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On their milestone 81st (and anniversary) episode, Jen and Chris Fenton settle in for a classic empty-nest ramble that starts with Halloween and somehow ends up covering everything else. They share their favorite costumes from years past, mourn the fact that the kids no longer walk the trick-or-treat circuit with them, and reaffirm their long-standing tradition of skipping both holiday cards and coordinated family costumes. From there the conversation drifts into the real-world spookiness of election season: predictions for Los Angeles, California, and the country at large, plus their take on the LA mayor’s race. They vent (lovingly, mostly) about the eternal nightmare that is Los Angeles Airport, swap stories of AI-generated videos that fooled them completely and then made them cry, and offer a few pointed observations about annoying husbands (with a clear exception carved out for Chris). Equal parts nostalgic, opinionated, and lightly unhinged, this is Plate & Ponder doing what it does best: turning the small, bittersweet details of empty-nest life into a full, funny conversation.

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Jen and Chris settle into classic empty-nest mode and immediately go deep on the pure, unapologetic joy of reality shows—the downtime, the zero-brain-power relaxation, and why they might just be the perfect modern marriage maintenance tool.
From there the gloves come off in a lively (and highly relatable) debate over who is actually more annoying. Chris makes his case, Jen makes hers, and listeners get to cast their own vote.
The conversation turns nostalgic and wildly entertaining as they compare their all-time best date memories. Chris insists it was the night they crashed a black-tie wedding at the Ritz in Laguna Beach. Jen counters that nothing beats Fred Durst’s birthday party at the Playboy Mansion. Both stories are recounted with full color and zero filter.
They also unpack Chris’s running “Shiny Spoon” moments around the house—the little domestic victories and proud declarations that Jay Leno would absolutely appreciate—and the running household mystery of why Chris can make the bed with military precision for every human being on earth… except Jen.
Woven through it all is a genuine empty-nest goal they both share: figuring out how to make whatever house they’re in feel so good that the kids actually want to come home. Plus plenty more laughs, gentle roasting, and the usual Plate & Ponder kitchen-table candor.
Unscripted, unfiltered, and pure empty-nest gold. Grab a seat.

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In this episode of Plate & Ponder, Jen and Chris dive into the maddening pattern of leaders and officials prioritizing self-protection over honesty. They unpack why so many refuse to be transparent, own mistakes, or actually help society solve hard problems and prevent bad outcomes—using the day’s news as Exhibit A. America’s brand-new White House press secretary, Katie Zacharia, made a disastrous debut: a truncated ~14-minute briefing where she stumbled through prepared remarks, mixed up “my president” and “my husband,” took questions from only a handful of friendly outlets, and then exited stage left. She also announced the resignation of U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle amid Wall Street Journal reporting on alleged pay-to-play efforts (including texts seeking help paying a $100k credit-card bill in exchange for access), improper gifts, and other concerns. Guilfoyle denies the claims and says she’ll fight them; the timing and handling leave plenty of room for suspicion and discussion about accountability versus damage control.

The hosts pivot to lighter territory with Leonardo DiCaprio’s current “off-season.” Fresh off One Battle After Another, Leo was spotted shirtless and relaxed in Hawaii (with a distinctly middle-aged “dad bod”) alongside girlfriend Vittoria Ceretti, Tobey Maguire, Courteney Cox, and others for the wedding of Maguire’s ex-wife Jennifer Meyer. Maguire himself officiated, which launches a full appreciation of his filmography: the Spider-Man trilogy, Seabiscuit, The Cider House Rules, Pleasantville, Wonder Boys, Brothers, Babylon, and more. They celebrate his selective comeback energy and the quiet durability of his career choices.

Jen and Chris then rave about a recent middle-of-nowhere retreat with their college kids plus another family and their college kids. Three straight days with nothing but hanging out, no phones as a crutch, and forced fun—board games, long meals, nature, and actual conversation—turned out to be surprisingly restorative and bonding in the empty-nest era. They also shout out the undefeated McGill Lacrosse Redbirds (off to a strong 2026 start under a new coach, with hat-tricks and solid wins keeping them perfect early), reflect on how much travel they’ve already logged and how much more is still on the wish list, and close by circling back to the larger theme: the difference between people (and institutions) who face hard things head-on versus those who mainly protect themselves.

It’s a mix of sharp current-events commentary, Hollywood appreciation, sports pride, and the real texture of empty-nest life—exactly the kind of freewheeling conversation that travels well.