Mermaids vs Bigfoot: A fan favorite encore
44 min
•Apr 30, 2026about 1 month agoSummary
This episode features a debate between Mermaids and Bigfoot, with debaters Mark Nguyen and Joy Dolo presenting arguments about which mythical creature is superior. The show includes multiple rounds of argumentation, creative challenges, and ultimately crowns Mermaids as the winner in a close decision by judge Oscar Wolfe.
Insights
- Mythical creatures serve as powerful cultural symbols for self-expression and identity, particularly relevant to audiences seeking representation and belonging
- Debate effectiveness combines factual arguments with emotional resonance and cultural references that resonate with target audiences
- Environmental and conservation themes are increasingly integrated into entertainment content aimed at children and families
- Humor and wordplay are essential engagement tools in educational content, making complex arguments more accessible and memorable
Trends
Mythological creatures as vehicles for discussing identity, self-expression, and social acceptance in children's mediaIntegration of environmental conservation messaging into entertainment and debate formatsUse of pop culture references (Disney, music, film) to anchor abstract arguments in relatable contextsDebate and critical thinking skills positioned as entertainment rather than purely educational contentRepresentation of diverse perspectives and lived experiences through character-driven narratives in children's programming
Topics
Mythological creatures and folkloreSelf-expression and identity in children's mediaEnvironmental conservation and ocean pollutionDebate techniques and logical fallaciesPop culture symbolism and representationCritical thinking skills for childrenGlobal mythology and cultural legendsSocial distancing and pandemic humorYouTube culture and content creationNative American spiritual beliefs
Companies
Disney
Referenced extensively through The Little Mermaid as cultural touchstone for mermaid representation and symbolism
Jack Link's
Mentioned as Bigfoot entertainment spokesperson through 'Messing with Sasquatch' beef jerky advertising campaign
Geico
Referenced through Daryl the Bigfoot character used in insurance advertising campaigns
University of Leicester
Cited for 2018 study analyzing mermaid swimming speed capabilities based on tail structure
Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO)
Mentioned as institution collecting Bigfoot sightings and research data since 2020
People
Molly Bloom
Host of Smash Boom Best debate show and creator of Brains On Universe puberty podcast
Mark Nguyen
Defended Team Mermaid with arguments about power, symbolism, and self-expression
Joy Dolo
Represented Team Bigfoot with arguments about conservation, global presence, and cultural significance
Oscar Wolfe
Evaluated debate arguments and awarded points across multiple rounds, ultimately selecting Mermaids as winner
Grover Krantz
Historical researcher who studied Bigfoot and collected footprint evidence, pioneering modern Bigfoot research
Jeremy Walton
Provided voice for Bigfoot character in YouTube rap segment from Thailand
Quotes
"Mermaids are symbols of freedom and self-expression in modern pop culture. For anyone who has ever felt out of place or being different, Ariel's story is relatable."
Mark Nguyen•Declaration of Greatness round
"Bigfoot is the best social distancer in the history of social distancing. Sightings are few and far between."
Joy Dolo•Declaration of Greatness round
"A logical fallacy is a debate mistake that makes it really easy for your opponent to take your argument out."
Taylor Lincoln•State of Debate segment
"We all want to believe in something larger than ourselves. It's not about where or what he is. It's about what he represents."
