accents are so funny. And I actually did really appreciate that you had a ton of facts in your DOG and in your stuff, so kudos. Kudos is going to be the candy bar that we make together, and it's going to be peanut, raisin, chocolate, and gummy bears.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: The kids are going to run onto our lawns just to grab at these delicious Kudos. Joy, I have to say, I adore your spontaneity, your energy, your laissez-faire attitude, your ability to improvise and write something better than me, even though I planned ahead of time. And that kind of frustrates me.
[LAUGHTER]
Also, your appreciation for the great nation of Canada has really, really shown in this debate. And I've got to say, that's the type of edge you need in a debate like this.
JOY DOLO: International edge?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Yeah.
MOLLY BLOOM: And that's it for today's debate battle. Elliot crowned Snickers, Sour Patch Kids, and Twizzlers the Smash Boom Best, giving Joy two out of three and making her our winner of this candy extravaganza. But what about you?
ELLIOT: 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. It's produced by Molly Bloom--
ANNA WEGGEL: Anna Weggel.
--and--
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Aron Woldeslassie.
MOLLY BLOOM: We had engineering help from Jean Baron and Nick Taylor, with sound design by Anna Weggel. Our editors are--
SHAHLA FARZAN: Shahla Farzan.
MOLLY BLOOM: --and--
SANDEN TOTTEN: Sanden Totten.
MOLLY BLOOM: And we had production help from the rest of the Brains On universe team.
ROSIE DUPONT: Rosie Dupont.
RACHEL BREES: Rachel Brees.
ANNA GOLDFIELD: Anna Goldfield.
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Nico Gonzalez Wisler.
RUBY GUTHRIE: Ruby Guthrie.
LAUREN HUMPERT: Lauren Humpert.
JESS MILLER: Jess Miller.
JOSHUA RAY: Joshua Ray.
MARC SANCHEZ: Marc Sanchez.
MOLLY BLOOM: --and--
CHARLOTTE TRAVER: Charlotte Traver.
MOLLY BLOOM: Our executive producer is Beth Pearlman. And the APM Studios executives-in-charge are Chandra Kavati and Joanne Griffith. Our announcer is Marley Feuerwerker-Otto. And we want to give a special thanks to Austin Cross and Taylor Kaufman. Joy, is there anyone you like to give a shout-out to today?
JOY DOLO: I'd like to give a shout-out to all of Canada and their geese.
MOLLY BLOOM: Very nice. How about you, Aron? Any special shout-outs?
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: I want to give a special shout-out to all of the beautiful horses out there. You very much inspired me and Frank Mars.
MOLLY BLOOM: Wonderful. And how about you, Elliot? Any special thanks or shout-outs?
ELLIOT: I want to give a shout out to the entire Smash Boom Best team for letting me come on since it was a real joy. Also, because my dad-- since gas is so expensive, so that one, he drove me.
MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: That's your dad.
JOY DOLO: Dad rocks.
MOLLY BLOOM: Before we go, let's check in and see who Fievel thinks should win the salsa versus soy sauce debate.
FIEVEL: Salsa because it's so yummy.
MOLLY BLOOM: If you're between the ages of 13 and 18 and you'd like to be a judge, or if you're any age and you have an idea for a knock down, drag out debate, head to smashboom.org/contact and drop us a line. And make sure to subscribe to Brains On Universe on YouTube where you can watch animated versions of some of your favorite episodes. We'll be back with a new Smash Boom Best debate battle next week, Ghostbusters versus Jurassic Park! What?
ELLIOT: Bye for now.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: See you later.
JOY DOLO: Bye-zler.
[MUSIC PLAYING] Oh, yeah, the Smash Boom Best
Oh, put it through the test
Oh, yeah, the Smash Boom Best
Oh, better than the rest
It's a Smash Boom Best
It's a Smash Boom Best
MOLLY BLOOM: Again, an important message from the booth that's telling me to stop eating candy.
ELLIOT: No.
MOLLY BLOOM: OK.
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Molly. Molly. From the bottom of my heart, don't stop eating candy.
[LAUGHTER]
Transcription services provided by 3Play Media.
