222 episodes
Were You Raised By Wolves? Were You Raised By Wolves
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- Society & Culture
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4.8 • 1.5K Ratings
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Editors’ Notes: “I want to give everybody the tools to solve their own etiquette problems,” says Nick Leighton, cohost and producer of Were You Raised by Wolves?, a weekly podcast in which he and cohost Leah Bonnema look into the many sticky social situations we all face. “With each of the questions that we get, from the bonkers to the ordinary, I always try to take a step back and ask, ‘What are the bigger principles here?’ I'm always looking for topics that help us make a larger point.” In each episode, Leighton, a two-time Emmy Award-winning journalist, and Bonnema, a comic/writer, share practical advice on how to navigate a wide range of situations, from the serious to the whimsical—whether they tackle interrupting excessive talkers, establishing healthy boundaries with coworkers, or the proper way to eat Cheetos.
When they developed the show in 2019, Leighton and Bonnema had one goal in mind: to have empathy for other people. Their informal conversations tackle a mix of personal topics, viewer questions, and the occasional historical fact with warmth and positivity and humor. Leighton views this approach as an antidote to a lot of the negativity he sees in the online world, while Bonnema thinks the show’s premise is a natural fit for her situational style of comedy. “A lot of my comedy is about events where I’m like, ‘What just happened here?’ or where I embarrass myself,” she says. “And, ironically, all of these fall under the guise of etiquette, where you either feel aggrieved or you feel like you committed some sort of social crime. I just loved the topic.”
Leighton and Bonnema credit the show’s ongoing success to their work ethic. They haven’t missed a single week since they launched the show, which recently hit a new milestone: 100 episodes. But what they value the most, above all else, is how they've built a community of listeners from all backgrounds. “We have conservative grandmothers in Tallahassee to nonbinary chefs in Seattle and everybody in between,” he says. “Because who among us has not experienced an etiquette crime? This is universal.”
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Etiquette, manners, and beyond! Join Emmy® Award-winning journalist Nick Leighton and acclaimed comedian Leah Bonnema ("Late Show with Stephen Colbert"), the perfect odd couple, as they try to make the world a nicer, more polite place and offer up practical advice to help you smoothly glide through any situation. Please listen and follow! (We'd send you a hand-written thank you note if we could.)
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Licking Yogurt Lids, Calling Stores for Help, Running Out of Dining Chairs, and More
Etiquette, manners, and beyond! In this episode, Nick and Leah answer listener questions about licking yogurt lids in public, calling stores for help, running out of dining chairs, and much more. Please follow us! (We'd send you a hand-written thank you note if we could.)
Have a question for us? Call or text (267) CALL-RBW or visit ask.wyrbw.com
QUESTIONS FROM THE WILDERNESS:
Is it ever appropriate to lick a yogurt lid?
Was it rude to call a store from inside the store to ask for assistance?
Do some people not understand that working from home is actually working?
Was it rude to decline to attend my friend's flower making class?
Etiquette Crime Report: Not enough chairs to invite husband to dinner party
THINGS MENTIONED DURING THE SHOW
Farrow & Ball Paint
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CREDITS
Hosts: Nick Leighton & Leah Bonnema
Producer & Editor: Nick Leighton
Theme Music: Rob Paravonian
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TRANSCRIPT
Episode 207
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Sending Holiday Cards, Finding Bear Sculls, Dropping Umbrellas, and More
Etiquette, manners, and beyond! In this episode, Nick and Leah tackle sending holiday cards, finding bear skulls, dropping umbrellas, and much more. Please follow us! (We'd send you a hand-written thank you note if we could.)
Have a question for us? Call or text (267) CALL-RBW or visit ask.wyrbw.com
EPISODE CONTENTS
AMUSE-BOUCHE: Iced Tea
A QUESTION OF ETIQUETTE: Holiday Cards
QUESTIONS FROM THE WILDERNESS: How do I handle being seated in a restaurant next to diners having an unpleasant conversation? Etiquette Crime Report: Finding a bear skull
VENT OR REPENT: Dropping umbrellas, Throwing up your hands
CORDIALS OF KINDNESS: Thanks for walking me to my car, A nice email
THINGS MENTIONED DURING THE SHOW
Unicef holiday cards
EtiquetteCrime.com
YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO...
Support our show through Patreon
Subscribe and rate us 5 stars on Apple Podcasts
Call, text, or email us your questions
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
Visit our official website
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Buy some fabulous official merchandise
CREDITS
Hosts: Nick Leighton & Leah Bonnema
Producer & Editor: Nick Leighton
Theme Music: Rob Paravonian
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Click here for details
TRANSCRIPT
Episode 206
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Holding Subway Doors, Sending Preprinted Cards, Using Recycled Vases, and More
Etiquette, manners, and beyond! In this episode, Nick and Leah answer listener questions about holding open subway doors, sending preprinted thank you cards, bringing your own vases to flower shops, and much more. Please follow us! (We'd send you a hand-written thank you note if we could.)
Have a question for us? Call or text (267) CALL-RBW or visit ask.wyrbw.com
QUESTIONS FROM THE WILDERNESS:
What is the etiquette for holding open subway doors?
Is it tacky to give a thank you card that has "Thank You" preprinted on it?
Can a couple just decide to not send thank you notes after their wedding shower?
Is it OK to bring your own vase to a flower shop?
Bonkers: Tickling toes at an airport
THINGS MENTIONED DURING THE SHOW
"What Is Glitter?" - Caity Weaver, New York Times
YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO...