Joy Dolo•Declaration of Greatness conclusion
Full Transcript
If you're looking for answers to all of your kid's questions about puberty, just find our new show, Brains On Universe presents puberty, the podcast. Designed for kids age 7 to 12, the show answers their questions in a straightforward and digestible way. Puberty the podcast is hosted by me, Molly Bloom of the award-winning science podcast, Brains On, and co-hosted by high schoolers who've just been through it. Experts are on hand to provide science-filled explanations. Search for Brains On Universe presents puberty, the podcast. Brains On Universe. Hi friends, it's me, Molly. We are coming back next week with brand new episodes of Smash Boom Best. We cannot wait for you to hear them. Also, we are still on tour with the Brains On Live show. Coming up, we have shows in Lawrence, Kansas, Buffalo, New York, Toronto, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Columbus, Ohio, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Head to BrainsOn.org slash events to learn more and get your tickets. That's BrainsOn.org slash events. We would love to see you there and give you a huge high five. Now, this week we're playing a fan-favorite episode. It's a delightful debate featuring Mark Nguyen and Joy Dolo. It is Mermaids vs. Bigfoot. Enjoy. From the Brains Behind Brains On, it's Smash Boom Best. The show for people with big opinions. Hi, I'm Molly Bloom and this is Smash Boom Best, the show where we take two things, smash them together and ask you to decide which one is best. Today's debate is between two marvelous mythical legends. It's Mermaids vs. Bigfoot. In one corner, we've got Mermaids, half human and half fish. They're known for their super-scaly, powerful tails. And in the other, Bigfoot, the ever-elusive, ape-like creature living in forests all over the world. Which creature will win this Smash Boom Best battle? It's going to be a tough one, but luckily, Oscar is here to help us decide. Hi, Oscar. Hi. When I say mermaid, what comes to mind? Immediately aerial. When I was younger, that was my number one favorite movie. I had little action figures of every character from the Little Mermaid. And what about Bigfoot? What pops in your head when you hear the word Bigfoot? When I hear Bigfoot, weird TV shows where it's like a bunch of old men going into the forest and like setting up traps, you know that kind of stuff? Yeah, like fast-watch content. That's what comes to mind for Bigfoot. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that. So Oscar, do you find yourself debating or arguing with friends and family? All the time. They hate me for it. I do it way too much. Do you have sort of some tactics you use to try to persuade your opponent? I spent some time like memorizing a few logical fallacies. Nice. People will appeal to common sense all the time, as if that's like a fact, but it's kind of just the stuff that everybody tends to agree on. But everybody tends to be wrong a lot. Well, Oscar, you are going to be a fabulous judge today. But now it's time to meet our debaters. Here to defend the fabled and fabulous team mermaid, it's Merc Nguyen. Hi, Merc. Hello. So, Merc, in a single sentence, why are mermaids the smash boom best? They're intelligent, powerful, gorgeous, and just mermaid to be part of our world. And here to represent extraordinary and elusive team Bigfoot, it's Joy Dolo. Hi, Joy. Hi, I'm here. I am ready to be a part of your world. I took your line. You're welcome. It's OK. You didn't sask watch my feelings, not yet anyway. Oh, you just slipped that right through my fingers. Oh, come on. This is going to be a great show. You're welcome ahead of time, Oscar. No, I fully appreciate the mystical puns. So, Joy, in one sentence, why is Bigfoot clearly the cooler creature? Bigfoot is the cooler creature because he's a lot like me. He lives on land. He's got a heart of gold. And I haven't shaved during the pandemic, so we are both furry and cuddly. I think the two of you are going to make all of us believers today. Let's review the rules of the game. First, we've got the Declaration of Greatness. In this round, each team will present moving, fact-filled arguments for their side. Each team will also have 30 seconds to rebut their opponent's declarations. Then we've got the Micro Round. It's a creative challenge both debaters have prepared for in advance. Next, we've got the Sneak Attack, a surprise challenge to see how well our debaters can improvise. And last but not least, we've got the Final Six. In this round, each team will have just six words to capture why their side is the best. Oscar will award points throughout the debate, but he'll keep his decisions top secret until the end. Listeners, be your own judge and tally your points along the way, too. We want