This week: the song of summer field is wide open, a serious listener question, post-breakup Instagram etiquette, and the best outdoor date.

Listen on iTunes, on Stitcher, or simply hit play below:

Song of Summer 2018 Contenders

Spoiler alert: “Nice For What” is not the Song of Summer 2018.

You know how Megan and I hate to dash your dreams, but we take our yearly #SoS contenders very seriously, and we have a very serious list of criterion. Like, it has to be “dance-y.” And it has to be better than “Nice For What.” Sorry, we are not at all sorry. Oh and also, the playlist has already been created, so follow along for all the #SoS action.

We get into all that and more to kick off this week’s podcast, which honestly has so many mood swings and takes so many sharp twists and turns I’m not sure what to tell you except, buckle up, babe. Or, buckle up, baby. I’m not sure which.

Why? Because Megan brought up a definite not-SoS that she low-key loves, a tune called “Babe” by Sugarland that was written by Taylor Swift back in 2012. I don’t like the song, but I also feel some type of way about “babe” in general, which lead to a whole conversation about pet names in relationships which also lead to me trying to describe one of my all-time favorite SNL skits, Jason Sudekis and Kristen Wiig as “Two A-Holes.” (For reference, watch this and this.)

Answering a listener question

From our discussion of the merits of warm weather music to dealing with body confidence issues… I told you there were twists! A reader sent Megan a thoughtful, introspective, and frankly, rather brave question this week, and we did our best to take it on. How can guys feel comfortable and confident when dealing with recovery from serious issues like eating disorders and compulsive exercising?

That’s obviously a big question, and anyone experiencing similar issues should feel 100% comfortable in consulting a therapist or other professional, and in the meantime, here’s where we netted out.

Moving from feeling pressured into LOVING your body and instead, finding a way to ACCEPT your body could be a helpful first step. When it comes to body positivity, a lot of us feel like we’re faking it, so why not aim for “body neutrality” instead?

It comes down to finding a strength you can focus on, and honestly, being okay with not feeling okay all the time. Both Megan and I can relate to this reader in big ways, and hope that our little tidbits of empathy and understanding provide some solice motivation for this reader to cruise into summer feeling strong and healthy.

What’s your love language?

Sharp 180 again—and it’s time for hot takes—but not before we take a short diversion to talk about love languages, which is something that has been one my mine a lot lately. I encourage all of you out there to take this quiz to find out yours, and then bring it up in conversation whenever possible, like CrossFit for hopeless romantics. (Mine is physical touch, by the way, and Megan’s is words of affirmation, so shower her with compliments in the comments if you know what’s good for you!)

Hot takes

Megan’s actual hot take is kind of a doozie—she has some very strong thoughts and feelings about the concept of Orbiting, which involves someone you used to be romantically involved with staying keyed-in on your social media. Watching your ex’s Instagram stories? You’re orbiting. Liking only selective posts after months of no communication? Orbiting. Long story very, very, short? DON’T DO IT. But also, read this so you know what we’re talking about.

My hot take is slightly more joyful, and is just about how much I agree with this nice article from GQ that stans hard for the concept of a “boring” baseball game as a perfect date. If you like drinking, there are a lot of beers to be had while you sit in the sunshine and chit chat while not giving a damn what’s happening on the field. If you don’t drink, this is a perfect sober date idea, too. Because hot dogs.

I want to go to a million baseball games this summer.

— Megan Collins (@megan_styleGF) March 9, 2018

Babe, that’s the end! Until next week, baby!

TELL ME:

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE (OR LEAST FAVORITE?!) ROMANTIC PET NAME?