Support our show through Patreon
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Call, text, or email us your questions
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CREDITS
Hosts: Nick Leighton & Leah Bonnema
Producer & Editor: Nick Leighton
Theme Music: Rob Paravonian
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TRANSCRIPT
Episode 205
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HOLIDAY BREAK: Obeying Little Signs, Coordinating Pot Lucks, Buying Concert Tickets, and More
Etiquette, manners, and beyond! This week, Nick and Leah are enjoying a well-deserved break, but they'll be back next week with an all-new episode. In the meantime, here's one of their favorite episodes from the archives in which they tackle obeying little signs, coordinating pot luck dinners, buying concert tickets, and much more. Please follow us! (We'd send you a hand-written thank you note if we could.)
Have a question for us? Call or text (267) CALL-RBW or visit ask.wyrbw.com
EPISODE CONTENTS
AMUSE-BOUCHE: The origins of "Etiquette"
A QUESTION OF ETIQUETTE: Hosting Thanksgiving dinner
QUESTIONS FROM THE WILDERNESS: Should I tell someone their new boyfriend reminds me of Christian Bale in "American Psycho"? If you're bringing dessert to a pot luck, are you also responsible for bringing the dessert plates? Do I need to give up my better concert tickets in order for my daughter to be able to sit with a friend?
VENT OR REPENT: Bad customer service, Ordering sandwiches
CORDIALS OF KINDNESS: Nice neighbors, A nice review
THINGS MENTIONED DURING THE SHOW
Cindy Post Senning's story about Louis XIV
Business card scene from "American Pyscho"
The Wiggles
Mummenchanz
YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO...
Support our show through Patreon
Subscribe and rate us 5 stars on Apple Podcasts
Call, text, or email us your questions
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
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Buy some fabulous official merchandise
CREDITS
Hosts: Nick Leighton & Leah Bonnema
Producer & Editor: Nick Leighton
Theme Music: Rob Paravonian
TRANSCRIPT
Episode 112
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Eating Raw Oysters, Behaving at Concerts, Tipping With Lottery Tickets, and More
Etiquette, manners, and beyond! In this episode, Nick and Leah tackle eating raw oysters, behaving at concerts, tipping with lottery tickets, and much more. Please follow us! (We'd send you a hand-written thank you note if we could.)
Have a question for us? Call or text (267) CALL-RBW or visit ask.wyrbw.com
EPISODE CONTENTS
AMUSE-BOUCHE: Raw oysters
A QUESTION OF ETIQUETTE: Concerts
QUESTIONS FROM THE WILDERNESS: Is it rude to leave winning lottery tickets in addition to a tip at a restaurant? Etiquette Crime Report: Are you pregnant?
VENT OR REPENT: Finding seats at a concert, Filming while running
CORDIALS OF KINDNESS: Thanks for being a listener, Thanks for the NLAD wishes
THINGS MENTIONED DURING THE SHOW
Oyster fork inside spoon
Maura Graber's Etiquipedia
Ariana Grande starts song again because fan wasn't ready to record
"Pure Imagination" from "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory"
EtiquetteCrime.com
YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO...
Support our show through Patreon
Subscribe and rate us 5 stars on Apple Podcasts
Call, text, or email us your questions
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
Visit our official website
Sign up for our newsletter
Buy some fabulous official merchandise
CREDITS
Hosts: Nick Leighton & Leah Bonnema
Producer & Editor: Nick Leighton
Theme Music: Rob Paravonian
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Click here for details
TRANSCRIPT
Episode 204
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Requiring Marriage Certificates, Reimbursing Acquaintances, Taking New York Taxis, and More
Etiquette, manners, and beyond! In this episode, Nick and Leah answer listener questions about requiring marriage certificates, reimbursing acquaintances, taking taxis in New York, and much more. Please follow us! (We'd send you a hand-written thank you note if we could.)
Have a question for us? Call or text (267) CALL-RBW or visit ask.wyrbw.com
QUESTIONS FROM THE WILDERNESS:
What should I say to my friend who doesn't think a partner of seven years warrants a wedding invitation?
What is the proper etiquette for repaying an acquaintance who picked something up for you?
How can I keep my cool in the face of tourists rudely asking for directions all day long?
What are the rules for taking a taxi in New York City like a local?
Bonkers: Rudeness at the gym
THINGS MENTIONED DURING THE SHOW
Qi Gong on Wikipedia
Labyrinth (1986): "You Have No Power Over Me" scene
YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO...
Support our show through Patreon
Subscribe and rate us 5 stars on Apple Podcasts
Call, text, or email us your questions
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
Visit our official website
Sign up for our newsletter
Buy some fabulous official merchandise
CREDITS
Hosts: Nick Leighton & Leah Bonnema
Producer & Editor: Nick Leighton
Theme Music: Rob Paravonian
ADVERTISE ON OUR SHOW
Click here for details
TRANSCRIPT
Episode 203
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Customer Reviews
Awooooo!
I so appreciate this podcast. I love how interactive it is, and I’m always so curious to hear how Leah and Nick will solve the world’s etiquette crimes. I learn something every time, and it inspired me to purchase personalized stationery! I’m so excited!
Glitter
I want glitter in my house
Also this is a great podcast thank you guys so much!!
Such a fun listen!
I love listening to these two! Their guidance on matters of etiquette are is spot on but I think they could make talking about the weather fun!