to know who you think won. Is everyone ready? Oh, yes. I was born ready. But yes, yes, I am ready. All right, it's time for the... Declaration of Greatness. Our debaters are ready to deliver the most persuasive facts and stories about their side. We flipped a coin, and, Merck, you're up first. It's time to tell us about those mythical, mesmerizing, seed-dwelling legends, Mermaids. Let me ask you this. Would you rather wake up to an alarm clock that sounds like this? Or this? I'm guessing you went for the first one, also known as Mermaids. But hey, I wouldn't judge you if you chose a second one, aka Bigfoot. It undeniably leaves a big impression. Yeah, Team Sasquatch. I'd wake up to that voice any day. What the dolphin flicker is a mermaid anyway? Well, like Bigfoot, the mermaid is a mythological creature. The word mermaid is a combination of two words from Old English. Mere, meaning sea, and maid, meaning young lady. That's not to say mermen and merpeople don't exist. They did, or do, depending on what you believe. Just know when I say mermaid, I'm mostly referring to any gender human from the waist up who's got a singular powerful fin from the waist down. So what makes these merpeople so much better than Bigfoot? Bigfoot is a big old scaredy cat who lives in the woods. Mermades are multifaceted symbols who represent power, stunning skill, and individual freedom for the good of humankind. Oh, so they're like pretty brave. Uh, yeah, let me show you by diving into their history. The first recorded mermaid tale dates back to 1000 BC, when, legend has it, Atar Gaddis, one of the most important goddesses in northern Syria, dove into a lake and shape-shifted into a half-fish, half-human. From there, mermaid myths popped up in different forms all over the world. In South Africa, they were called Kaiman, and were known to mesmerize locals with their hypnotic red eyes. And in Ireland, they were known as Maros, beautiful creatures with long green hair. Throughout Southeast Asia, there's folklore of a mermaid princess named Supana Macha, who's known to bring good luck. And in addition to being stunning to look at, they're stunningly powerful too. A study done by the University of Leicester in 2018 showed that based on all the lore there is about mermaids, their tales would have the same kind of power as a bottlenose dolphin. With that, they found hypothetical mermaids could swim as fast as 13 miles per hour. For comparison, Michael Thelps, the world's fastest swimmer, can swim up to 6 miles per hour. Dashing, but not as swimmingly strong as mermaids. And with that speed, they can cover a lot of ground, or water. Right. And one of Bigfoot's downfalls is that it's a land creature. Mermaids, however, dominate the ocean, which makes up 71% of the Earth's surface. This means more folks have probably discovered so much more of our own planet than we ever could. Doesn't that make your brain bubble with awe? But enough with the numbers, let's get into my favorite point. Mermaids are symbols of freedom and self-expression in modern pop culture. One big name in particular. Oh, you're surprised I waited this long to finnally mention the most popular mermaid story of all time, aka the Little Mermaid? If you're not as familiar with the Disney version of the story, it goes like this. Ariel is a 16-year-old mermaid who dreams of living life on land instead of under the sea. That's where she lives with her strict dad, King Triton, and her sisters who basically obey their father's every wish. Ariel's not like that. She loves doing what she wants. Swimming around with her friend Flounder, visiting Scuttle, her seagull friend, or, you know, making a deal with the sea witch Ursula to get a pair of legs in exchange for her voice. That's how badly she wants to be human. She really doesn't feel like she belongs in her mermaid body. For anyone who has ever felt out of place or being different, Ariel's story is relatable. Maybe like Ariel, what your body looks like doesn't match what you feel on the inside. Maybe you feel like you don't fit in with your family and that they might not accept you for who you really are. You know that iconic song, part of your world that's in the movie? These lyrics encapsulate what it feels like to want to embrace some kind of truth about yourself in order to truly be free, to be your awesome independent self. And when you sing the song, you can get a special kind of joy out of it. Who? Me? Uh, I guess if you're singing then, yeah, you'll get double the joy. In closing, mermaids are the smash boom best because of, A, the strong powers they possess, B, their aquatic agility, and C, how they inspire all of us to just be ourselves. Oh yeah, indeed, since they're underwater most, if not all the time, they don't stink like Bigfoot who hasn't showered