Reverse Jackass

Nick tells Evelyn about an early dating conversation, a bachelorette party, and one spectacularly misused word that caused him to spend several increasingly uncomfortable minutes believing something very different had happened.

Evelyn responds with a family tradition of creative pronunciation and then reveals that, in her early twenties, she and a friend developed an entire long-game strategy for convincing someone that perfectly ordinary words were pronounced incorrectly. 

Also discussed: hot beverages, male strippers, Chi-hua-huas, Great-Grandma vocabulary, and the enormous rewards available to anyone patient enough to commit to a bit for months. 

Democracy su...

Evelyn tells Nick about a family Christmas potluck, a Costco-sized bag of potstickers, and the increasingly desperate series of culinary decisions that followed when she refused to admit the original plan was dead and buried.

Nick responds with the story of a job he kept trying to make work long after the warning signs had begun forming their own parade. 

Also discussed: lasagna soup, 20-hour workdays, and the surprisingly complicated question of when perseverance stops being admirable and starts becoming a cry for help. 

Democracy survives, but only because somebody gently steered Evelyn aw...

Nick takes Evelyn back to a very serious teenage relationship, a very serious military wedding, and a very serious theatrical obligation that suddenly depended on one very dead car battery and a pair of jumper cables being asked to perform beyond their specifications.

Evelyn responds with an overreaction from her own past involving a damaged windshield, a volatile ex, and an accusation that made considerably less sense than the actual evidence sitting outside the apartment. 

Also discussed: high-school romance, stage managers, long-term parking, Canadian winter, suspiciously long province names, and the remarkable things we once b...

Evelyn takes us back to elementary-school science fair season, when a lack of scientific aptitude was no obstacle when it came to tackling one of humanity’s great problems: rust. Armed with pieces of metal, household supplies, and a methodology that seemed more heavily based in despair than actual science, Evelyn's Rust Busters' table at the Grade 7 science fair was born.

Nick responds with a few experiments of his own, including one high school spirit day, AND college-era commitment to a completely fabricated back tattoo.

Also discussed: the mitochondria, a circle-back to those Cool Ranch co...

Nick tells Evelyn about a skill his brother taught him in his early twenties that helped him move up in restaurant work, carried him through grad school, and still comes back every time there’s a bottle of wine or champagne in need of a little ceremony.

Evelyn responds with two very different skills passed down by her parents, one rooted in food, generosity, and caring for people, and the other taught on the back deck with considerably more...force. And snot.

Also discussed: home economics, expensive wine rituals, feeding people you love, farmer nose bl...

Evelyn tells Nick about the fine art of hiding: from unexpected visitors in the country, from people at the front door, and from whatever ancient survival instinct made a simple game of hide 'n seek in a house without hydro feel like a full tactical emergency.

Nick responds with stories about thinking he was being stealthy when he absolutely was not, including one childhood dessert crime and one adult paperwork war that became much more complicated than it ever needed to be. 

Also discussed: An important update involving training wheels, streamers, and sisterly impact. 

...

Nick tells Evelyn about a financially fragile chapter of his Los Angeles years, one exciting payday, and the small gas-station mistake that immediately ate a much larger portion of that paycheck than planned.

Evelyn responds with a university memory involving a terrifying piano professor, one of her best performances, and an increasingly impossible-to-ignore wardrobe situation that somehow became the most important thing in the room. 

Also discussed: gambling math, Bach, classical-music intimidation, and the eternal wisdom that sometimes the obvious thing really does need to be said. 

Democracy comes out stain-free, but only be...

Evelyn tells Nick about the worst shower she has ever taken: an already uncomfortable guest-bathroom situation that became dramatically worse thanks to one bathroom, one urgent interruption, and one deeply misguided attempt at “freshening” the air.

Nick responds with a story about trying to explain an unfortunate accident and immediately recreating the problem he was trying to explain.

Also discussed: weak water pressure, quitting smoking, and why sometimes the best way to improve a bad situation is to stop touching things. 

Democracy survives, but only because someone eventually locked the bathroom door. 

TEXT...

