Sep 10, 2026 · 1h 14m
Connor Wood faces dance-floor pressure before his big debut
Touching The Beans of America
The episode captures how public scrutiny, physical strain, and internet attention reshape a creator’s supposedly low-key birthday week.
- 1Connor Wood prepares for Dancing with the Stars while managing injuries, rehearsals, judging pressure, and an accidentally leaked announcement.
- 2Brooke and Connor revisit the origins of “Papa,” a recurring joke that escaped the podcast and reached fans, brands, and television audiences.
- 3Their Elizabeth Holmes discussion links Theranos’s deception to investor responsibility, Walgreens, and the enduring fascination with the “girl boss” myth.
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Brooke recounts accidentally revealing Connor’s Dancing with the Stars casting through a partially visible Hobonichi image, prompting anxiety before the positive response.
The brief
Connor Wood’s birthday arrives under unusual pressure: he is rehearsing for Dancing with the Stars, managing resurfaced injuries, and preparing for the judgment of a national audience.
A partially visible Hobonichi image accidentally leaked Connor’s casting announcement, turning Brooke’s stationery into a source of anxiety before the overwhelmingly positive reaction arrived.
The hosts trace “Papa” and “Legume” from an old, deliberately confusing bit into a fan-facing language adopted by brands and Connor’s Dancing with the Stars audience.
A café tomato sprays a nearby patron, while a later conversation about cartoons, stickers, and aging argues for keeping playfulness after adulthood becomes performative.
Their Elizabeth Holmes discussion weighs investor responsibility and Theranos’s Walgreens rollout before ending with a comic tour of songs written for movies.