in forever! That declaration definitely made a splash. Oscar, what do you think about Merck's argument? What stood out to you? Overall, I thought actually that at the very beginning, Merck's point about the alarm was very valid. And also, I love the argument about being a symbol of self-expression and freedom, and I think that that is very accurate today. So yeah, altogether, very good argument on the part of mermaids. And we had a really good dose of aerial in there, which I'm sure you enjoyed. Definitely. All right, Joy, it's time for your rebuttal. Time to sink some of the facts you've just heard. You've got 30 seconds and your time starts now. Okay, first of all, nobody knows what Bigfoot looks like or sounds like. They don't know what he sounds like. So he could sound like Ariel, he could sound like a mosquito. You don't know that, nobody knows. And Ariel wants to walk on land like Bigfoot. I mean, obviously, she wants to be a part of his world. You're welcome. Also, hypnotic, they can mime-smurize you. That sounds like they can make you do all kinds of things that you don't want to do. I don't know if I could trust something like that. And then brave, it's brave to live in the forest. It's brave to live on your own and to stay away from society. Ah, guys, I have more facts. All right, Joy, I know you have more to say, and it's awesome because it's your turn right now. We want to know why Bigfoot deserves to be crowned the Smash Boom Beast. It's three o'clock in the afternoon. You and some friends are on an expedition in China's Northwest Lushubei Forest. What's that? Probably wood creatures. Suddenly, a hairy figure in the distance running, no, walking, very quickly. Black and red fur covers its whole body as two feet carry the eight foot human curious George up the top of the hill. You pull your rifle out as you take your aim. Your friend says, wait a minute, what if that's a person? What are you doing, you silly, guns are dumb, stop it, and the creature disappears. This and thousands of similar stories are what the Chinese legend of the Yeren is all about. The Yeren are also known as Yeti in the Himalayas, Sasquatch in North America and Canada, Abominable Snowman in Russia, Daryl from Geico, or in this podcast as Bigfoot. Y'all, Bigfoot is straight up global. No matter the name or the location, these legends all describe a large ape-like creature that lives in the forest. Bigfoot's size varies, but he's roughly between six to nine feet tall, weighing about a thousand pounds. So for reference, I'm five seven and way, you know, never mind, it's pandemic weight. Any weight. The point is, everybody and their mama knows about Bigfoot friend, hashtag BFF, hashtag rebranding. BFF is the greatest of all time, because he is great despite his bad reputation. People are all, oh, Bigfoot takes your kids, or Bigfoot is scarier, oh, Bigfoot is stinky. Well, guess what? Everybody stinks at some point. How many times have you showered during the pandemic? Huh? Huh? Did you hear that? Joy, it's time to change your clothes. You haven't showered for a week. See, everybody stinks. And besides his smell and negative vibes, Bigfoot is the best social distancer in the history of social distancing. Sightings are few and far between, especially when it comes to having documented evidence. One of the most famous reported sightings happened in 1967. These two dudes in California spotted and recorded a film of BFF. They got terryp. A few others have gotten photos and videos from a distance, but they're often blurry and hard to tell exactly what's going on. Is Bigfoot even real? Dun dun dun. Bigfoot is real, a real celebrity. He is killing the game in the entertainment industry. He's the spokesman for Jack Link's beef jerky messing with Sasquatch. There was the whole American film classic Harry and the Henderson's or Abominable starring a lovable BFF. And there's even a song called Sasquatch by rapper Ice Cube. Mermaids cannot compare. Mermaids have Disney, which is great if you're five. Bigfoot is for all ages. States, the United States? States. States use BFF as an advocate for conservation, protecting his forest home against wildfires and litter. Unlike Ariel, who collects garbage and hoards it on the seafloor. Look at this stuff. Isn't it neat? No, it's called pollution. And if I had a choice to live in the ocean or live in the forest, I mean, come on. When was the last time you walked outside in the rain and you're like, ah, this is nice. I think I'll leave my umbrella at home and take off my raincoat and boots and live my life in this H2O nightmare. Who could live like that? And not to burst your bubble, but mermaids are a lot more not realer than BFF. Okay, educated scientists or people of fine book learning believe there's a possibility of a humanoid