Nick tells Evelyn about the time he was invited along to a Honda dealership for moral support and instead witnessed a car salesman so hostile, so unhelpful, and so committed to not selling a car that he may have changed Nick’s relationship with Honda forever.

Evelyn responds with her own stories of unreasonable hostility, including one school parking-lot moment where bad signage, construction, grief, and patience all failed to merge safely and she lost her cool on a guy just doing his job. 

Also discussed: good old boys, one-way exits, Tim Hortons omelet bites, and...

Evelyn tells Nick about a Christmas gift from 2014, resulting in a beautiful homemade chocolate pie. Unfortunately, Canadian winter knocks on the door, and offered a deeply unorthodox (and unfortunate) method to let nature butt in on the cooling process.

Nick responds with his own stories of the natural world turning against him, including an extremely well-aimed bird and a beloved cat whose curiosity once led him somewhere he very much did not belong. 

Also discussed: listener feedback, feline audacity, smoking-era decision-making, and the enduring question of whether nature attacked first or was simply retaliating.

Nick tells Evelyn about the couples therapy dynamic that scares him most, and it is not the loud, angry pair most people might expect. For him, the real concern is the couple whose conflict has gone underground for so long that nobody knows where the pressure is building anymore.

Evelyn responds with professional fears from different chapters of her life, including piano recital memory lapses, classroom chaos, and the lifelong terror of being misunderstood. 

Also discussed: Curves versus gyms, Canadian lumberjack workouts, Brecht, and whether or not the term, “The Canadian Mouthful” should be censored here...

Evelyn tells Nick story of the time a full teaching day, a birthday dinner, a rainy drive home, and one badly timed traffic moment combined into a personal emergency with lasting upholstery implications for a car she was leasing.

Nick responds with not one BUT TWO stories about pushing the human bladder past its recommended operating limits, including a terrifying roadside bathroom situation and a freeway standstill that forced some deeply undignified problem-solving. 

Also discussed: teacher bathroom logistics, questionable orchestral instrument uses, the danger of giant sodas, loving spouses, and why prevention may be worth s...

Nick tells Evelyn about a niche skill from his theme-park past, the old-school art of winning claw-machine prizes, and the devastating modern discovery that the machines may no longer respect craftsmanship or true skill.

Evelyn responds by zoning in on the moment she realized teaching had quietly been keeping her current, and that without daily teenage exposure, slang, music, gym trends, and skincare routines have become increasingly mysterious. 

Also discussed: Beanie Baby glory, working out in sock-feet, a surprise call to Nick's wife Amber, and one family story that proves some questions are inside-thoughts and s...

After discussing some listener feedback about the injustice of mandatory track and field day, Evelyn starts into a story about a recent visit with old friends, a beloved kid, and the painful discovery that she may no longer be the favourite adult in the room.

Nick responds with stories about memorable goodbyes: one messy, one hopeful, and one so perfectly summarized that it still lives rent-free in his head. 

Also discussed: Elementary-school athletic trauma, Canadian field-day grievances, Chicago, and why sometimes the only reasonable advice is to leave town.

Democracy's left bawling on t...

Nick discovers he is not the only Nick Bognar out there in the world. Apparently there is a Christian rapper named Nick Bognar, an award-winning chef named Nick Bognar, and one deeply unimpressed youth soccer organizer who really needed a completely different "Nick Bognar" to take the shin guards seriously for once.

Evelyn counters with her own name-based chaos: From the American disco singer Evelyn "Champagne" King from the 70s, to the other Evelyn Flanagan at her pharmacy, to a music festival volunteer who accidentally created her future pen name (#AbilinSlanigan). 

Also discussed: teacher report c...

Evelyn introduces Nick to the legend of the Fred Wedge: a high school phenomenon so powerful it created a new family phrase, a private reenactment tradition, and a lasting inquiry into the physics of fabric (like, there were just SO MANY LAYERS CRAMMED UP IN THERE YOU GUYS...).

Nick responds with tight-space stories of his own, including a band trip to England where he was packed into a car like a piece of luggage, and a childhood storm drain adventure that now seems less “fun neighborhood exploring” and more “wow, where were the adults?” 

