Hoot’n & Holler’n With Matt Mitchell

Room Raiders: A Simpler, More Traumatizing Time

In this episode of Hootin’ & Hollerin’, the guys take trip back to the era when MTV stopped playing music videos and started changing television forever. They break down how The Real World laid the foundation for modern reality TV, from its awkward early production missteps to the shockingly low pay for cast members who unknowingly became cultural guinea pigs  .

 

From there, the conversation spirals into MTV’s dating show golden age. The crew revisits Singled Out, Next, and especially Room Raiders, uncovering behind-the-scenes stories involving fake abductions, blacklights, confiscated weapons, angry parents, and one extremely missed opportunity involving a pet bobcat. Along the way, they connect the dots between reality TV, early internet culture, celebrity side quests, and how a single Super Bowl halftime show quietly killed the most horrifying prop in MTV history.

 

It’s a funny, chaotic, and surprisingly informative look at how reality TV grew up in public—and why none of us were ready for it.

You’ve Got Mail (And It’s a Scam)

In this episode of Hootin’ & Hollerin’, the guys take a nostalgic (and mildly traumatic) stroll through the early days of the internet—back when dial-up screamed like a wounded robot, pop-ups promised free cruises, and nobody trusted putting a credit card online.

 

From first memories of logging on, AOL screen names, and getting kicked offline by an aunt who just had to make a phone call, to the Wild West era of search engines (Ask Jeeves, AltaVista, Lycos… gone but not forgotten), the conversation hits all the hits—and the misses. They swap stories about early online scams, wrestling spoilers, sketchy sweepstakes, GeoCities pages, Angelfire websites, and the absolute fear of “breaking the computer.”

 

The episode also drifts into how the internet evolved from a mysterious encyclopedia into something we now can’t live without—touching on early online shopping, PayPal, eBay, the death of landlines, and how today’s kids casually “search it up” like that’s always been a thing. It all wraps with some modern perspective on AI, ChatGPT, and whether today’s tech feels a lot like the internet did back then… just faster and with higher stakes.

 

Equal parts funny, relatable, and “oh no, I remember that,” this one’s for anyone who ever waited five minutes to connect just to check one email—then got booted offline immediately.

Scattered & Covered: Honey Buns & Tanning Beds

Scattered & Covered (From the Vault)

 

We took the week between Christmas and New Year’s off… but we didn’t leave you hanging.

 

Before Hootin’ & Hollerin’ was Hootin’ & Hollerin’, Matt and Eric had a very ambitious idea: set up podcast equipment in random places across the South and interview whoever was brave (or bored) enough to sit down. That concept was called Scattered & Covered.

 

This episode is the first and last time we ever tried it.

 

Recorded three years ago inside Sherry’s One Stop — a true Southern multitasker of a gas station featuring tanning beds, pizza, former VHS rentals, and possibly active warrants for unreturned movies — this lost episode captures two guys slowly realizing that no one wants to be interviewed for a Honey Bun.

 

What you’ll hear instead:

• Peak gas-station philosophy

• Deep dives into Hunt Brothers pizza etiquette

• Stories about stolen cheese, stolen clothes, and stolen VHS tapes

• A surprise appearance from the man who actually runs the place

• The sound of a podcast discovering, in real time, why it shouldn’t exist

 

Enjoy this unearthed relic from the H&H archives — proof that every good idea deserves one honest attempt… and a quiet burial.

Things (and People) We'd Leave in 2025

The gang reviews Matt's list of 11 things he'd like to leave behind in 2025, ranging from Katy Perry to Labubus to a pair of numbers we dare not say out loud. 

The People You Only See in Small Towns

In this episode of Hoot'n & Holler'n, the guys take a deep dive into the very specific types of people you’ll find in every small Southern town. If you’ve ever lived near one gas station, you already know exactly who we’re talking about.

From the mechanic everybody trusts (but who might keep your truck for two years), to the gas station regulars who know more local gossip than the newspaper, to porch-sitters who double as landmarks, we’re naming characters you’ve definitely met. Along the way, we argue about bagels, Conecuh sausage, questionable fuel quality, horse guys, gas station etiquette, and the unspoken rules of small-town life. It’s nostalgic, unfiltered, and aggressively familiar—in the best way possible.