living in the forests. Grover Krantz was an anthropologist that studied and believed in Bigfoot. You just need one. Meaning one real one. And then you know that the species is real. His theory was that Bigfoot started in China and made its way over to the U. S. He pioneered the research for our BFF and collected footprints. Grover paved the way for institutions like BFRO, Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization. Even as early as the year 2020, BFRO collects sightings and speculations of the theory that we are not alone in the forests, like this one. In some Native American cultures, BFF is not a friend to be recorded for tweets and TikToks. The state sales first nation people claim a close bond with Bigfoot and believe him to be a spiritual being that travels between our physical and spiritual realm. Others say he only appears during a time of change. Joy, it's time to change. I took a shower man, leave me alone. No, change the subject. Oh yes, all this to say there are enough stories about Bigfoot, Sasquatch, Yeti, all around the world. There are enough sightings. There are enough scientists looking for proof that you can't write Bigfoot off. Even if we never meet a Bigfoot friend, people want to believe in it. We all want to believe in something larger than ourselves. It's not about where or what he is. It's about what he represents. We search our whole lives for something to hold on to so we can belong. But what if the very thing we are searching for is inside of us all along? Even if you don't believe in me, I believe in you. What a great way to end Bigfoot friend. Hey you, get back in the basement. A colossal and inspiring argument for Team Bigfoot, Oscar, what stood out to you about Joy's argument? I think that her point about Ariel and Mermaids wanting to walk on land is very, very, no, observant. It's a smart point because why would we praise mermaids for swimming if they don't even want to be swimming? If walking on land is what we want, then Bigfoot would be better in that sense. I love that Bigfoot can represent the less desirable parts of us, but in a good way. I love that Bigfoot is good at social distancing. And I also think that the pollution thing is hysterical. I never thought about it that way. Ariel is totally polluting the ocean. Okay, Mark, I have, I'm guessing you have a few points you'd like to make. Oh, many. Oh gosh. So it's time for your 30 second rebuttal. What were the weaknesses in Team Bigfoot's declaration and your time starts now. Pollution is not Ariel's fault. That is land people's fault, including possibly Bigfoot himself. She's reducing, using recycling. She's not putting it back on land, so you're welcome humans. Ariel is the exception. Most people, oh my gosh, want to stay underwater. Mermaids are global too. And you're talking about BFF having a bad reputation. Well, you said that mermaids are bad and evil. Well, yeah, that's a logical fallacy right there. Mermaids are more appealing in self-expression too. So is that time? You have seven more seconds. Oh, shoot. Oh, Yaron rhymes with Karen. We know how we feel about Karen's and time. Oscar, you have so much to consider here. It's time to evaluate these debaters' deliveries who had the stronger declaration. Which rebuttal was the best? Award a point for each. Both could go to the same debater or you could give one to each depending on what you heard. Have you awarded your points? Yes, I have. Perfect. Joy and Mark, how are you feeling about this battle so far? I'm heated. Oh, good. And I'm hurt for my girl Ariel and all of the Mermaid people, not just because, yes, yes, I am using Ariel as the main focal point, but there are so many other mermaids out there. And I feel a little bad for Bigfoot too. Not gonna lie. Yeah, that's all right. Like I said, Bigfoot's been out here doing his thing. So it's like we're used to kind of getting spit on a little bit. So I'm doing okay. I feel like I am very much representing for the Bigfoot culture. And I know he's out there listening right now because he's real. Well, we'll be back for more debate right after a quick break. Don't go anywhere. Taylor Lincoln here with, oh gosh, I've lost track of how many debates you've won. Well, at this point, everyone knows I'm a debate genius. Taylor, just introduce me. Okay. Taylor Lincoln here with debate champ Todd Douglas. Howdy Doody debate heads. Taylor and I just started as coaches for a local debate team. The great debaters. That's right. It's a group of debaters in training and they're actually shadowing us in the studio today. Say hello, debate heads. Hey, yeah, we're going to train these young debaters to sharpen their debate skills so they can attack with precision and defend their claims with killer facts and logic. Yeah. And if you're not on