Also discussed...

Nick tells the story of a Hungarian dentist in Los Angeles who solved the problem of having an unpronounceable name by simply acquiring a new one from someone standing very nearby.

Evelyn responds with a story about the oddest thing she has maybe-stolen, maybe-inherited, maybe-kept as moral compensation: an ironing board with a backstory. 

Also discussed in this episode: nicknames, second-choice identities, Big Brenda, Little Brenda, and why some names come with more infrastructure than others. 

Should we call it Little Democracy, or Fat Democracy at this point?

TEXT US!...and we...

Evelyn tells Nick about a small-town theatre box office, a mysterious flood of complaints, and the day she and Jill climbed into a baby blue Chevy Astro minivan to investigate one man’s deeply unsettling idea of outdoor art.

Nick responds with a disturbing piece of art from his own collection: a print so effective, so evocative, and absolutely not allowed to hang in the house. 

Also discussed: "bilingual" pronunciation, Grim Reaper couture, questionable John Wayne impressions, and why some things are better witnessed at a safe distance...or even unseen altogether. 

Democracy surv...

Nick tells Evelyn about a recent pickleball outing where a perfectly normal post-game backpack retrieval became a perfect opportunity for him to be bullied...by a small child. And his mom. 

Evelyn responds with high school memories of being perceived as scarier, moodier, and far more alternative than she may have felt inside.

Also discussed: podcast reviews, rejected nicknames, thrifted fabric, sewing camp, and the lifelong risk of trying a look in public. 

Democracy survives, but only because the full moon is still hiding behind the clouds...

TEXT US!...and we'll re...

Evelyn tries to mail a simple care package and accidentally enters the bureaucratic backrooms room involving two separate apps (one for customs declarations, and another for tariffs), itemized items and photos, expired QR codes, and the creeping suspicion that walking it to Pasadena may have been more efficient.

Nick responds with his own “this used to be simple” grievance: airports before modern security. There was a time, believe it or not, when people could meet you at the gate, park near the terminal, and apparently be released into the wild with surprisingly low anxiety and blood pressure. 

...

Episode 65 of the RJ Pod and we're coming in singing today. Nick tells Evelyn about a brief, highly emotional chapter in his high school track career, where athletic glory, mistaken identity, and one very public solo lap all collide in ways he is still apparently processing.

Evelyn responds with two stories about total exhaustion: one involving noble camp-kitchen labour, and one involving a family celebration that takes a catastrophic turn and is now the content for many of her therapy sessions to this day.

Also discussed: Cabaret, divine nicknames, premarital counseling, and why some life...

Evelyn tells the story of her sister's childhood emergency, a heroic teacher, a pair of wildly oversized lost-and-found jeans, and the most confident cover story ever built around a school milk contest.

Nick responds with his own childhood prize trauma, and the devastating discovery that sometimes the universe does answer your prayers...kind of. 

Also discussed: CD players, school fundraisers, cereal-box dreams, and why every contest should be legally required to disclose how the prize is actually going to suck. 

BONUS: A special message at the end from a long-time listener!

Do...

Nick tells the story of a mandatory workplace “team-building” trip that somehow involved a rental van, the cops, kayaking, interpersonal misery, and a much closer look at nature than anyone had requested.

Evelyn counters with the particular horror of back-to-school professional development, tiny desks, forced summer sharing, and one party game that quickly becomes a psychological endurance test for Nick.

Democracy survives this round, but only because it brought cheese and knew the rules. 

TEXT US!...and we'll respond, because that's the kind of people we are.

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Wan...

Evelyn and Nick swap babysitting stories from an era when adults simply looked at teenagers and thought, “Yes, this person can absolutely manage my children, my pets, my household, and several emergencies with no meaningful instructions.”

Evelyn revisits a few formative childcare moments involving farm animals, allergies, questionable movie selections, and one deeply unfortunate holiday popcorn tin. 

Nick counters with a lawn care job that somehow became unpaid infant care, because the ’90s were apparently held together by bad judgment.

