It’s the first episode of 2026, and Irritable Dad Syndrome starts the year exactly how you’d expect: arguing about food, bodily discomfort, and whether belts are a requirement for civilized society.

Mike opens the show in an unusually good mood thanks to upgraded podcast gear and a stir-fry experiment that involved “finding the wetness.” From there, things spiral into accidental over-seasoning disasters, family members politely pretending food is edible, and a surprisingly deep discussion about whether rehearsing the podcast would actually ruin what makes it funny.

The episode takes a sharp turn into pop-culture territory with a passionate discussion of Rob Reiner’s legacy, including This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, and Stand By Me. We also break down why seeing The Shining in IMAX is a completely different (and far creepier) experience — and why Stanley Kubrick might have been a genius and a menace.

Along the way, we cover:

• Why belts may be essential for both warmth and continued employment
• CBD balm misadventures during a snowstorm
• Extreme cold camping videos and the one question no one ever answers
• TikTok doom-scrolling and algorithm chaos
• Parenting, working out with your kids, and getting called out for cheating on the treadmill

It’s a long episode packed with classic IDS tangents, accidental philosophy, and at least one sentence that should never be said inside a yurt.

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