our team, you'll never be good at debate. Who hold up. Taylor, I think I just heard a logical fallacy. Yeah, me too. Silas, would you mind repeating what you just said? Uh, yeah. If you're not on our team, you'll never be good at debate. So Silas, you just used a logical fallacy called a false dichotomy. Oh, can you tell us what a logical fallacy is? Yeah, a logical fallacy is a debate mistake that makes it really easy for your opponent to take your argument out. Exactly. And a false dichotomy is when you simplify your argument to an either or situation. Do you see how you did that? Yeah, uh, I made it seem like there were two options if you wanted to be good at debate. Like you could be on our team and be awesome or not on our team and never be awesome. Exactly. Nice work, Silas. Now, what are some other ways our listeners can develop their debate skills? They could join their local debate league. Yes, and practice with their family and friends and follow the news and even get into arguments with themselves. So as you can see, there are many ways to practice debate and become great. It's true. Let's give it up for our listeners. Yeah, good job. Well, that's all we got time for today. Great example, Silas. Thanks, 2T's. Yeah, and thanks for taking one for the team. Sure. Keep on honing those debate skills and we'll catch you next time on State of Debate. Best. Boom. Smash. Smash. Boom. Best. And we're back. You're listening to Smash Boom Best. The show about showdowns. I'm your host, Molly Bloom. And I'm your judge, Oscar Wolfe. We get amazing debate ideas from our listeners all the time, like this one from Sam in Lexington, Virginia. My debate idea is numbers versus letters. We'll check back with Sam at the end of this episode to see which side he thinks would win. And now it's back to our incredible debate of the day, mermaids versus bigfoot. That's right. And it's time for round two, the... Microwound. Today's Microwound challenge is called YouTube Star. Each team was asked to imagine their side as a YouTube star, telling us why. There, the Smash Boom Best. Merck went first last time, so Joy, you are up. Let's hear your YouTube video about Bigfoot. Welcome. What's up, everyone? It's your favorite Bigfoot friend, Beatrice. Welcome to my channel. It's a Bigfoot after all to show what we talk about all things Bigfoot related, brought to you by Combs. We need them. Gotta have a comb. Oh, yeah, sounds good. Today, we're keeping it green and I don't mean money. We are live from the forest. Yep, we're in my home, the woods, and it has Wi-Fi. Hi. Today, the word of the day is fictitious, meaning not real or true. Here's an example. Mermaids are fictitious. As you know, our anonymity, anonymity, our anima-leadly is very important. In this week, we've reached zero views. Ah, and we have 30 dislike down thumb buttons. Thanks for your support. Today, I want to talk to other Bigfoots. What's it like out there for you? How are you holding up? We have a caller. Yeah, hi. Hi. I'm a first-time caller and a long time-lister ex, and I'm just sick and tired of how people treat us. It's not fair. I know. We can't all make it like Darryl from Geico. Some of us are just regular Bigfoot, try to live our Bigfeet lives. Amen. But it's so, it's just so hard out here. Let it out. I know, I can't. I can't even wrap my head around it. I can't even wrap my head around it. Oh, I can rap. My name is Bigfoot, and I'm coming to dismantle all that negative info about these huge mammals. No one can hold a flame to this gargantuan with candle off of conservation efforts. Don't you change the channel. They call me Sasquatch Bigfoot yeti clucking in at 9 feet tall, and I'm a tad bit heavy. People think I am scary when I'm really just Harry making me shake my head. No need to be weary. Bigfoot just likes his solitude, despite what they say, I'm not a rude dude. Talking to him will change your own view. That is if you can fight me in aptitude. Well, I gotta say, I did not see that coming. That's all the time we have for today. I'm Beatrice. Make sure when you're out there, you throw away your garbage because I'm done picking up all these packages of ketchup. See you next time. Don't forget to subscribe. Oh, wow. That was truly legendary. I was subscribed to that YouTube channel for sure. Oh my gosh. What a great rap. Whoever wrote that must be very pretty. All right. Well, now it's time to hear Team Mermaid's YouTube video. Welcome back, Mermaids, to the channel where you are reminded of how word-amazing you are with my confidence boost, makeup tutorials, and music covers. It's Sherryl, you know, the mermaid who loves singing covers of Cher, the pop singer with hits like, Do You Achieve in My Pup Above? I'm not going to lie. I decay if those lyrics are right. I'd ask my cousin