E Pluribus Motto

I am mostly enjoying the show - however - John rarely lets Janet finish a sentence. It would be nice if her let her speak without constantly interrupting. Also, the joke of constantly bringing things back to Boston and/or Massachusetts is tiresome. I get that it's a running gag on JJHO, but it's irksome when John stops Janet mid-sentence to bring up something about New England that's only tangentially relared to what she was saying about another state (or Commonwealth).

I did not know that I needed this podcast, and thought I’d give it a listen just to indulge the silly premise. But it’s become an instant favorite of mine and I can’t wait to continue the journey through the states, commonwealths, and territories! A self-aware and endearing gem. John and Janet’s friendly chemistry is so fun and makes you feel like you are just hanging out with friends, while learning some interesting history along the way. It’s appropriately critical of the typical narratives of American history and “greatness,” while still being a positive and chill hang.

This podcast is so soothing and amusing. Considering it is one week before the 2024 presidential election (at time of writing), this podcast is a godsend. Just shut out the worry and try to guess state birds. Love it.

This is such a fun, cozy, lovely show. An instant favorite. You learn a little, laugh a lot, and get to spend time with two good friends.

The hosts offer little beyond verbatim readings of the top online results and Wikipedia pages, often googling in real time in place of research. This cheap approach glosses over any stories of interest and leaves the listener wanting. John couldn’t even fake enough enthusiasm to share what a Rhode Island stuffie is stuffied with! Wasn’t he a good and culture writer in a previous life ? It doesn’t show. I guess the show is more of a parasocial service than informative researched program but if I want to chat with similarly uninformed friends and family about states I’ll just do that without having to fast forward through ad reads.

The F-word seems to be the main laugh-lever in this podcast. The other “humor” centered on sidelong insults. I found it abrasive. There are a lot of quirky things about Virginia that could be ever so much more funny and interesting than this sophomoric humor. Further, they were slow to get to any information of substance, and I kept listening to their chatter waiting for them to discuss something of substance. I finally tuned out when they couldn’t help themselves and degraded the “Virginia is for lovers” motto. That might have been funny in 8th grade.