Democracy survives, but only because a pre-teen got paid 10 bucks to make sure it didn...

Nick tells the story of moving into a Chicago apartment, opening the fridge, and discovering a takeout bag so powerful it may have violated several municipal bylaws. Evelyn responds with tales from the glamorous world of student move-out dump diving, where treasure, Tide Pods, and absolute biological horror can all be waiting in the same pile.

It’s an episode about mysterious smells, abandoned leftovers, cursed containers, and why every innocent-looking lid should be approached with absolute skepticism. 

Democracy lives to see another day, but only because nobody asked it to check the downstairs freezer for...

In this episode, Evelyn shares a family story that accidentally became a running joke for decades, while Nick responds with a tale about a single childhood moment that somehow followed him far longer than anyone intended. Together they explore how families can latch onto one tiny detail and turn it into your entire identity.

Also discussed: show choirs, orchestral catastrophes, emotional scarring, and why some stories become permanent family property. As always, the conversation wanders far from its original destination, which remains one of democracy's most important checks and balances.

TEXT US!...and we'll respond...

It's a Nick Episode today on the RJP! Nick revisits a college soccer class he loved taught by a former mentor he once admired. The story takes a weird turn with one wildly baffling interpretation of the ending of the movie Basic Instinct. 

Then Evelyn decides to call in her husband Jason to tell a truly indelible high school story involving an interrupted grade 9 math class, and an educator who was perhaps a little too prepared...for extracurricular activities.

Nick, Evelyn, and Jason also chat about professional narcing (Nick's favorite topic of all-time), the ethics o...

In this episode of the RJ Podcast: obnoxious morning radio show hosts, bad Sean Connery impressions, hot-pink stilettos, Evelyn not knowing how to walk properly, karate choreography, and the emotional aftermath of an eight-year-old loudly pointing out the obvious. 

It's an episode about embarrassment, survival, and the strange way our most mortifying moments can follow us around for decades. 

Also, as always, a reminder that democracy is fragile, memory is forever, and somewhere out there an audience member still remembers exactly what happened at that talent show. 

TEXT US!...and we'll respond, because tha...

In this episode of the RJP, Nick shares the time he learned that a beloved cookie recipe should have limits. Then Evelyn tries to explain the biggest leap of faith she has ever taken: walking away from an 18-year teaching career without a tidy plan waiting for her on the other side.

There are questionable baking choices, complicated identities, creative hunger, and one extremely sincere attempt to say goodbye to a system that had stopped fitting. 

As usual, democracy remains in a yet-to-be-determined state, but at least nobody dared to put Cool Ranch Doritos in t...

Evelyn and Nick attempt a wholesome cross-border “regional childhood inventory” comparing growing up in rural southwestern Ontario versus Virginia in the 1990s. 

Instead, they accidentally uncover what appears to be two entirely different genres of danger.

(And make sure to listen riiiiiiiiight to the end on this one. You won't regret it.)

(...Should we make Reverse Jackass branded poking sticks?)

TEXT US!...and we'll respond, because that's the kind of people we are.

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Want to get in touch with Nick & Evelyn? 

Email them at reversejackass@gmail...

Nick recounts the terrifying saga of the second-worst neighbour he ever had: a drunken Chicago menace, a late-night backyard standoff, a suspected gunshot, and an emergency call that accidentally turned out to be helpful. Meanwhile, Evelyn takes us to Prince Edward Island, where a carnival ride secured with little more than optimism and a heroic hemp rope nearly convinced her she would never walk normally again.

Featuring belly-crawling, a few missing fingers, Anne of Green Gables, Dave Matthews slander, and one of the most alarming amusement rides ever approved by absolutely nobody. 

As always, democracy h...

In this episode of the RJP, Evelyn shares a well-intentioned attempt to improve staff morale that turned into a year-long exercise in optimism and emotional endurance. 

Nick counters with a story about trying to “do the right thing” during a breakup and somehow making everything dramatically worse with the help of Drew Barrymore.

Can Canada and the United States find common ground in movie-night-related trauma? Peace remains theoretical at this point.

TEXT US!...and we'll respond, because that's the kind of people we are.