Ariel, but she spends like all her time on land. Anyway, today I want to get into some real talk to combat rumors from people who say I'm perfect because the truth is, I'm not. But Sherryl, you're gorgeous. You've got so many friends. You're so bubbly. I could never be like you. Thanks for the compliments, but honestly, I often feel like a fish out of water. One, you can't see them because I don't show them on video, but my fins are smaller and less colorful than most Mermaid people I know. Some days, that makes me wish I looked different. I know I shouldn't think like that, but it's hard not to. Two, a lot of my school friends like Freddy the Fish are actually really sick because our waters are so polluted. I use filters to edit my videos so the water looks more blue, but for real, the water down here has gotten a lot murkier. And anyone who knows Mermaids knows we don't live deep under the sea. Most days, I've got oil in my lungs or see trash from the surface floating downwards toward me and my community. That's not healthy and it makes me sad. So let's protect the sea. And thinly, three, my wife right down here is a bummer. You know how long it takes to upload one video from sea level? I get down on myself when I can't bring you all videos faster. But you know what? It's all worth it because I've got Mermaids like you. Maybe you can relate to what I've said or maybe not. Either way, I don't think we're much different in you and me. I know I'm far from perfect and you're more Mermaid than you think. After all, you can't spell mermaid without the me, which in this case is you. Well, thanks for watching. Don't forget to scuba scribe. An inspiring video. I would watch that on a daily basis just for some affirmations. Oscar, you heard some big claims, some fantastic facts, some really beautiful singing in both sides and rapping. So it's time to award a point. So for Joy, on behalf of Bigfoot, that song absolutely was amazing. I know that none of you can see me, but I was in my room just dancing to that beautiful, beautiful music. And for the Mermaids, Sherryl could have been a million actual YouTubers. If I saw that on YouTube, I would not question it for a second. And the puns were on fire. Yes, yes, they are on fire. Thank you. Merck is a very talented punstress. Oscar, it's time to award a point. Have you decided on a winner? I have. Excellent. And it's time for our third round, the secretive, the stealthy sneak attack. Today's sneak attack is called Cran color. If your side was a Cran color, what color would it be? And what would the name of the color be? So describe the shade, and then tell us what you would name that Cran. So we'll give you a few minutes to brainstorm while we listen to some lovely hold music. Foot hikes, some call him Sasquatch, what a sight. Stomp, stomp, creature in the woods. All right, Merck, you are up. It's time to make some waves with Team Mermaid's color. What do you got? All right, this, this Cran, which is a high tech, waterproof audio recording technology, is called Rain Boy G Biv, because when you use this Cran, it shows you all colors of the rainbow. Not only do you got ROY G BIV, you got brown, you got white, and you got black in there too. So the reason why it's called Rain Boy G Biv is to show it's like, well, you know, this, this color brought to you by the mermaid collection is not just a binary color. There's a boy in there, there's a girl in there, and there's like anyone who's not in that binary too. And it's cool because you can record your audio inside the Cran. It's that high tech and you can use it underwater. It just goes to show however you want to express yourself that day. I mean, all the colors are there. I love that. A high tech color shifting Cran. Love it. All right, Joy, it's your turn. Let's hear about team Bigfoot's color. Yeah, so this team, our color is called bursting chocolate to T roll fireplace caramel brownie. And brown like Bigfoot is often mistaken for like something gross, right? And there's all these wonderful things that brown is, you know, it's, it's Bigfoot's color, one, but it's also like yummy like chocolate. Who doesn't like chocolate fireplace? Who doesn't like something cozy, you know, to T rolls? Don't get me started. And not only is it delicious, looking and smelling and tasting, you can eat it. That's right. It's also a GPS. So if you get lost in the forest, you can use it, you know, because sometimes you don't have Wi-Fi, so you don't use all that technology out there. So you need something old school, something old school, like the chocolate fireplace campfire to T roll caramel brownie. So a high tech edible Cran that shows us the beauty in brown. Yes. Yes. Okay, Oscar, it's time to award a point to the side you like best. Do some thinking and mark it down, but