897. - Chris & Jason

Summary of 897. - Chris & Jason

by Chris Black & Jason Stewart / Talkhouse

1h 3m•January 26, 2026
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Overview of 897. - Chris & Jason

Hosts Chris Black and Jason Stewart riff through a wide-ranging, freeform episode of How Long Gone. The conversation moves between personal anecdotes (freezing NYC vs. island vibes in Hawaii), gym-life irritations, delivery/package debacles, food and wardrobe preferences, and pop-culture/celebrity gossip. The tone is conversational, comedic, and occasionally argumentative — mixing daily-life petty grievances with reactions to current entertainment, sports, and media headlines.

Main topics covered

  • Weather and winter prep

    • Chris is in NYC braving the cold; Jason is on Hawaii time. They joke about heat-tech clothing, parkas/puffers, and how people react to impending snowstorms.
    • Mentions of a “hot weather guy” on Twitter and a Weather Channel contact offer.

  • Gym encounter & etiquette

    • Chris recounts an annoying interaction at Equinox: a junior trainer interrupting his box-jump sets to give unsolicited advice. Conversation expands to the idea of “no-soliciting” gym culture and merch (dry-fit “no-soliciting” shirt).

  • The oversized package saga

    • Chris receives an immovable 77 lb. box which turned out to contain a single bottle of olive oil and a mortar & pestle — leading to a messy cleanup, trash run, and overall frustration.

  • Food & beverage notes

    • Coffee mishap (cold drink / lid not secured), Lenny’s sandwich ordering rituals (the “veggie witch / Lenny” build), Brodo broth observations (animal broth vs. vegetarian), and a recommended “Dr. Stolberg Rest & Digest” tea that one of them likes despite odd smell.
    • Tommy Bahama dinner anecdote.

  • Pop culture & celebrity gossip

    • Oscar chatter and nominations: Joe Budden’s mispronunciations; talk about Jacob Elordi and Withering Heights, Margot Robbie, and how press-tour romances are presented.
    • Ben Affleck reportedly hooking up with Brooks Nader — speculation about how it started and reactions about age/celebrity dynamics.
    • Ben Shelton’s camera signature (“USA till it’s backwards”) and worries about political signaling in sports.
    • Mentions of Kyle Rittenhouse, online penalties, and a satirical idea of removing internet access as punishment.

  • Reality TV and streaming culture

    • Vanderpump Rules reboot praise (new cast, it’s surprisingly good). Expanded into talk about Real Housewives, the role of filming locations/apartments, and the economy of show merch (movie jackets becoming seasonal fashion pieces).

  • Music industry notes

    • Reaction to a major pop artist’s new single/album being explicitly influenced by LCD Soundsystem — hosts express disappointment with overtly stated influences and compare cultural expectations (Harry Styles / “Kid A”-style reactions were referenced).

  • Music business/legal

    • Chad Hugo reportedly suing Pharrell (royalties dispute). Discussion on how revenue and credit get divided in long-running creative partnerships.

Notable quotes & comedic bits

  • “I’m more of a top in this case.” — Chris, joking about winter clothing and being a “top guy.”
  • “No-soliciting dry-fit T-shirt” — riff about gym etiquette and merch.
  • “77 pound box… inside is a bottle of olive oil and a mortar and pestle.” — Chris on the ridiculousness of the delivery.
  • “If you got it, I guess.” — About Affleck’s dating life; comedic shrug about celebrity choices.
  • “Take two of these and call me in the morning.” — Closing comedic flourish.

Sponsor mentions (brief summaries & promo info)

  • ShipStation: order-fulfillment platform that compares carrier rates and consolidates fulfillment tools. Promo: 60-day free trial with code howlong at shipstation.com.
  • Squarespace: website platform for domains, SEO, ecommerce, etc. Promo: free trial at squarespace.com/howlong and 10% off with code howlong.
  • Rocket Money: personal finance/subscription management app. Promo: rocketmoney.com/howlong.
  • BetterHelp: online therapy platform. Promo: betterhelp.com/howlong (10% off mentioned).
  • Quince: affordable premium basics (cashmere, coats). Promo: quince.com/howlong (free shipping, 365-day returns).
  • Superpower: comprehensive biomarker blood testing and personalized guidance. Promo: superpower.com with code HOWLONG for $20 off; special pricing mentioned ($199).
  • DraftKings Predictions: prediction/trading app. New customers: up to $25 first trade bonus with promo code SPOTIFY (eligibility terms apply).

Key takeaways

  • The episode is light, conversational, and rooted in everyday annoyances (cold, bad coffee, unsolicited gym advice) paired with pop-culture commentary.
  • Hosts balance petty daily-life rants with broader cultural mini-essays: streaming/merch trends, celebrity behavior, and the music industry’s influence cycles.
  • Recurring theme: skepticism about performative or commodified culture (freelance “experts,” publicized movie romances, and obvious artistic influences).

Recommendations / action items (from the episode)

  • If you ship products often, try ShipStation’s 60-day trial (code howlong).
  • If you’re building or refreshing a site, check Squarespace (howlong promo).
  • Use Rocket Money to find and cancel unwanted subscriptions.
  • Consider BetterHelp for mental-health support (promo referenced).
  • Try the Dr. Stolberg “Rest & Digest” tea if bloating/digestion is a problem (hosts found it effective despite smell).
  • If you’re curious about optimizing your health with data, look into Superpower testing (promo HOWLONG).

Who should listen

  • Fans of casual, personality-driven podcasts who enjoy cultural hot-takes, celebrity gossip, and everyday rants.
  • Listeners who like banter about lifestyle, fitness, food, and media trends rather than deep investigative reporting.

If you want a quick clip-based highlight reel next time, note which segments mattered most (e.g., gym story, package saga, Affleck gossip) and you can fast-forward to those moments.