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Want to get in touch with...

This week on the RJP, Nick recounts a flawlessly executed middle-school scheme involving the U.S. national anthem, impeccable timing, and one very unfortunate classmate (and teacher). Meanwhile, Evelyn discovers that games with your siblings become significantly more dangerous when swing sets on the farm are involved.

We'd love to thank the sponsors of this episode: Revenge, baseball, gravity, sibling betrayal. 

As always, democracy survives by the narrowest of margins.

TEXT US!...and we'll respond, because that's the kind of people we are.

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Want to get in touch with N...

We're crackin' open a cold episode 52 here on the Reverse Jackass Podcast!

Nick remembers a high school health-class demonstration that went much further than expected, while Evelyn revisits a pandemic-era school-board conflict that left her feeling very alone in a system she had spent years trying to serve.

It is an episode about authority, betrayal, and the moment you realize the people in charge may be operating with the emotional range of a waffle iron.

Democracy survives, but HR would like a word. 

TEXT US!...and we'll respond, because that's the k...

If a postcard brought you here, welcome to Reverse Jackass: a cross-border podcast where Evelyn (a Canadian), and Nick (an American), attempt extremely informal peace talks between two neighbouring countries with wildly different instincts and far too much confidence.

Consider this the beginner’s guide to our show. Expect oddball prompts, cultural differences, personal stories, friendly heckling, and a recurring effort to determine which country is more ridiculous in any given situation.

Start here, then pick an episode at random and see how quickly two countries can lose control of a conversation.

...

This week, Nick tells the story of the time a completely innocent movie invitation somehow turned into a major misunderstanding that resurfaced in the most uncomfortable place imaginable: the dentist's chair with someone's hands in his mouth.

Meanwhile, Evelyn confesses her lifelong feud with mussels, and shares the horrifying tale of an earwig-infested thermos. First though, they have a titillating conversation about grapes and gas prices. (You're super thankful you tuned in, right?)

Through it all, the pair discover that democracy works best when people ask questions before jumping to conclusions. 

TEXT US!...a...

For our 50th episode, we finally do what every successful podcast eventually does: aggressively pursue sponsorship money. After narrowing the field to a handful of highly questionable finalists, we present a series of ad reads from potential sponsors on both sides of the border and let you, the listeners, decide who deserves our integrity.

Fifty episodes. Against all odds. Against some advice. And mostly, against basic common sense.

Democracy may have survived 50 episodes, but we're not making any promises it can hang on for much longer. 

TEXT US!...and we'll respond, because that's t...

Nick shares the story of a future college roommate whose drunken sleep-talking leads to one of the most alarming misunderstandings imaginable at two in the morning. 

Meanwhile, Evelyn revisits her first-ever trip to a drag bar in Ottawa, where an attempt at friendly conversation accidentally turns into a social catastrophe she still thinks about decades later when she's putting on mascara.

Make sure to catch Evelyn's post-recording addition at the end calling out a certain liar-liar-pants-on-fire member of the Reverse Jackass team. We won't tell you who...

TEXT US!...and we'll respond, because t...

It's Evelyn's birthday today, HUZZAH! The now 45-year-old Canadian Blade reflects on one of her favourite birthdays and the freedom that comes with getting older. Nick responds with a story involving poker in Vegas, a douchebag of an opponent, and an unexpected moment when he was called a name (you'll have to listen to find out what that was!) for the first time in his life.

Along the way, they discuss past birthdays, wrestle with appropriate terminology for various bodies of water, and reflect on how it's okay when some things you're certain you'll grow into never...

This week, Nick opens the episode by singing every preposition in the English language from memory like a deeply patriotic schoolboy.

What starts as a conversation about education quickly spirals into a discussion about wildly influential teachers, questionable school lessons, French immersion culture, and one unforgettable high school rumor involving a nudist park photo accidentally shown during class.

Then Evelyn shares perhaps the least responsible moment of her teaching career: a Grade 11/12 guitar lesson where she attempted to explain minor scales by giving them “family personalities,” only to accidentally create a horrifying musical universe involving a me...