don't tell us who's getting the point. All right. I do love that they both had some pretty sweet high tech in there. And also, I noticed both of them managed to connect this point back to their original declaration of greatness with mermaids. Merck was able to connect it back to being something that helps you express yourself and having all things be beautiful. And joy was able to connect big foot back to, in this case, brown, but in general, having something that's typically perceived as negative be something that's actually pretty good. So good job for both teams that time. Our debaters are not making your decision easy, but it's time to award a point. Have you decided? I have. Okay, then it's time for our last round. The final six. Team Bigfoot, you're up. You've got just six more words to make a final impression on Oscar. Let's hear them. Bigfoot friend equals big hearts. The question mark there is for free. Beautiful. And now, Merck, it's your turn. Let's hear Team Mermaid's final six. Self-expression activists, part of your... Oh, that's awful, but so good. Talk about a cliffhanger. We all finished it in our heads. Tune in next week and Scoob is describing you will know what the rest of... Part of your what? Part of your what? Okay, Oscar, the moment has come between these two larger than life legendary icons. I have awarded my final point. All right, listeners, feel free to pause and take a moment to talk it over if you need to. But Oscar, it's time to tally up the points you've awarded and let us know who is the winner of today's debate. And the winner is... The winner is Mermaid. Mermaid. It was extremely close. It came down to the last six words. It was a tie up until then. This is a close one. Both debaters did so well. It was really close. Joy, you did a fantastic job. You did amazing. You did fantastic. Finclay. Thank you. Thank you. Well, just with the last six words, I just thought it was so funny. I had to. Because even though Merck was only allotted six words to work with, she effectively used those six words to get at least seven because we were all finishing it in our heads. So even though she only said six, I had to. Well, Joy, I think you and I were made to be friends with each other because you have some awesome arguments that proved a lot of great points about Bigfoot. And I don't want to hate on Bigfoot because he and his species seem awesome. And that fire rap was everything. And you truly do bring so much energy. So I loved this debate. Yeah, you know, I, you know, thanks. And I feel like I said a lot of smack against Ariel, but I mean, I could quote that movie by heart like still and I'm 33 years old. Well, that's it for today's debate battle. Oscar Crownmer made the Smash Boom Best. But what do you think? We want to know. Head to smashboom.org and vote to tell us who you think won. Smash Boom Best is brought to you by Brains On and American Public Media. It's produced by Molly Bloom, Rosie Dupont, Sandin Totten and Jennifer Lai. We had engineering help from Veronica Rodriguez and Cameron Wiley. And we had production help from Alyssa Dudley, Christina Lopez, Mark Sanchez and Manica Wilhelm. Anna Wegel is the voice of our whole music and our announcer is Marley Foyerworker Otto. We want to give a special thanks to Austin Cross, Taylor Kaufman and David Jha. Joy, is there anyone you want to thank today? Oh, you know, I got to give a shout out to Jeremy Walton from Thailand that actually was the voice of Bigfoot. I did a wonderful job with that rap. He did. That was amazing. Amazing. How about you, Merck? Any special shout outs today? So many. Joy and the BFF YouTube channel. My friends, Josh, Joe, Juan, Matt, Ponder, Susan, David, Quincy, Alex, Ariel and and Howard and Allen who wrote Part of Your World, that beautiful song. I love that song. Oscar, is there anyone you want to give special thanks to today? All of you, everyone involved in creating this awesome show and everybody listening to it. Thank you, Oscar. We are so happy to have you back. And before we go, let's hear who Sam thinks should win in their numbers versus winners debate. I think numbers win because there are a lot more. Fair point. Do you have an idea for a debate? Head to smashboom.org and tell us about it. This is the last episode of the season, but don't despair. We'll be back later this year with season four. And if you don't want to wait until then and you want to support the show, you can donate to get our super awesome bonus episode, Coyotes versus Roadrunners. Head to smashboom.org slash donate and you'll get the bonus episode when it's published on February 25th. Thanks for listening this season. We'll be back soon. Bye. Oh, I got proof. He's in my basement. Didn't you hear my declaration? He's here. He's sleeping right now, but he's here.