Stocking Stuffers & Childhood Scars

The boys kick off a chaotic Christmas episode by debating decorations, dodging imaginary squirrels in the studio, and reminiscing about the chaotic Rankin & Bass classics that shaped their childhoods. From beloved VHS tapes and questionable 80s choir memories to heated takes on Christmas music—Mariah Carey, Sinatra, Elvis, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and the tragic saga of “Christmas Shoes”—no seasonal soundtrack is safe.

Then the nostalgia train really leaves the station as everyone shares childhood Christmas stories: begging adults to hurry up and open presents, sneaking peeks at gifts, getting tricked by parents, and receiving some truly wild gifts (including a framed chicken photo and silky “banana hammock” underwear). The crew also laments the decline of old-school Christmas light displays and lovingly roasts today’s LED-synced neighborhood décor.

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Hot Dogs, Pay Phones & JCPenny Crimes

This week on Hoot’n and Holler’n, the crew takes a nostalgic stroll through the golden age of malls when KB Toys was king, Sears still mattered, and the smell of popcorn from The Peanut Shack basically was cologne. From abandoned anchor stores to stolen wallets at JCPenney, Toys “R” Us bankruptcy gossip, the death of fountains and wishing wells, and the true chaos of Costco on a Saturday—this episode hits everything from childhood wonder to adult irritation. Along the way, we spiral into hot dogs, Kirkland beer, mall zombies, body shop outfits, and a revelation that Joey was clearly born to be the size-appropriate horror-movie villain.

Inside SEC Culture with FunnyMaine

In this episode, we’re joined by Alabama comedy legend Jermaine “FunnyMaine” Johnson—creator of the long-running “how Bama fans watch” videos and one of the sharpest, funniest voices in Southern football culture. We talk about rivalry week energy, which fanbases crave his respect the loudest, why Tennessee may secretly lead the nation in trash talk, and how the chaos of college football fuels what we do. FunnyMaine also shares stories of meeting Coach DeBoer, hanging out with RollTideWillie, being embraced by players and fans across the SEC, and how his content has grown over more than a decade of Saturdays.

Whether you’re SEC-obsessed, comedy-obsessed, or just love hearing two Southern creators talk shop, this one hits.

Check out FunnyMaine: funnymaine.com

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Dusty Slay on Growing Up Southern

Comedian Dusty Slay joins Hoot’n and Holler’n for an hour of Southern storytelling, comedy wisdom, and pure chaos in the best way. Dusty walks us through his wild late-night TV experiences, growing up in an Alabama trailer park, and why breaking down country songs has become one of his most beloved bits. We dig into hecklers, crowd work, touring the South, Travis Tritt conspiracy theories, and Dusty’s dream of doing a full two-hour, no-opener stand-up show like an old-school legend.

If you love Southern humor, country-music deep dives, and behind-the-scenes comedy talk, this episode delivers big laughs and even bigger stories.

10 Things That Don’t Belong on the Thanksgiving Table

It’s Thanksgiving time at Hoot’n & Holler’n, which means: zero salads, infinite rolls, and several emotionally charged opinions about banana pudding. Matt, Joey, Eric, and Drake kick off with their usual cultural analysis — aka complaining about Ollie’s and Big Lots — before diving headfirst into the most sacred Southern holiday of all: the one about food.

In this episode, we debate the “10 Things That Should Never Appear at a Southern Thanksgiving Table” including:

• Texas toast (a carb criminal)

• Charcuterie boards (Ritz crackers wearing monocles)

• Cold butter (prison behavior)

• Spoons (literally unnecessary)

We also explore:

• Why monkey bread counts as a survival item

• Who brings seven extra people to Thanksgiving

• The spiritual connection between Chinette plates and personal pride

• The annual “waiting to eat until cousin Chad shows up” starvation ritual

If you’ve ever fasted until 1pm just to immediately fall into a coma beside a cooler you’re using as a chair — congratulations, this episode is about you. 🦃✨

(Featuring real quotes from the show such as “Thanksgiving’s coming up… it’s a big day” and “This is a stab-and-stuff holiday.”)