Manic Joy

Dave and Reese Charest
  • 5.0 (29)
  • PERSONAL JOURNALS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Manic Joy is a podcast about life, love, and uncertainty. Dave and Reese talk about getting older, raising kids, being married, and trying to act like they know what they’re doing. Some episodes are thoughtful. Some are chaotic. A few go off the rails for reasons no one can explain later. There are personal stories, surprise questions, listener prompts, and honest reactions in real time. No experts. No answers. Just two people talking it through and occasionally laughing at themselves. It’s not polished. It’s not serious. It’s real. And somehow, it works.

  1. Ep. 144: The Sitcom

    JAN 24

    Ep. 144: The Sitcom

    What happens if Dave and Reese treat their marriage like a sitcom? You get a cold open derailed by a single thumbs-up text, a debate over whether “two minutes is quick,” Reese chasing a feeling before it escapes, and Dave trying to start the show like a man paid by the sentence. Add a vibration plate, an unexpectedly emotional hockey show, and a roast beef sandwich that turns Dave into a local food critic. They finish by casting themselves as sitcom characters and realizing the joke is on them. Reese opens the door. Dave tries to keep the hinges on.

    32 min
  2. Ep. 143: 2016: Before the Algorithms Got Weird

    JAN 17

    Ep. 143: 2016: Before the Algorithms Got Weird

    Dave and Reese accidentally tumble back into 2016 after noticing everyone suddenly posting throwback photos. What starts as a light nostalgia trip turns into a very real conversation about aging bodies, internet chaos, Snapchat filters, and why everything online feels heavier now. They talk about what felt easier back then, what they miss, what they definitely don’t, and how a random toe injury can apparently qualify as a personality trait. There’s laughter, loss, infinity scarves, SpongeBob bedrooms, and a reminder that time moves fast, whether you’re ready or not. Pull up a chair, scroll your camera roll, and join Dave and Reese as they look back on a year that somehow feels both recent and ancient.

    28 min
  3. Ep. 142: Are We More Stressed Than Our Parents?

    JAN 13

    Ep. 142: Are We More Stressed Than Our Parents?

    Are we actually more stressed than our parents were… or are we just louder about it? What starts as a post-holiday purge of closets, junk drawers, and emotional baggage turns into a bigger conversation about how different generations deal with stress, feelings, and expectations. Dave and Reese dig into “I’m fine” parenting, modern mental health language, social media overload, and why contentment feels harder to reach than it used to. They talk about therapy versus group chats, self-awareness versus self-obsession, and the question nobody asks enough: when something bothers you, how do you regulate without letting it run your life?

    54 min
  4. Ep. 141: Happy New Year (We’re Live?)

    JAN 3

    Ep. 141: Happy New Year (We’re Live?)

    It’s 2026, and Manic Joy kicks off the year by going live! Dave and Reese ring in the new year with straight whiskey, a few tech hiccups, and a long overdue retraction (stupid, Cathy). They rewind through the holidays, unpack one of the most elaborate Yankee Swap pranks ever pulled, relive a chaotic and joyful New Year’s trip to New York, and talk Broadway, Bobby Darin, Jonathan Groff, heavy pours, and passing out fully dressed. It’s messy, funny, warm, and very on-brand. A perfect reminder that life doesn’t reset neatly on January 1st and that’s half the fun.

    25 min
  5. Ep. 140: Manch Vegas, Baby!

    12/21/2025

    Ep. 140: Manch Vegas, Baby!

    It’s a special four-person episode as we hit “Manch Vegas” with Emily and Jonnie to celebrate graduating early, being legal drinkers, and testing the limits of day drinking turned night drinking. Along the way, Dave loses his card in a way that somehow stays calm, we chase late-night food like we’re in Manhattan, Reese loses a concert pretzel that was never actually lost, and we unpack the weird emotional whiplash of finishing college and stepping into real adulthood. Also: an overnight Amazon delivery becomes a porch pirate’s holiday shopping spree, which turns into a surprisingly useful lesson on what to do when your packages walk away at 1:30 a.m. Come for the family chaos, stay for the proud parent feelings, the “home alone” bit, and the reminder that relationships are basically everything.

    35 min
  6. Ep. 139: There’s F*cking Chicken in This

    12/15/2025

    Ep. 139: There’s F*cking Chicken in This

    Pajamas. Emergency gin. Doritos as a serving utensil. This week, Dave and Reese kick things off with holiday party chaos before diving into a round of absurd hypotheticals. Sasquatch vs. Loch Ness. A mysterious clay that changes everything. And a banquet no one asked for. Somewhere in the middle, someone realizes there’s f*cking chicken in this. You had to be there. Or you can just listen.

    28 min
  7. Ep. 138: Proud & Happy (But Boiling in This Coat)

    12/07/2025

    Ep. 138: Proud & Happy (But Boiling in This Coat)

    This week, Dave and Reese try to shake off the seasonal slump by trading five things they’re proud of and five things that make them happy. Along the way, Reese declares war on dynamic pricing, Dave wonders when he’ll finally start wearing pajamas, and a very warm Old Navy coat becomes a full character in the story. They look back on a year of big wins, tiny joys, creative surprises, adult children who still text “look at the moon,” and the kind of relationship moments that only happen when one person accidentally scares the other in the bathroom. It’s cozy, chaotic, a little sentimental, and just the right energy for the end of the year.

    53 min
  8. Ep. 137: Allegedly Great TV You Should Watch

    11/28/2025

    Ep. 137: Allegedly Great TV You Should Watch

    This week, Dave and Reese are fueled by an Upside Down Old Fashioned and ready to defend our latest TV obsessions. Stranger Things hype, Thanksgiving chaos, kids recovering from questionable decisions, and a whole stack of shows we’ve genuinely loved… allegedly. We run through everything from post-apocalyptic hive minds to holiday Jonas Brothers joy, with a few questionable picks that one of us refuses to apologize for. Settle in, grab some leftovers, and prepare your queue. You’re bound to find something here you’ll want to watch next—and maybe a few things you absolutely won’t.

    35 min
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Trailer

5
out of 5
29 Ratings

About

Manic Joy is a podcast about life, love, and uncertainty. Dave and Reese talk about getting older, raising kids, being married, and trying to act like they know what they’re doing. Some episodes are thoughtful. Some are chaotic. A few go off the rails for reasons no one can explain later. There are personal stories, surprise questions, listener prompts, and honest reactions in real time. No experts. No answers. Just two people talking it through and occasionally laughing at themselves. It’s not polished. It’s not serious. It’s real. And somehow, it works.

Information

  • Creator
    Dave and Reese Charest
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    145
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Dave and Reese Charest
  • Show Website
    Manic Joy